by Leigh Ann Hubbard, managing editor

September is National Preparedness Month. Do you know everything you should have on hand for an emergency or disaster?

Here’s a short video and links to reliable tips.

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by Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.

I had a wonderful new patient come to me for weight loss guidance yesterday. Like many new patients, this is not her first dieting attempt and her idea of trimming down included deprivation. That is not my idea at all. I’m not giving up chocolate, and I don’t expect you to banish your favorite treat either.

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Bisphenol A is a chemical found in plastics, toys, bottles, etc.  The NIH has accumulated all it knows about bisphenol A into a report. The conclusion?  There is “some concern” that it could cause developmental toxicity for fetuses, infants and children (effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland).   That is code for they really don’t know, but better safe than sorry.  On a scale of 1 to 5, it’s a 3.   They say more studies are needed for better conclusions.

So what is a person to do?

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James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Scientists have now succeeded in manipulating the DNA in mouse cells to make them become different cells altogether, according to a Nature study, published online on August 27, 2008. They called it reprogramming.

There are two types of cells in the pancreas (which is where these came from).

• Exocrine cells produce digestive enzymes.
• Islet beta-cells produce insulin.

They are totally different, never performing the other ones’ function. When the islet beta-cells don’t work correctly, there is no insulin production, hence diabetes. Scientists have transplanted beta cells from another source into a pancreas before. It can work, but the body tries to get rid of (reject) these foreign cells so that’s a big problem. You have to take strong medication to weaken your immune system so your antibodies won’t reject a transplant.

But this is different. Consider the implications.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

A new timely report in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness reveals that most of the 986 who died as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina did so in the first day.

Did we learn anything from Katrina? I think so.

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