Eating trans fat weakens memory in younger men, study says

Trans fats, the use of which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration limited last month, are associated with reduced memory function in men 45 and younger, says a University of California San Diego School of Medicine study published in the online journal PLOS ONE.

Researchers asked 1,018 men and women to fill out a dietary survey and take a word-recall memory test. Men 45 and younger remembered an average of 86 words, but for each additional gram of trans fats eaten daily, memory dropped by 0.76 words. Compared to the men who didn't consume trans fats, those in the study who consumed the most recalled 12 fewer words.

"Trans fats were mostly strongly linked to worse memory in men during their high-productivity years," said Beatrice A. Golomb, lead author and professor of medicine at UCSD. "Trans fat consumption has previously shown adverse associations to behavior and mood—other pillars of brain function. However, to our knowledge a relation to memory or cognition had not been shown."

Other research has shown that trans fatty acid consumption is linked to negative effects on lipid profile, metabolic function, insulin resistance, inflammation and cardiac and general health. "As I tell patients: While trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people," Golomb said.

UK research project will create strategies to improve respiratory health for those living in Appalachian Kentucky

Public health researchers at the University of Kentucky will undertake a five-year long research project called "Community-Engaged Research and Action to Reduce Respiratory Disease in Appalachia," Sarah Noble writes in a UK press release.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the project will involve creating strategies to improve respiratory and environmental public health. Kentuckians living in Appalachian counties have the state's highest rates of serious respiratory illness.

"Adults in Appalachian Kentucky are 50 percent more likely to develop asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than the overall U.S. population," Noble writes. "As many as one in five adults in the region have received a diagnosis of asthma, and rates of COPD are nearly two-and-a-half fold the incidence of the disease in other parts of the country.

Although studies show associations between respiratory health problems and environmental contaminants, data doesn't yet include individual-level assessments or behavioral risk factors common in the area—such as smoking, poor diet and insufficient physical activity. The "Community Response to Environmental Exposures in Eastern Kentucky" project will fill those gaps.

The CREEEK project will include three steps. A community-based assessment will "identify the relationships between indoor air pollutants, behavioral and social determinants and the effects these factors have on risk of respiratory disease," Noble writes. That information "will be shared with local stakeholders in an effort to increase understanding of the environmental exposures present in the region," then the project will put in place "an environmental public health action strategy and will evaluate that strategy's ability to impact short-and long-term outcomes for respiratory health."

Tennessee churches encourage healthier living

Sulphur Wells Church of Christ in Henry County, Tennessee, a few miles away from Paris, Ky., is challenging people to eat and think healthier, Amber Hall reports for Public Radio International.

Bob Palmer, lead pastor at the church, said, "We do draw some hard lines on alcohol and tobacco use and tattoos—we think, 'Oh, you're not taking care of the our temple that God has given you.'" He said the church hasn't looked at the issue holistically. "We've just kind of picked out the things we weren't going to do anyway, and we feel self-righteous about that—that we don't do them."

Then Palmer saw the County Health Rankings, a project by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that measures health risks, Hall writes. He said that "when we confirm someone's spiritual health and give them a thumbs up and an A-OK, that's often the end of the rehabilitation process." However, he said if he were outside the church and had only the health indicator numbers to look at, "it might make me run in the opposite direction."

In Tennessee, the Governor's Foundation for Health and Wellness is helping groups such as churches improve health in evangelical hubs through the "Healthier Tennessee" initiative, which is a "wellness program and an online wellness tool that provides faith leaders with tips, ideas and actions to get their members healthier," Molly Sudderth, the director of communications at the foundation, said.

One of the suggestions is called Walk and Worship. "You can walk and pray for those you feel need extra prayers or are going through difficulties . . ." said Barabara Kelly, a public-health educator.

About 150 churches statewide are participating in Healthier Tennessee's "Small Starts" program, but none of the churches in Henry County have joined yet. Palmer said "there could be some stigma tied to healthy living in this largely conservative area," Hall writes.

"Right-wing religious folk have kinda viewed that as 'liberal' thinking," Palmer told him. "But that hasn't been correct, I don't think. At all. Just read through early Genesis, and the very first commission that God gives anyone is to essentially take care of this created world. We don't talk about that very often for some reason—to our detriment, and these numbers reflect that." (Read more)

At least 14 counties had vaccination rates in 2011-12 below level experts say is needed to protect kindergartners from measles

As concern about the spread of measles from lack of vaccination grows, many Kentucky counties probably have vaccination rates below the minimum that experts say is needed to create "herd immunity" and prevent spread of the highly contagious disease among students in kindergarten.

At least 14 Kentucky counties had measles vaccination rates below 90 percent in the 2011-12 school year, according to state data analyzed by USA Today, in a survey of states that track vaccination rates and make them public. The Courier-Journal published the Kentucky figures in an online database.

The counties under 90 percent were Bath (89%), Boyle (83%), Bullitt (88%), Christian (89%), Harlan (88%), Jefferson (86%), Laurel (85%), Lawrence (88%), Lee (80%), Nelson (82%), Robertson (88%), Rowan (86%), Taylor (82%) and Webster (86%). Data from several counties was not available. For the database with county-by-county figures, click here.

The statewide vaccination rate was 93 percent, pulled down by a rate of 86 percent in Jefferson County, the state's most populous. The lowest rates were 80 percent in Lee County and 82 percent in Nelson and Taylor counties.

Jefferson County officials told The Courier-Journal that the county's rate rose above 90 percent in the last two to three years. Bullitt County school-health coordinator Lesa Bodine told the Louisville newspaper that her data show 94.3 percent of the county's kindergarten students "have been properly immunized," The C-J's Darla Carter reports. "However, she said there are some parents who choose not to immunize their children. She also noted that there can be a delay in receiving proof of vaccination because a child has, for example, transferred from another county or state."

Like many states, Kentucky allows parents to exempt their children from required vaccinations for medical or religious reasons. Measles outbreaks in other states have been blamed at least partly on parents who still believe discredited reports that vaccines cause autism or other disorders. Generally, the stricter the laws, the higher the vaccination rate, Stateline reports. Here's a Stateline map showing how states differ:

Churches add fitness facilities as part of ministry outreach, community service; Louisville's Walnut Street church led the way

More churches are beginning to see health and fitness facilities as potential ministry niches, which can positively influence surrounding communities. Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville was a pioneer, building a six-story health facility including bowling alleys in the late 1950s and early 1960s, church consultant George Bullard told Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global.

Now health ministries have been "making a comeback as a variety of social and religious trends in America converge," Brumley reports. "There is absolutely an opportunity for new forms of church centered around fitness," said Travis Collins, the director of mission advancement and Virginia regional coordinator for Fresh Expressions US.

Creative Commons photo by jerronlife

Secular organizations that promote fitness often promote health-focused ministries and programs. For example, Houston-based nonprofit Health Fitness Revolution released a list of the 20 Fittest Churches in Texas. Samir Becic, the organization's founder, said, "Spiritual awareness is one of the key components of healthy lifestyle that impacts the whole body and rejuvenates the spirit." Many of the churches on the list have fitness classes, nutrition and senior programs and sports leagues. Some also have facilities for fitness and health.

Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta has a 70,000-square-foot facility with a indoor pool and track, weight room, cardio center and even personal trainers. The church website says, "It is our desire that all who use our facility or participate

in our activities will have the opportunity to hear that Jesus Christ loves them and desires to have a personal relationship with them," the church website says.

Besides building fitness centers, churches are promoting good health in other ways. "Another wave in recent years is that of church members, often led by pastors, uniting to lower blood pressure, drop pounds and tone up as a team," Brumley writes. Christianity Today reported in 2013 that churches from Indiana to Virginia were making fitness pledges, and 250 members of Central Baptist Church in Northern Virginia said they lost 12,000 pounds collectively. (Read more)

Five myths about flu shots, explored and debunked

Myths about the influenza vaccine circulate every year and make it difficult for some to decide whether to get the shot, Tom Watkins reports for CNN.

This prompted him to look at five of the most common myths and presents the "truth based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Perhaps the most common myth is that the flu shot can give you the flu. The CDC says the virus in flu shots is dead and cannot cause infection. So why do some people feel bad after a flu shot? The CDC says that this is often caused by soreness at the injection site, which is caused by the immune system working to create antibodies to the killed viruses in the vaccine. Or, you could be sick with another seasonal illness that acts like the flu or have a flu virus that is not in the vaccine. Finally, especially among the elderly and people with weak immune systems, although the CDC says it still can prevent complications in this high-risk group. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices says "symptoms, in rare instances, include fever, muscle pain, and discomfort or weakness, which also typically go away after a day or two," Watkins reports.

Another myth is that it is better to get the vaccine late in the season so it will last longer. The CDC says that this is not true, Watkins reports: "The shot lasts an entire flu season, except for some children who may need two doses."

The third myth is that the flu shot might adversely affect pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says "The flu vaccine is an essential element of prenatal care," and recommends a flu shot for all pregnant women, who are at higher risk for flu complications. Pregnant women should only get a flu shot, and not the nasal vaccine.

The fourth myth is the belief that "I've had the flu before and it was no big deal, so bring it on." This is a fallacy, Watkins reports, because seasonal flu "exacts a bigger toll in some years than in others because the viruses that circulate in one may differ than those that circulate in another" and people's response to viral infections differ from year to year.

The final myth is that the flu shot doesn't work. Watkins writes that while "it doesn't work all the time, it does offer some level of protection." According to the CDC, one study in 2010-2011 showed 60 percent efficacy for all age groups, and studies from earlier years found protection rates of up to 90 percent.

The CDC recommends that all people older than 6 months get a flu vaccine. They also recommend that you get it early because it takes two weeks from the time of the injection for the flu shot to work.

Chain restaurants, theaters, amusement parks and grocery delis must post calorie counts in a year, to fight obesity

McDonald's already posts calorie content on its menus

In an effort to combat the country's obesity epidemic, the Food and Drug Administration issued final regulations Tuesday that will require chains with 20 or more restaurants, movie theaters and pizza parlors to post calorie counts on menus.

"The rules will have broad implications for public health," Sabrina Tavernise and Stephanie Strom report for The New York Times. "As much as a third of the calories that Americans consume come from outside the home, and many health experts believe that increasingly large portion sizes and unhealthy ingredients have been significant contributors to obesity in the United States."

“This is one of the most important public health nutrition policies ever to be passed nationally,” Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told the authors. “Right now, you are totally guessing at what you are getting. This rule will change that.”

The numbers "could be a pretty big wake-up call," writes Jason Millman of The Washington Post. "The FDA rules are more comprehensive than expected, given the strong industry pushback since the menu labeling provision was included in the 2010 health-care law." The FDA proposed a rule in 2011, but heavy lobbying has delayed its finalization.

"Do people eat healthier when they can see calorie counts?" Milliman asks. "The evidence so far seems mixed. The impact seems to be greater when the calorie count is much higher than what consumers expect. What does seem clear from past studies is that people really are terrible judges of how many calories they consume when they dine out [and] are especially bad judges of the calorie content of the least healthy foods commonly found of restaurant menus."

The rules also cover food in vending machines, amusement parks, alcohol if it is on the menu or a menu board, and some prepared foods in supermarkets. Chain restaurants are defined as food establishments with 20 or more outlets.

The policy will take effect a year from now, "and seems likely to face legal and political challenges from some parts of the food industry, including grocery and convenience stores that sell prepared foods for takeout," the Times reports.

The National Grocers Association told the paper, “Grocery stores are not chain restaurants, which is why Congress did not initially include them in the law. We are disappointed that the FDA's final rules will capture grocery stores, and impose such a large and costly regulatory burden on our members.”

Daren Bakst, a research fellow in agricultural policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told the authors that the FDA interpreted the law too broadly. “If Congress wanted to cover any establishment that sells prepared foods, they would have said that,” he said. “No reasonable person is about to confuse a grocery store, convenience store or movie theater with a restaurant.” But retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, who helped create the labeling requirement, said the rule “closely mirrors congressional intent.”

The FDA offered some concessions to grocers, convenience stores, pizza chains and vending-machine owners. For example, pizzerias can define their serving sizes and list calories by the slice, and vending machine owners have been given an extra year to comply.

African clinics to begin testing Ebola treatments; one made from tobacco in Kentucky isn't plentiful enough to be part of effort

Doctors Without Borders will begin testing three experimental therapies to treat Ebola in December, bypassing the traditional progression of testing and giving the treatments directly to infected patients, Alice Park reports for Time magazine.

Driving this decision is the death toll, which has surpassed 5,000, with more than 14,000 patients still affected in West Africa, Park reports.

“We are on the front line, and when you have a disease that kills 50 percent to 70 percent of patients, then we have a certain responsibility to try to do our best to host trials for treatments in our facilities,” without waiting for the usual testing, Bertrand Draguez, medical director of Doctors Without Borders, told Park.

The treatment ZMapp, a combination of antibodies that was given to two U.S. aid workers who survived the infection, will not be one of the treatments because it is not available in enough doses to properly test in West Africa, Park reports. ZMapp is manufactured from a unique tobacco leaves grown in Owensboro, Ky.

The treatments that will be tested are the antiviral drug favipiravir, the antiviral drug brincidofovir, and whole blood and plasma from Ebola survivors.

Draguez told Park that the two antiviral drugs "rose to the top of the list because of a combination of their promise in controlling the Ebola virus and their availability," plus their ease of distribution; they are in pills, taken orally.

Patients will be given detailed information about the treatments and given the option of taking the experimental therapies, Park reports.

The World Health Organization recently announced plans to test two vaccines in West Africa as well.

These trials are a "good first step" in how best to treat Ebola, and while they might not help those currently infected, will be "invaluable for the inevitable outbreaks that emerge in the future," Park writes.

Kentucky has a statewide outbreak of whooping cough, perhaps because the child-immunization rate is declining

Kentucky is having a statewide outbreak of pertussis, also called whooping cough, Jennifer Wohlleb reports for the Kentucky School Advocate, the magazine of the Kentucky School Boards Association. This comes at a time when the immunization rate among Kentucky school children is declining.

At least 230 cases of whooping cough have been diagnosed so far this year, and there were more than 300 confirmed cases last year, Wohlleb reports.

“And those are just reported cases, and most of those are in children,” Kraig Humbaugh, director of the state Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning, told Wohlleb. “And young children are the ones most likely to have the severe consequences, including unfortunately, death."

Another childhood disease, measles, remains in check. Humbaugh told Wohlleb, "We haven’t seen a case of it this year, but almost all of our surrounding states have and there is currently a measles outbreak … with cases that have been imported from other countries.”

That's important to remember, Humbaugh said. “We live a global economy and every day, people can come here from other countries,” where illnesses like measles and polio are still an issue, she said. “Vaccines and immunizations are really, really important, but some people get really complacent because we don’t see them (these diseases) as much anymore, but they’re still a threat.”

During the 2013-14 school year, 81.7 percent of Kentucky sixth-graders received theTdap booster shot, which protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. That is below the national average of 84.6 percent. The state’s rate of childhood series immunizations has fallen to 72.7 percent in 2013 for 80.6 percent in 2011, according to the National Immunization Survey, Wohlleb reports.

Schools in Scott County and Hart County both had an outbreak last year and discovered that many of those getting whooping cough were at the age where they needed a booster or right before the age where they needed a booster, Wohlleb reports.

Local health departments help districts communicate with parents, and can provide them with crucial information about the course of an illness.

“Once (a student) is considered to be infectious, it would be recommended that they stay out of school until they have received five days of the appropriate antibiotic treatment, or 21 days from the onset of cough,” Sharon Ray of the Barren River District Health Department told Wohlleb. “So you can see, if we don’t find out about it until you’re three weeks into a cough illness, you’ve already been there your whole infectious period, so we can’t shorten your infection time; where if we know early, we may not keep that student from getting sick, but we may shorten their infectious time to others.”

Kentucky allows parents to exempt their children from vaccinations for medical or religious reasons; it does not allow philosophical exemptions. Humbaugh told Wohlleb that vaccines are "one of the greatest medical success stories of the 20th century," and said "fear and misinformation about vaccinations may be contributing to lower rates of immunizations in areas of the country. "

“I think one thing people fear are side effects of vaccinations,” Humbaugh, who is also a pediatrician, told Wohlleb. “I think the literature shows that certainly, and the 20th century will bear that out, the benefit of being vaccinated for childhood diseases is greater than the small risks associated with vaccinations. To me, vaccinations are like any other type of medication that you give, everything has risks; taking Tylenol has risks. But the risks are very low. These are in general safe, proven effective vaccines, all approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Diabetes is an epidemic and needs to be treated like one, with a public-health approach, Lexington policy experts say in new book

Diabetes is often called an epidemic, but is not treated as such. Two Lexington health policy experts argue in a new book that this has to change, Tom Eblen reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The Great Diabetes Epidemic: A Manifesto for Control and Prevention was written by Dr. Gilbert Friedell, former director of the Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky and founder of the Friedell Committee, a statewide health care policy organization; and Isaac Joyner, a public-health policy analyst who has worked on a variety of issues in Kentucky, Texas and the Carolinas. It outlines specific steps that people, communities and the government should take in its approach to diabetes, saying the solution is a "major public health response."

"If we continue to treat diabetes on a one-patient-at-a-time basis, we can't deal with an epidemic," Friedell told Eblen. "Unless you take a public health approach to an epidemic, it doesn't work."

Kentucky has seen a 158 percent increase in cases over the last 15 years, "outpacing every other state except Oklahoma," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eblen reports that most cases are Type 2 diabetes, which is related to obesity.

"A flu epidemic of such magnitude would create public alarm and swift official response," Eblen writes.

The authors say the first step in changing diabetes in America is widespread, routine screening. They cite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one-fourth of the people who have diabetes don't know it because they have not been tested.

In Kentucky, that means that 370,000 Kentuckians know they have diabetes, but 137,000 more might have it and not know it, Eblen reports. Officials estimate 233,000 Kentuckians have pre-diabetes, meaning they are at immediate risk of developing the disease.

"You have to find cases early, which means you have to screen people who seem well," Friedell said. "The symptoms of diabetes come on maybe 10 years after the disease starts. But nobody knows they have the disease. We're wasting 10 years that we could be doing something good for people."

Current recommendations for diabetes screening is for people with high blood pressure, or anyone older than 45. The authors say everyone older than 20 should be screened. They say this has to be viewed as a societal problem, not an individual one, Eblen reports.

The authors call for increased government and community funding and efforts toward proven diabetes prevention programs and for insurance companies to revise the way they reimburse for diabetes saying, " the longterm payoff would be huge" with these changes. Most importantly, they also call for increased public awareness and urgency.

"There has to be a sense of urgency, and there is no sense of urgency about diabetes," Friedell told Eblen. "We need to do something to get the public involved, and the public has to feel that it's important."

Friedell and Joyner will speak about the book and sign copies at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, which is World Diabetes Day, at The Morris Book Shop, 882 East High Street. They also are scheduled to testify Nov. 18 in Washington to the Congressional Caucus on Diabetes.

Americans do need to worry about Ebola: not about daily risk, but about the future if it is not contained, expert says

The Ebola virus isn't a risk to Americans now, but will be "down the road" if the epidemic is not contained, says a crisis communication consultant who's been working for decades on how people and government officials respond to disease outbreaks.

Peter Sandman assured Nancy Shute of NPR that the risk to Americans does not approach any of the current hype, saying that "even if we have 10 Ebola cases a month," the U.S. can handle it.

The real risk is in the future, Sandman said. If the epidemic in West Africa is not placed under control, "a lot of sparks fly and ignite epidemics in other parts of the world" that lack health systems to handle it.

Sandman said it's normal to personalize and localize a new worry, but he would rather see Americans worry about the larger risk and work to do something about it. He also suggested that the people who are telling Americans to stop worrying should instead use this as a "teachable moment."

"If they succeed in getting people to stop worrying, they will regret it, because there's a lot to worry about it," he said. "Calming us down shouldn't be a goal."

Sandman offers four suggestions to stop the "sparks" from flying:
1. Put pressure on the government to push harder on vaccine research.
2. Make a personal contribution or urge the government to contribute toward "spark suppression."
3. Volunteer, either with your time or money.
4. Tell the CDC that you don't want 20 CDC experts in New York, you want 20 CDC experts in Nigeria to help get ready to put out the next spark and the one after that and the one after that.

"You have reason to worry that your daily life a year or two from now could be significantly worse if Ebola is all over the world," he told Shute. "And you have reason to work to prevent that, and reason to prepare for it. But what should you do in your daily life now to protect yourself against catching Ebola, assuming you're not a health care worker with an Ebola patient? Absolutely nothing. The risk to the U.S. isn't now, it's down the road."

As for the recent decisions by governors who are trying to impose quarantines on returning health-care workers, which drew open disagreement from the CDC and the White House, Sandman said, "There's certainly a case to be made that quarantine is excessive, that active monitoring would be good enough. But it seems to me to be a pretty open debate on whether quarantine is excessive or appropriate, and it depends on how cautious you want to be. Saying that the science proves incontrovertibly that quarantine is wrong — it's bad communication and it's bad science."

As of October 31, New York,  New Jersey Maine, Georgia, Illinois, California, Connecticut, Michigan, Florida, Delaware, Minnesota and Texas have varying policies on Ebola quarantines, with other states like Alaska and Kentucky still working on their policies, reports Julie Watson of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"Kentucky officials are still hammering out an Ebola protocol but said it would likely be unnecessary given the small number of people who arrive to the state from affected countries," Watson reports.

Anyone returning from an Ebola-stricken country will be monitored by health authorities for three weeks

All travelers who arrive in the U.S. from the Ebola-stricken countries -- Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia -- will be closely monitored for 21 days by public health officials, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced Wednesday, Oct. 22.

These measures took effect immediately in the six states that receive approximately 70 percent of travelers from Est Africa: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Georgia. All other states that receive travelers from the region, including Kentucky, will implement these policies "over the following days," a CDC release said..

Kit for travelers entering U.S. from West Africa

Travelers who have been in these countries will get a kit at the airport with an explanation of what Ebola symptoms are, a thermometer and instructions on how to use it, and specific contact information to report symptoms. These people will also be required to maintain daily contact with state and local officials for the entire 21 days following the last possible date of exposure to the Ebola virus.

"These new measures I'm announcing today will give additional levels of safety so that people who develop symptoms of Ebola are isolated quickly," Frieden told reporters.

These measures are in place only for travelers without symptoms. Those showing symptoms will be isolated and, if need be, transported by trained medical personnel. If a traveler is considered "high risk," but not yet showing symptoms, Frieden said he or she would be quarantined and not permitted to travel via public transportation.

New York and New Jersey have taken this new policy a step further and now require all medical workers returning from West Africa who had contact with Ebola patients to be quarantined for 21 days. Illinois will require people who have traveled to West Africa and have come into direct contact with someone infected with the Ebola virus to "undergo a mandatory 21-day home quarantine," Ray Sanchez and Elizabeth Cohen report for CNN.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the policy could backfire. "These individuals who are going there to serve are the people who will end this crisis," de Blasio said. "We can't have the illusion that we can turn away from it and some day it may end. If we took that attitude, this would be a truly devastating global crisis."

News media blamed for most of Ebola scare; experts continue to say that risk of infection is low

The reaction of many Americas regarding the Ebola virus has gone beyond what is medically necessary, but is a natural reaction to fear, Maggie Fox reports for NBC News.

Medical experts told Fox that while the federal Centers for Disease Control and state health departments are taking appropriate measures to keep an eye on people who were in direct contact with Ebola patients, some actions "may be excessive," such as Cleveland-area schools closing after a middle-school worker "traveled home from Dallas on Frontier Airlines Tuesday on a different flight, but perhaps the same aircraft" as the Ebola-infected nurse, Fox reports.

“They are taking drastic steps for a risk that is rather remote,” said George Kapalka, professor of psychological counseling at Monmouth University in New Jersey.

Blame for this fear is placed on the news media and politicians, Fox reports. Media are “undoubtedly complicit in stoking this fear, not by covering the story — that’s fine,” risk perception expert David Ropeik told Fox. “They are complicit by burying all the qualifiers about how minimal the risk is.”

So how risky is Ebola?

“The only individuals potentially at risk for Ebola in the United States right now are those who have traveled to affected areas of West Africa or who have been directly involved in treating cases of Ebola or close contacts to a symptomatic patient with Ebola," Stephanie Mayfield, Kentucky's public health commissioner, said in a press release.

Mafudia Suaray, a family physician at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, says the risk of getting Ebola in the U.S. is "very low." She explains that "Ebola is a virus that is spread from person to person through contact with bodily fluids, including saliva, tears, sweat, urine, blood, stool and semen. It is not spread through the air. ... The virus cannot be spread through contact with intact skin and a person must have symptoms of the disease to spread it to others."

Adam Cole of NPR created a visual to show how unlikely an Ebola infection is, based on the reproduction number of the virus, which indicates how many people one person might infect. It says that for every person who has Ebola will infect two others, but direct contact with a bodily fluid is required.

And the reason that officials, including the CDC Director Thomas Frieden, think Ebola will be contained in the U.S. is because our public health system is good and Ebola isn't contagious until symptoms are present, allowing time to isolate those who have come in contact with anyone who has been infected, and thus stopping the spread of the disease, Michaeleen Doucleff reports for NPR.

Suaray reminds us in the release that "common sense prevention measures should always be the priority, whether for Ebola or for more common illnesses such as the cold and flu." Wash your hands, stay home if you have fever, see a health care provider if your fever is high, cover your face with your arm or a tissue when you cough or sneeze and talk to your doctor if you plan on traveling to an infected region.

How contagious is ebola? Not very, experts say

This story was updated Monday, Oct. 13
Several days ago, Thomas Eric Duncan died from ebola after arriving in Dallas from Liberia. He didn't appear to be ill during his journey or soon after he arrived. "Various news outlets are reporting that travelers arriving in the United States from West Africa would have their temperatures taken and be asked to answer questionnaires ascertaining any possible exposure," Kris Hickman writes for the Association of Health Care Journalists.

This story, among other ideas circling the news, has caused worry, but do people really have a reason to panic? Contagion potential is indicated by the reproduction number, which refers to the number of individuals to whom an infected person is likely to pass a disease. Epidemiologists have estimated that ebola's reproduction number is between 1.5 and 2. Measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, has a reproduction number of 18, and HIV has a reproduction number of 4.

The calculations are based on how long infected individuals are contagious and how much of the virus is needed to pass the diseases, among other factors, "but these data indicate that ebola is, in fact, controllable with appropriate and timely responses from the public health sector," Hickman writes.

Ebola is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, but only when the patient is showing symptoms. The fatality rate is approximately 50 percent, particularly without proper treatment. "Reporters tapping into public health experts who can explain the concept of reproduction number should be able to show how containable the disease is and put it into proper perspective," Hickman writes.

While it is well-documented and understood how e-bola is spread, Peter Jahrling, chief scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is concerned that the disease has mutated to become more contagious, Julia Belluz reports for Vox.

Jahrling is worried that the "mutations of the virus that are circulating now look to be more contagious than the ones that have turned up in the past, " Belluz writes.  His Liberian team has found that the patients in Liberia have a much higher "viral load," which means that they have more virus in their blood - and that could make them more contagious. He told Bulluz that they were continuing to run test on their patients in Liberia, and they continued to show high "viral loads." When asked what this means, he said, "Right now, we just don't know."

The state Department for Public Health has prepared materials to" help hospitals, public-health agencies, health-care organizations and other coalitions in their preparedness for Ebola, Jack Brammer reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. The materials are online at www.Kyha.com/kha-ebola-updates.

Barren River Health Dept. accredited; joins 5 others in Ky. (Franklin, Fayette, Madison, Northern Ky. and Three Rivers)

The Barren River District Health Department has joined five others in Kentucky with national accreditation.

The Public Health Accreditation Board announced Sept. 18 that the Bowling Green-based agency and nine other health departments had been accredited, bringing the total number to 54.

Kentucky health departments previously accredited are Franklin County, Lexington-Fayette County, Madison County, Northern Kentucky and Three Rivers (Carroll, Gallatin and Owen counties). The Barren River department serves Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Simpson and Warren counties.

"Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities," the board said in a news release. "Health departments provide a range of services aimed at promoting healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; ensuring access to safe food, water, clean air, and life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a specific set of standards and measures. The peer-review process provides valuable feedback to inform health departments of their strengths and areas for improvement so that they can better protect and promote the health of the people in the communities they serve."

Survey finds 1 in 7 Kentuckians over 44 say they have worsening confusion or memory loss; few say they get needed help

Worsening memory loss reported by Kentuckians in a survey could be indicative of a future Alzheimer's or dementia public health crisis, according to a press release from the Alzheimer's Association.

A first-time survey about memory loss shows that 14.1 percent of Kentuckians aged 45 and older report that they have confusion or memory loss that has become more frequent or gotten worse over the last 12 months. In the 21 states that participated in the study, the average was 12.5 percent.

The survey indicated a gap between need and care. Nearly 61 percent of Kentuckians who reported worsening memory problems said  they need assistance, but only 10.3 percent report getting help. And 25 percent of Kentuckians who reported worsening memory loss live alone.

“The data are indicative of a public-health crisis coming to our region,” Teri Shirk, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana, said in the release.

The report was compiled from data gathered for the first time in the Cognitive Decline Module, part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012.

Of those Kentuckians who reported memory loss in the survey, 75 percent of them haven't talked to their doctor about it. This is a problem, Shirk said in the release.

"Although the data do not indicate the respondents are cognitively impaired, worsening memory problems are often one of the first warning signs of Alzheimer’s or another dementia," she said.

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 67,000 Kentuckians have the disease and estimates this number will climb to 86,000 by 2025.

Of those Kentuckians who reported memory loss, 47 percent said it had interfered with household activities, work or social activities, compared to 40 percent of respondents across the 21 states.

"More than 80 percent have at least one other chronic condition, and many – especially in Kentucky – report conditions or behaviors that we know correlate with Alzheimer’s,” Shirk said. For example, more than 31 percent of Kentucky survey respondents reporting memory issues are smokers, and more than 61 percent say they are in fair or poor health, according to the survey.

“Dementia is absolutely not a normal part of aging,” said Shirk. “And worsening memory loss or confusion does not necessarily mean you have Alzheimer’s disease. If the issue is caused by medication, head trauma or other factors, it may be reversible. But if you do have Alzheimer’s, finding out early means you may be able to begin medications that tend to be more effective in the early stages, and it also gives you the opportunity to participate in planning for your future with the disease … where you will live, how your funds will be used and who will care for you as the disease progresses.”

For more information about the Alzheimer's Association, click here. For more information about the annual fundraising Walks to End Alzheimer's, held in September and October each year, click here.

Smoking among Kentucky youth dropped by one-fourth from 2011 to 2013, biennial CDC survey determines

Photo from TobaccoPreventionK12

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Fewer Kentucky high-school students are smoking cigarettes. The state dropped to sixth place from first in high-school smoking in the 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System report.

In the survey, which is done in odd-numbered years, 17.9 percent of Kentucky high-schoolers reported that they were smoking cigarettes, down one-fourth from 24.1 percent in 2011. Nationwide, the current rate is 15.7 percent.

In 1997, when the CDC first started tracking student smoking, 47 percent of Kentucky youth reported smoking.  The state has now cut that bu more than half, and gone beyond its "Healthy Kentuckians 2020" goal of reducing youth smoking to 19 percent.

The survey sampled 1,626 Kentucky high-school students and got responses from 85 percent. The final sample of 1,382 is subject to an error margin of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, leaving no doubt that youth smoking in Kentucky declined significantly from 2011 to 2013 -- by 25.7 percent, if the figures are without sampling error.

Before state officials knew about the big drop in 2011-13, they set a goal of decreasing youth smoking by another 10 percent by 2019 as part of the "kyhealthnow" initiative.

“When I announced our ambitious goals for kyhealthnow in February of this year, smoking was one of the most obvious areas we needed to address,” Gov. Steve Beshear said in a news release. “I am pleased to see teen smoking trending downward, but I remain committed to further reducing cigarette use among our youth.”

Kyhealthnow is an aggressive plan to improve the state's collective health. One component of the plan to cut youth smoking by 10 percent includes comprehensive smoke-free policies and tobacco-free schools.

Only 33 of Kentucky's 173 public school districts are tobacco-free, according to the state Department for Public Health. Since nearly nine out of 10 smokers start by age 18, early intervention is a "key element in reducing the overall burden of tobacco use in Kentucky," the release says.

Youth who smoke can develop cardiovascular disease, smaller lungs that don’t function normally, wheezing that can lead to asthma, and eventually cellular damage that can lead to cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes and a host of other diseases, according to the release.

“While we’re pleased to see a reduction in youth smoking, it’s important to note that we still have too many youth who smoke and others who are exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke,” said state Health Commissioner Stephanie Mayfield. “The health consequences of smoking are seen throughout many of the diseases impacting Kentuckians. Smoking cessation could significantly reduce the rates of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases which are linked to tobacco use.”

Smoking cessation programs are available to people 15 and older in Kentucky, and are available in multiple languages. For more information call 1-800-784-8669 or go to www.QuitNowKentucky.org.