Treatment for high blood pressure in African-Americans needs to start sooner and be more aggressive, according to a consensus statement by the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks (ISHIB) that is published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Evidence from several recently completed studies converged to convince our committee that we were waiting a little bit too long to start treating hypertension in African-Americans," said lead author John M. Flack, MD, of the Department of Internal Medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, in an online report of the study.

The update to the ISHIB's 2003 consensus statement—for which Flack and colleagues reviewed hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment guidelines, pharmacological hypertension clinical end point trials, and blood pressure-lowering trials in African-Americans—includes two major recommendations:

* The thresholds at which treatment is initiated in African-American patients should be lowered.
* Physicians should move quickly from single-drug therapy to multi-drug therapy to keep a patient's blood pressure comfortably below the thresholds

"We believe that these recommendations will lead to better blood pressure control, and a better outlook for African-Americans with high blood pressure," Flack said.

Currently, blood pressure below 120/80 is considered normal for healthy adults. However, the ISHIB is proposing that physicians recommend lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure in otherwise healthy African-Americans with blood pressure at or above 115/75. Those changes include reduced dietary sodium and increased potassium from eating more fruits and vegetables, as well as losing weight, getting regular aerobic exercise, and consuming alcohol in moderation, Flack said.

"Epidemiological data shows that 115/75 is the critical blood pressure number for adults, and every time that figure goes up by 20/10 the risk of cardiovascular disease essentially doubles. We think it makes perfect sense to start lifestyle changes at that lower threshold," he said, pointing out that from age 50 and up, Americans have a 90% chance of developing hypertension.

The ISHIB also recommends that physicians tighten the primary prevention threshold to 135/80 for African-Americans, and begin secondary prevention when blood pressure is at or above 130/80, according to the statement, which provides step-by-step guidance on the best second, third, and fourth drugs to add based on individual patient characteristics, along with charts with alternate multi-drug combinations so physicians have several options for keeping patients' blood pressure under targets.

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According to the study taken by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD on September 23, 2010, the United States leads the number of fat people in the world. US residents are much less physically active than in the past, thus overweight increased from 50% in 1980 to approximately 70% in 2010.

Apparently, these rates have doubled, even tripled in almost half of developed countries including the United State. With 34% of obesity, the United States is leading the rank of the world's richest countries getting fatter and fatter, and three out of four Americans will be obese within 10 years. If governments, individuals and industries including the United States do not cooperate to combat the epidemic, disease rates and health care expenditures will have been out of control by 2020. Let's have a look at the statistics by OECD of overweight of the United States in particular and the world's other richest countries in general.

Obesity is currently among the greatest issues becoming popular in the world's most-developed countries including America, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and so on

The fat rise with 34% population in the US have direct effects on national issues of , health, development, and some other great aspects

It's amazing that the US is forecast to be ranked "the fattest country in the OECD" with a full 75% of obese Americans in 10 years by 2020

There are many factors causing overweight in the US in particular and in some richest countries in general such as much less physically active activities, or much cheaper foods, lifestyle changes

Because of less time to prepare meals at home, people more and more eat out in restaurants, use fast foot harming their health and lifestyles

Countries ranking after the US of obesity are Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Canada, Ireland with 30%, 27%, 25%, 24% 23% respectively

According to the Economic Cooperation and Development, the BMI of 30 or greater. BMI is a calculation of body fat based on height and weight applying to adult men and women

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Fruitsare the best sources of natural nutrients. Containing a large amount of minerals and vitamins, fruits help us get good health faster. Fruits are the healthiest foods that we eat everyday; however, we don’t know that the skins of fruits can be eaten and they are very good for our health as well. Eating the skins of fruit can help supplement vitamins, fight against cancer and increase our energy levels. These are some fruits and vegetables that we should try to eat without binning their skin.

Kiwi fruit

The skin of the kiwi fruit has antioxidants as well as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti- allergic substance. Its skin has three times the anti-oxidants of its pulp. It can also fight against Staphylococcus and E-coli which often cause food poisoning.style="text-align: center;">

Broccoli

Pineapple

We do not use the prickly skin of the pineapple but its tough core. This tough skin contains a lot of vitamin C and an enzyme called bromelain which helps protect the stomach.

Garlic

Garlic skin can help check the ageing process and protect the heart. Therefore, you should use the whole bulb to bake or fry when cooking

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is rich in zinc and the antioxidant beta carotene. Therefore, it can promote healthy skin and nails as well as protect against heart disease and cancer

Bananas

Banana peel extract can help decrease depression because it is rich in serotonin which can balance the mood. The skin is also good for eyes

Boil the banana peel for 10 minutes and drink the cooled water or crush the whole fruit for the juice

Citrus fruits

Orange and tangerine peel is high in antioxidants. They can help ease cholesterol and colonise the gut with beneficial bacteria. You can add them into cakes or crush the whole fruit and drink it

Potatoes

Don’t reject potato skins because they contain many substances which are very good for our health such as potassium, iron, phosphorous, zinc and vitamin C

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Alcohol is even worse than heroin and crack on the list of "most harmful" drugs, according to a new study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet.

A variety of social, physical and psychological problems that are caused by drugs were examined by a panel of experts, who concluded that alcohol, heroin and crack were the most harmful to others while heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine were the most harmful to individual users, CNN reported.

Dr. Petros Levounis, director of the Addiction Institute of New York at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, agreed with the study findings.

"Both in terms of the medical consequences as well as societal consequences, I agree that alcohol ranks very high in overall harmfulness,"he told the News. "Alcohol has tremendous repercussions in our society in terms of drunk driving and societal consequences.”

Twenty drugs were scored on 16 criteria – nine related to the harms that a particular drug does to an individual and seven to the harms a drug does to others. All the drugs were scored out of 100 points, and overall, alcohol came in the highest, at 72 points, according to The Lancet. Heroin came in second with 55 points and crack cocaine took third place with 54 points.

While cocaine and tobacco were found to be equally harmful, LSD and ecstasy were found to be the least harmful, according to BBC.com.

Funding for the study came from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies in London.

The report in the Lancet was co-authored by Professor David Nutt, Britain's former chief drug policy advisor, who stirred up controversy last year when he wrote an article that said riding a horse was more dangerous than taking ecstasy, CNN reported.

Almost 17.6 million adults in the United States either are alcoholics or have alcohol problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.

But because alcohol is legal and easy to access, many people don't think it is a problem for them, says addiction expert Dr. Jeffrey Parsons, chair of the psychology department at Hunter College.

"It is legal and socially sanctioned, so it does not carry the same stigma and issues that illegal drugs do,"he says. "But the negative health consequences of alcohol are even greater than with many illegal drugs.”

Drinkers tend to equate "legal" with "safe," but that's not necessarily the case, says Lebanon Valley College psychology professor Lou Manza. "In the general public's mind, because you can go and buy alcohol in the store, it is okay,"he said.

One major difference between alcohol and other drugs, such as nicotine, is that there is a "safe"level of it for many people, Livados says. It's generally recognized that two drinks a day for men and one for women can be considered safe, with exceptions such as people with depression or anxiety, those with alcohol dependence and pregnant women.

"It's not the same with nicotine," Levounis says. "We have not been able to find a low threshold under which smoking cigarettes is safe. There's no such thing."

Alcohol dependence tends to be masked more often than dependence upon other drugs, Parsons says. "With alcohol, someone can feel like a law abiding citizen despite the fact that they're abusing a drug," he told The News.

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Teen Disney star Demi Lovato stunned fans when it was announced that the star had dropped out of her Jonas Brothers tour gig to seek help treatment for "emotional and physical issues," according to her representatives.

The "Sonny With a Chance" and the "Camp Rock" star has struggled with eating disorders and cutting herself in the past, according to the Associated Press, although it's unclear if those are the reasons why she left the tour.

But what is cutting? And why might someone - in many cases teens - self mutilate?

There's no one reason.

Often times, the individual is practically bursting with overwhelming feelings and this can be too hard to bear," Dr. Michael Hollander, director of 3East at McLean Hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Belmont, Mass told the News.

Cutting releases opioids into the bloodstream and can actually cause the person to feel suddenly very calm.

"I would say 80% of patients self-injure for emotional regulation," said Hollander.

The release of endorphins is short-lived, however, and the feeling being overwhelmed returns.

Others cut themselves because they feel numb and empty. The rush of endorphins can make the cutter briefly feel alive again.

It isn't easy to tell when someone you care about is cutting or causing themselves injury since many adolescents cut themselves on their bellies or thighs – body parts that aren't easily seen.

"It's hard to tell if you can't see the marks," said Hollander. "A tell-tale sign is when you see someone wearing long sleeves in the summer.

There are many factors in a person's life that can lead them to seek emotional solace from cutting: Bullying, low self-esteem are only a few.

"The kind of person who would exhibit this type of behavior is an extremely sensitive individual," said Hollander. "Their environment hasn't caught up to their emotional needs."

It's important to note that the person who cuts is not necessarily suicidal although the behaviors are linked.

While there is no medication to treat cutting specifically, there are several kinds of cognitive therapies that have proven very effective in helping people deal with their out-of-control emotions.

Disney reportedly supports the Lovato's decision to seek treatment.

The star has been dealing with "emotional and physical issues … for some time," her rep confirmed to People, adding, "Demi has decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help."

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Those who sit for hours at a time - even if they regularly work out at the gym - are at an increased risk for an early death, according to research reported in Men's Health.

Sitting for long periods is bad for the heart, and that holds true for "exercising couch potatoes", says Marc Hamilton, Ph.D.

In other words, a person who jogs or goes on the elliptical five times a week, but hangs out at a desk all day other than that.

A study of the lifestyle habits of some 17,000 men and women revealed that those who sat for most of the day were 54% more likely to have heart problems as those who rarely sat. And it didn’t matter how much the sedentary individuals weighed or how much they worked out.

So if you can't switch jobs, try these workout moves that can be done around the office from Kara Smith, special programs coordinator for the Loyola Center for Fitness in Maywood, Ill.

March in place: Stand up, march in place or take a brief walk around your office to increase blood flow, and increase your heart rate by doing low-impact jumping jacks (raise your right arm out to the side while tapping your left toe out to the side, and then switch sides.)

Tighten your abs: You don't need to wear a leotard to perform the exercises recommended by Dr. Anders Cohen, chief of neurosurgery and spine surgery at the Brooklyn Hospital Center. "While sitting at your desk, tighten up your abdominals and straighten your back," he says. "Make your stomach feel like a washboard and hold it to the count of five, then repeat. It tones your abs, supports your lower back and minimizes injuries."

Raise your hands: Get the blood flowing when sitting for long periods simply by raising your hands over your head and touching your fingers, or bringing your hands behind your back and grabbing your wrists, Cohen says.

Without ever moving out of your chair, try these, recommended by Monica Vazquez, certified master trainer and running coach:

Desk push-ups: Place your hands slightly farther than shoulder-width apart on the edge of your desk. Keeping a straight back, do two sets of 15 pushups. Or try "desk planks," Vazquez says. For this one, place your elbows on your desk (with a sweater for padding if you need it) and bring your legs out and behind you in a plank position. There should be a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. If it seems too easy, try doing it on one leg. Always hold for 30 seconds per side for one leg, or for one minute. Repeat twice for maximum benefits, Vazquez recommends.

Sit up straight: Another way to work out in the office: replace your chair with a "fitball" so you will learn better posture and how to support your back, says fitness expert and model Tosca Reno. Or sit at your desk at your chair or on a fit ball, and push yourself off your feet while supporting your body weight using just your arms, says Reno. "You can also increase your metabolism by doing walking lunges on the way to the water cooler," she says. "And use a water bottle like a weight to do biceps curls and shoulder presses while you’re sitting at your desk."

"Taking a break for even a few minutes can help with cardiovascular, strength and flexibility," says Kara Smith, special programs coordinator for the Loyola Center for Fitness in Maywood, Ill. "And if co-workers give you a strange look, ask them to join you.

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Groups developing a gel to protect women from the AIDS virus say they are moving ahead to develop the product that was hailed as "groundbreaking" after a study on its effectiveness was released in July.

The developers, who met last week with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said the FDA informed them it would only require a limited amount of new information about the gel's safety and efficacy before considering licensing the product.

The gel, containing Gilead Sciences AIDS drug tenofovir, reduced HIV infections in women by 39 percent over two and a half years in a trial in South Africa that was called "groundbreaking by the World Health Organisation.

The FDA would require more information on whether the gel works and is safe, but will help speed up the process, said Dr. Henry Gabelnick, executive director of CONRAD, one of the groups developing the gel.

"They gave it what is called fast-track designation," Gabelnick said in a telephone interview. "That means you can report data on a rolling submission -- you don't have to wait and put everything together. Then they have six months to review the data."

The need for such a gel is compelling -- most infections with the AIDS virus are in Africa and most new cases are among women infected during sex with men. The human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS infects 33 million people globally and has killed 25 million.

There is no vaccine and no cure.

Condoms can protect women and men but many African men refuse to use them and often a married woman is trying to conceive a child but risks being infected by her husband.

A gel, cream or drug-releasing ring called a microbicide could help protect against HIV while allowing a woman to get pregnant, and, if necessary, she could use the product without letting her partner know.

SECOND TRIAL

CONRAD, a division of the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, was a partner with the Centre for Programme Research for AIDS in South Africa (CAPRISA) and U.S.-based Family Health International on the study.

Gilead has licensed tenofovir for use in the gel and researchers were stunned by the findings of the study, presented to an AIDS conference in Vienna in July.

"We still have to get a final report from the CAPRISA study," Gabelnick said. But in the meantime, a second study, called VOICE, is under way.

"We are trying to do things simultaneously to the extent that it could be done," Gabelnick said.

"We are working with partners in South Africa to establish an eventual manufacturing site and distribution network."

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Chinese factory workers exposed to high levels of the plastics chemical BPA had low sperm counts, according to the first human study to tie it to poor semen quality.

The study is the latest to raise health questions about bisphenol-A and comes two weeks after Canada published a final order adding the chemical to its list of toxic substances.

Whether the relatively low sperm counts and other signs of poor semen quality translate to reduced fertility is not known. Study author Dr. De-Kun Li, a scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., noted that even men with extremely low sperm counts can father children.

But Li said finding that BPA may affect sperm is troubling because it echoes studies in animals and follows his previous research in the same men that linked BPA exposure with sexual problems.

If BPA exposure can reduce sperm levels, "that can't be good" and means more study is needed to check for other harmful effects, Li said.

The study was published online Thursday in the journal Fertility and Sterility. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health funded the research.

Andrea Gore, a pharmacology and toxicology professor at the University of Texas who was not involved in the research, called it an important but preliminary study.

The results "are at least suggestive of the possibility that BPA may be one of the compounds that are causing some of these changes" in sperm, she said. But Gore said stronger evidence is needed to prove that BPA is indeed the culprit.

BPA is used to make resins and strengthen plastics and is found in many consumer products: hard plastic bottles, metal food container linings, dental sealants and eyeglasses. Most Americans' urine contains measurable levels of BPA.

Studies in animals have linked the chemical with reproductive problems and cancer. That's led to millions of dollars in new research in people.

Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, an industry group, said the study in China "is of limited relevance" to U.S. consumers, who typically are exposed to very low BPA levels that pose no health threat.

The study involved 130 Chinese factory employees who worked directly with materials containing BPA and 88 workers who didn't handle it and whose exposure was similar to that of typical American men.

Low sperm counts were found in workers who had detectable levels of bisphenol-A in their urine. Poor sperm quality was two to four times more prevalent among these men than among workers whose urine showed no sign of BPA. The lowest sperm counts were in men with the highest levels of BPA.

BPA in urine was linked with lower-quality semen even in men who didn't work with the chemical, although their average BPA levels were much lower than in the other group. Li said the average level in this group was similar to that detected in U.S. men.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been evaluating the chemical's safety but declined to say if it is considering following Canada's lead in declaring the chemical toxic.

In an e-mailed statement, the FDA said it is working with the National Institutes of Health and others "to advance scientific understanding of BPA and inform our decisions."

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Andrew Dunn, the chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Mount Sinai, specializes in blood clots, anti-coagulation and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). During his 15-year career, he's seen hundreds of patients with DVT.

Who's at risk

Flying is more dangerous than you think. But it's got nothing to do with the pilot. "Between one and six Americans per 1,000 are affected by deep vein thrombosis each year," says Dunn.

One of the triggers of the blood clots that form in the veins of the body, specifically in the legs, is long flights. "Prolonged air travel is a rare but potential cause," says Dunn. That's because sitting for long periods of time in one position can contribute to poor blood flow — a condition called statis.

A much more prevalent risk factor is surgery. "Stasis can result from being severely ill, surgery, fracture, heart failure, stroke and obesity," says Dunn. "Stasis in the setting of illness and inflammation are really the tipoff to this disease," says Dunn.

"Active cancer and other severe ­medical illness resulting in inflammation and hospitalization all put you at risk," adds Dunn.

Other risk factors include taking birth-control pills or hormone replacement therapy, especially when paired with smoking. There's also a genetic component in some cases. "Some people have a predisposition to clot," says Dunn, "so DVT can run in families."

DVT strikes men and women of all races and ages, though the risk does increase with age. "Everybody is at risk of this, and once you've had one clot you're at high risk," he explains, adding that about a third of patients have a recurrence.

Signs and symptoms

The textbook symptoms of DVT are pain and swelling. "It usually presents in the legs, just on one side," says Dunn. "It can happen in the arms, but that's almost always in the setting of an IV."
Cancer patients and patients who go home with a PICC (a type of catheter) line are at particularly elevated risk of DVT in the arms.

One specific form of clot is a pulmonary embolism, in which the blood clots break off from the legs and travel to the lungs — sometimes with fatal results.

"The hallmark of pulmonary embolism is the sudden onset of severe shortness of breath and chest pain," says Dunn. "Often the chest pain gets worse when you take a deep breath."

While many people take a week to see a doctor about DVT in the legs, pulmonary embolisms are abrupt enough that people usually go to the ER within a day. Patients often describe the experience of pulmonary embolism as similar to a cardiac event, such as in, "I couldn't catch my breath, and it hurt every time I took a deep breath." Other symptoms are pain when coughing, heaviness in the legs and a dull persistent ache.

Traditional treatment

The primary treatment for DVT is medical. "We treat it with blood-thinning medication — anti-coagulants," says Dunn. "The drug Warfarin is a pill that takes five to seven days to kick in, and you need a medicine that works immediately, so it has to be injection therapy first, followed by pills for the long term." Some patients continue taking Warfarin for a lifetime, while others can stop after three to six months.

The good news is that Warfarin is highly effective. "This is a treatable, curable condition," says Dunn. "The blood thinner works extremely well, but it does take a lot of diligence and monitoring."

Warfarin also can cause serious drug and food interactions, so treating patients with related problems, like severe heart failure, emphysema, kidney or liver disease or bleeding disorders requires extra precautions and sometimes longer hospital stays.

Doctors are now able to treat more patients with DVT in their legs at home. "It takes some organization and oversight, because someone has to be monitoring the pill level at home," says Dunn. "Often people who end up in the ER for DVT in the legs go home the same day or after a short hospital stay of about 24 hours."

Clots in the lungs are very dangerous and more likely to be fatal than clots in the legs, so these patients often need hospital stays. "With pulmonary embolism, if you miss a few doses, you could die," says Dunn. "Surgery is an option for major embolism in the lungs, but is rarely necessary."

The recovery period for DVT is about a month plus.

"Most patients have their symptoms resolve slowly," says Dunn. "They start feeling better in a week or so, and they recover in about one to three months."

About a quarter of patients with leg clots have long-term symptoms like pain, swelling or ulceration that don't go away.

"Elastic stockings can help reduce the risk of long-term symptoms,"says Dunn.

Research breakthroughs

Doctors are excited about the next generation of drugs that may come to replace Warfarin. "The new pills provide immediate blood thinning, eliminating the need for the temporary injections and intense monitoring of Warfarin," says Dunn. "They also have few food or drug interactions, so it's a very exciting moment in DVT care."

Questions for your doctor
If you're hospitalized, ask your doctor, "Are you giving me a medicine to prevent clots?" Once you've gone on medication to prevent DVT, you should track your INR level, a measurement that reads for how fast your blood clots in comparison to someone who's not
on Warfarin. Ask, "What's my INR — and what's my target?"

What you can do

Get moving after surgery or illness.

"If you are sick, try to get mobile as soon as you can,” says Dr. Andrew Dunn. “The doctors and nurses should be pushing this."

Do exercises on long-haul flights.

Deep vein thrombosis is usually only a problem on flights of more than six hours. Dunn recommends doing calf exercises every hour by pushing up on the balls and then the heels of your feet and squeezing.

Don’t smoke if you take birth-control pills.

"The combination multiplies the risk," says Dunn.

Get informed.

A reliable patient advocacy group is the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (preventdvt.org), which has patient-friendly FAQs and tools to help you assess your risk.

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Certain foods with low fat and cholesterol such as blackberries and dark chocolates containing nutritions and vitamins bring a healthy life and help enhance brain power. According to the Alzheimer's Association, a brain-healthy diet can effectively treat Alzheimer's disease or dementia and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, transfer blood flow to the brain. There are variety of natural foods, drinks, herbs and supplemental products containing brain & body improving properties, the following list includes the best brain health food for humans.

Apples are the wealthy source of quercetin, an antioxidant plant chemical preserving water to protect your brain cells. An apple each day helps prevent your brain from free radical attacks. Radical attack is so dangerous to your brain because it can damage the outer line of delicate neurons, even causing cognitive decline.

Apples

Blackberries supply with potent antioxidants best known as polyphenols enhancing communication between neurons, improving information process.

Blackberries

Caffeine and plentiful antioxidants being contained in coffee beans is the key to enhance brain power. According to a recent Finnish study of 1,400 long-time coffee drinkers, having three to five cups of coffee compared to fewer than two cups a day is much more effective in reducing the development of Alzheimer's disease by 65 percent.

Coffee

According to the 2009 Journal of Nutrition study, eating 28,35 gram of chocolate a day at least helps protect your brain against absentmindedness and memory loss. The polyphenols in cocoa beans contribute to enhancing blood flow to the brain.

Chocolate

A well-known research from the University of California at Santa Barbara shows that the two compounds proanthocyanidins and cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon are inactivate tau proteins killing brain cells.

Cinnamon

This kind of food contains nutrients helping prevent dementia such as folate, vitamin E, and vitamin K. You will obtain a third of the folate and five times a great deal of vitamin K in a half cup of boiled spinach. Combining spinach with a little olive oil for your diets creats healthy fats enhancing absorption of vitamins E and K.

Spinach

ADDLs (or amyloid B-derived diffusible ligands) are proteins enhancing Alzheimer's progress. According to a research carried out at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA last year, extra of olive oil may be an enemy against ADDLs harming the brain.

Extract of olive oil

Salmon is either good for heart or for brain. Salmon is a leading source of DHA, omega-3 protecting against Alzheimer, an illness killing over five million Americans. The kind of fish also supplies with a plentiful source of vitamin D helping avoid cognitive decline.

Salmon

Turmeric and ginger are 2 main spices in curry powder. According to studies at the University of California Los Angeles Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, turmeric is rich in curcumin protecting against Alzheimer's progress. Besides, turmeric reduces cholesterol causing low blood flow to your brain.

Turmeric

A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicin shows that 12 older adults with memory decline having a daily drink of grape juice is so beneficial to heart and brain. Polyphenols in grape juice help enhance communication among brain cells.

Grape juice

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recalled Ethan Allen, Angel Line and Victory Land Heritage Collection cribs could pose a suffocation or entrapment risk if the drop-side rail detaches because of faulty hardware.

Ethan Allen has received five reports of incidents with its cribs. Angel Line has received one report of an incident with its cribs, which are sold at Ababy.com, Babyage.com and other online stores. Victory Land has received 17 reports of incidents involving its Heritage Collection cribs, which are sold by Kmart.

CPSC urged parents on Friday to stop using the cribs and contact the companies for a free repair kit.

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Once again, designer Calvin Klein is mired in controversy for his provocative ads.

His latest ad for Calvin Klein jeans has been banned in Australia after the continent’s Advertising Standards Bureau ruled that it was 'suggestive of violence and rape'.

Lara Stone, the gap-toothed face of the brand is seen lying on her back on the lap of one shirtless male model who is holding her hair. Another shirtless model is hovering above her, his hand beneath her.

They seem to be in a public park in an urban space since the models are up against a chain-link fence.

The ad was part of a series but it was this particular billboard shot that caused the outcry from activists who said the photo was using images of gang rape to sell clothing.

The government ordered the ads be taken down.

"The Board considered that whilst the act depicted could be consensual, the overall impact and most likely impression is that the scene is suggestive of violence and rape,” said a spokesman.

"We considered that the image was demeaning to women by suggesting that she is a plaything of these men."

Risque ads that push the envelope is nothing new to the designer and his brand.

In New York City in 2008, Soho residents protested a giant billboard that showed actress Eva Mendez in a scantily clad embrace with two men.

In 1996, critics, including President Clinton cried pedophilia over his campaign featuring young, scantily clad models in what appeared to the basement of a rec-room being spoken to by a man off-camera. The TV ads were run in New York only before they were withdrawn.

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CPR is getting a makeover - and mouth-to-mouth is taking a back seat to chest compressions.

The American Heart Association released new guidelines yesterday to encourage bystanders to immediately start cardiopulmonary resuscitation on someone whose heart has stopped.

All that's required is rapid pushing on the chest. That mean's no more mouth-to-mouth breaths, the first step under the old guidlines.

"What this means is CPR is now easier than ever," says Michele Hooper, a paramedic and CPR instructor for the association.

"More people will be able to do CPR and more lives can be saved."

"We want them to identify an unresponsive person and start pushing hard and push fast," she added. "We don't want people watching. We don't want people waiting for EMS to arrive."

CPR is used to help a person who has suffered a cardiac arrest - meaning they're not breathing and have no pulse.

Starting it right away and following up with a difibrulator can increase survival rates.

However, less than 50% of those who go into cardiac arrest get bystander CPR.

Researchers found that bystanders were often afraid they'd catch something by putting their mouth on a stranger's mouth - and so did nothing at all.

"It's a lot to ask somebody to put their mouth on a complete stranger," said Dr. Holly Phillips, WCBS/Ch. 2 medical correspondent and an internist affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital.

And it turned out the old requirement of starting with two breaths delayed chest compressions, which keep blood moving through the body.

Now officials say the most important thing is to start compressions - pressing on the center of the chest - and worry about breathing later.

Compressions should be performed at a rate of 100 times a minute - roughly the same beat as the Bee Gees' hit "Stayin' Alive" - at depth of two inches.

"I think this is a good move," Phillips said.

"We know right now that people who go into sudden cardiac arrest [out of a hospital], their rates of survival are about 2 percent. Research shows those numbers could increase by 500 percent [with bystander CPR.]"

The Heart Association began a push towards "hands-only" CPR in 2008, but the full guideline changes didn't come until yesterday.

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It may be a good thing Matthew Settle isn't Taylor Momsen's real-life father.

The "Gossip Girl" stars were filming in New York City Monday when the 17-year-old actress decided to have a smoke.

Settle, who plays dad Rufus Humphrey to Momsen's Jenny on The CW show, didn't appear to mind that his co-star – who legally can't purchase cigarettes until she's 18 – was puffing away.

Momsen's character has been missing in action for the series' fourth season thus far, but will make a return in the episode airing Oct. 25. She decided to take time off from the show to tour with her band, The Pretty Reckless.

The actress' real-life parents have remained mum, at least in the media, on their teenage daughter's controversial habits.

Momsen has slowly transformed her image from doe-eyed little girl to raccoon-eyed rocker prone to appearing in public scantily clad and talking about X-rated subject matter.

She released a music video in September for her song "Make Me Wanna Die," where she strips until she's virtually naked, and recently spoke with Revolver magazine about her interest in sex tapes and masturbation.

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The biggest loser? An obese British mom who has had her eight-year-old daughter on a severely restricted diet - starting at age two.

Aly Gilardoni, a single mom, allows little Corleigh to eat just 700 calories a day (1,000 calories too little, medical experts say). On a typical day, Corleigh gets cereal for breakfast, salad and half a roll for lunch, and a baked potato for dinner, reports the Daily Mail.

While she claims she doesn't want her daughter to turn out like her, tipping the scales at 238 pounds and eating a 3,000 calorie diet of junk food and carbs, experts are appalled by her tactics.

Children of normal weight should never have their calories restricted, Dr. Stephen Turner, chairman of the department of pediatrics at Long Island College Hospital told the News.

"It's clear in this case that it it not the child who has issues, but the mother," Turner says. "It's neglect to restrict calories in a child like this."

Even in an overweight child, Turner says, it's usually not necessary to trim calories out of the meal plan. Instead, he says, he recommends simply omitting fruit juices and offering skim milk instead of whole milk.

"The idea is for an overweight child to not gain weight," Turner explains. "However, the child should not be losing weight."

He also says that when kids are overweight, they should be offered healthy food choices even when these contain the same number of calories as an unhealthier choice. For instance, he says, giving the child a peanut butter sandwich makes more sense than offering a candy bar since it will make him feel full longer.

As for exercise, it's not necessary to put a two-year-old on an exercise regime. (Most parents get out of breath running after their toddler, Turner points out.)

However, he says, a parent should check to see if the environment affords enough opportunities for kids to run around and play. "If there is a baby in the house, a parent may be putting that child in front of the TV since the parent is busy," he explains. "And that will definitely have consequences in terms of weight gain."

Little Corleigh so far is just five pounds underweight, but otherwise healthy. Yet, her mother told the Daily Mail, the little girl is now afraid of being fat.

"She's always looking in mirrors," Gilardoni said. "I feel guilty - but it's how I want her to be."

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As a professor and chief of thoracic surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, Raja Flores operates on cancers of the chest, mostly lung and esophageal cancer. Over the past 15 years, he has specialized in mesothelioma and sees more than 50 cases annually.

Who's at risk

Mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer that affects about 3,000 Americans a year. "Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung," says Flores. "It starts in one spot, creeps throughout the chest and can give a slow, painful death."

According to the National Cancer Institute, the incidence of mesothelioma has increased during the past 20 years. Environmental exposures account for the vast majority of patients.

"Asbestos exposure is the No. 1 risk factor," says Flores. "That refers to naturally occurring minerals present in many industrial products, like cement, textiles and insulation."

Asbestos can become dangerous when inhaled or swallowed, often during manufacturing. Most sufferers of the disease had exposure to asbestos on the job, where it is a risk for workers like insulators, rescue teams (such as after 9/11) and shipyard crews.

One challenge in fighting mesothelioma is that asbestos exposure is often silent and invisible. "Many people don't even know they've been exposed," says Flores. "There can be a 20- to 30-year latency, so it's years after they're exposed that they see symptoms."

A small portion of people have a genetic predisposition to the disease.

"There are identified cohorts in Montana and Turkey, where clusters in the same family got mesothelioma and other exposed people didn't get it," says Flores, "but for the most part, it's environmental."

Signs and symptoms

There aren't characteristic symptoms for mesothelioma that make it easy to diagnose. "Basically, the warning signs are not specific," says Flores. "People who have asbestos exposure are the main group that needs to be on the alert."

Most patients don't have symptoms of mesothelioma until the disease has started to spread and progressed to stage 3 or 4, he says.

"Shortness of breath is a red flag," says Flores. "That's usually from fluid accumulating in the chest, which can also result from a number of benign ­reasons."

Doctors will usually drain the fluid and often find some cancer cells.

"If the doctor can't explain the fluid accumulation, you have to get a biopsy to make sure it's not mesothelioma," says Flores. Chest pain is an indication that the disease has developed to a higher stage.

Traditional treatment

There is now no cure for mesothelioma, and the prognosis depends on how early it is caught. "Survival really depends on stage," says Flores. "What we're trying to do is help patients live longer with better quality of life."

There are three types of the disease: epitheliod, mixed and sarcomatoid. The type of tumor can determine treatment.

Doctors don't have a consensus about whether surgery is necessary. "One group says surgery, one group says no surgery," says Flores.

"There are certain things we can do to improve the patient's condition, so all patients should see a thoracic surgeon when making their decisions about treatment."

There's also no agreement about which surgical approach works best.

"The two main surgeries are extra-pleural pneumonectomy, which removes the lung, and pleurectomy/decortication, which spares the lung," says Flores. "The goal of surgery is to get rid of tumor bulk and expand the lung while decreasing the pain and gross size of the disease."

Another procedure is chemotherapy, which one randomized control trial found had a survival benefit of three months.

Surgeons can't always tell which surgical approach is best for a patient until they can get a better look at the lung during surgery. "CT scans often downplay the amount of cancer," says Flores. "There's not a standard way of doing these surgeries, which is why going to a surgeon who has a lot of experience is the most important thing."

Research breakthroughs

Mesothelioma care is constantly improving. "It's just been two years since the paper came out that convinced us we could be sparing the lung," says Flores. "That's not a magic bullet, and early
detection is probably the closest thing we have coming down the pike."

Questions for your doctor

If your test results come back positive, ask: "What kind of mesothelioma do I have?"

When you're considering treatment options, ask: "What treatment other than surgery might I benefit from?" Once you've decided on surgery, ask: "Can I have lung-sparing surgery, or do I need to have my lung removed?"

What you can do

See a specialist.

Both the surgeon and radiation specialist should be experts in treating mesothelioma. Ask how many patients they’ve treated and how many surgeries they've done.

Know your family history.

If you have a family member with mesothelioma or asbestos exposure, you should get a CT scan to have a baseline reading so your doctor can watch for changes.

Take precautions when working with asbestos.

The No. 1 rule when working with asbestos is to wear a mask. But another important precaution is being careful with your clothing. "If you have a relative who comes home after a long day of working with
asbestos, be very careful not to inhale it off the clothes," says Flores.

Get informed.

The Mesothelioma Foundation (curemeso.org) has helpful information about how to get treatment and where to find financial support.

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