French police have arrested Jean-Claude Mas, whose breast implant firm Poly Implant Prothese sparked an international health scandal by using substandard silicon

(Reuters) - Jean-Claude Mas, the Frenchman who sparked a global health scare by selling substandard breast implants, was arrested on Thursday as Marseille prosecutors build a case against him for manslaughter.
    In the first arrests since the two-year-old scandal made headlines worldwide in December, Mas and a second executive at his now defunct company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) were seized at their homes in southern France shortly after dawn.
    The detention could lead within hours to Mas being placed under formal investigation on suspicion of manslaughter and causing bodily harm. That could in due course lead to criminal charges, which would carry longer sentences than those he now faces in a fraud case expected to be tried around October.

Consumers' Report: Arsenic found in Apple and Grape Juice

       Controversy over Arsenic in apple juice made headlines as the school year began when Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of  “The Dr. Oz Show,” told viewers that tests he’d commissioned  it found 10% of apple juice and grape juice samples had total arsenic levels above the drinking water standard of 10 parts per billion. Consumer Reports also found that the majority of the arsenic in the tested juice was inorganic, the kind to cause cancer.
The Dr. Oz Show has been communicating with the FDA since the original broadcast in September ,2011. The FDA sent letters to the show in September saying that the majority of arsenic in apple juice is organic or the “harmless kind". In a conference call with The Dr. Oz Show in October and in an email sent on November 29th, the FDA says it's researching the new evidence suggesting the majority of arsenic in apple juice is inorganic. In addition, the FDA told The Dr. Oz Show that there are two forms of organic arsenic in apple juice that are potentially harmful.
 

Find everything you need to know about Contact Dermatitis

Dermatitis simply means skin inflammation, but it embraces a range of ailments. In most cases the early stages are characterized by red, itchy skin, although acute attacks may result in crusty scales or blisters that ooze fluid. Since many things can irritate the skin, a doctor will try to narrow the diagnosis to a specific category of dermatitis, even though treatment is similar for most types of skin irritation and inflammation.
Brief Overview :
The types of dermatitis include:
->Contact dermatitis typically causes the skin to develop a pink or red rash, which usually itches. Pinpointing the exact cause of contact dermatitis can be difficult. Among plants, the leading culprits are poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, although contact with certain flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables can cause dermatitis in some people.
-> Nummular dermatitis consists of distinctive coin-shaped red plaques that are most commonly seen on the legs, hands, arms, and torso. It is more common in men than women and the peak age of onset is between 55 and 65. Living in a dry environment or taking frequent very hot showers can cause this condition.

January 2012- Health Observations and Events

January 2012 Health Current Events - Months

Awareness Event	Coverage	Related Organization
Alzheimer's Awareness Month	Canada	Alzheimer Society of Canada
Thyroid Awareness Month	United States	AACE - American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
Glaucoma Awareness Month	United States	The Glaucoma Research Foundation
National Blood Donor Month	United States	AABB - American Association of Blood Banks
National Birth Defects Prevention Month	United States	National Birth Defects Prevention Network
Cervical Health Awareness Month	United States	National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)

January 2012 Health Current Events - Weeks

Best Weight-Loss Advice in 2011

Studies show a direct link between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. Although it is not fully known why, people with a deficiency in this vitamin tend to have much more body fat than those who are not deficient.
Due to digestion difficulties, many people are unable to absorb vitamin D. This deficiency is causing increased risk of death from heart disease, loss of memory in older people, severe asthma in children and cancer. It is possible that vitamin D can help prevent or treat types 1 and 2 diabetes, glucose intolerance and multiple sclerosis.

After eating a meal, drinking four to six ounces of dark wine - a blackberry Merlot is excellent - helps the body digest the meal, break down the foods so the body can absorb the nutrients and helps speed the waste on its way out of the body. Wine cuts the risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes,slows the decline of cognitive function and colon cancer by 45 percent.

Pair the vitamin D3 supplement - have a blood test done to determine how many units your body will need - with the wine. It is possible to lose five pounds a week until ultimate body weight is achieved.

Adding a fresh apple to the diet could add another pound or two of weight lost when eaten daily.

Bottom line: Get tested for vitamin D deficiency. Take a supplement of 2,00 to 8,000 units daily. Drink four to six ounces of Wine after lunch  (where permitted ) and after dinner. Make an Apple part of the daily lunch or afternoon snack.

via @examiner.com

LINKS:

Obesity Linked to Lower Vitamin D Levels http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20101217/obesity-linked-lower-vitamin-d-levels

Clear association between obesity and vitamin D deficiency  http://www.physorg.com/news195411310.html