Current Events in February 2014

Federal safety regulators are looking into reports from parents who say the harness buckles on their Evenflo car seats are difficult or, in some cases, impossible to unlatch.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received 18 complaints from consumers, including three who said they had to cut the harness straps to free their child from the seat.

At least one person had to call for help because of the problem.

"I buckled my daughter into her carseat and took off to our destination. When we arrived, I could not unbuckle her," the complainant said. "I called the police and they helped me to get her out safely by cutting the straps."

Another parent who could not manage to unbuckle her daughter's strap noted the situation poses a critical hazard in the event of a fire: "If there had been an accident with fire, the only way to get the baby out would be to remove the whole car seat from the vehicle. Her father had told me a week ago to carry scissors in case something happened so I could cut her out."

One person said it took more than two hours to free their child frp, tje seat: "Several adults tried with the father trying for two hours."

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said a preliminary check of the database indicated that Evenflo may have manufactured some of its car seats with buckles made by AmSafe Commercial Products, which had been investigated earlier. 

The current investigation, formally known as a "preliminary evaluation" is the first step in the process that can eventually lead to a recall.

Okay it's February and you still haven't got around to getting your flu shot. That doesn't mean you're cooked.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says vaccinations can be protective as long as flu viruses are circulating. And while seasonal flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, flu activity usually peaks in January or February, and can last well into May. So -- get with it.

Why a new vaccine

Marion Gruber, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Office of Vaccine Research and Review points out that there are several reasons that new vaccines must be manufactured each year. “Influenza viruses can change from year to year, due to different subtypes and strains that circulate each year,” she explains. “A vaccine is needed that includes virus strains that most closely match those in circulation, and the protection provided by the previous year’s vaccine will diminish over time.

Each February, before that year’s flu season ends, FDA, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health experts collaborate on collecting and reviewing data from around the world to identify the flu viruses likely to cause the most illnesses in the next flu season. Based on that information and the recommendations of an FDA advisory committee, the agency selects the virus strains for FDA-licensed manufacturers to include in their vaccines for use in the United States.

“The closer the match between the circulating strains causing disease and the virus strains in the vaccine, the better the protection against influenza,” Gruber says.

The most affected

CDC tracks flu activity year round in the U.S. and typically children and seniors are most at risk for influenza, but occasionally a flu virus will circulate that disproportionately affects young and middle-aged adults. So far, data reported by CDC suggest that 2013-2014 could be such a flu season.

CDC received an unusually high number of reports of severe respiratory illness among young and middle-aged adults in the last two months of 2013. Many of the cases were associated with the H1N1 strain of influenza that affected children and young adults compared to older adults during the 2009 influenza pandemic.

The 2009 H1N1 virus has circulated each year since the pandemic. It is not known if those most severely affected received a vaccine, but this particular strain is included in this year’s vaccine and will help provide protection.

“Influenza seasons and severity are often unpredictable. Annual influenza vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza among people 6 months of age and older,” says Gruber. “However, taking such practical measures as washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick can also help to decrease the spread and minimize the effects of flu.”

In addition, while antiviral drugs are not a substitute for vaccine, they can help to treat influenza. Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) and Relenza (zanamivir) are the two FDA-approved influenza antiviral drugs recommended by CDC for use against recently circulating influenza viruses.

Losing weight is one thing. Reducing the risk of coronary disease is another. And a study published in The American Journal of Medicine finds that when it comes to heart health, a whole diet approach, which focuses on increased intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish, has more evidence for reducing cardiovascular risk than strategies that focus exclusively on reduced dietary fat.

This new study explains that while strictly low-fat diets have the ability to lower cholesterol, they are not as conclusive in reducing cardiac deaths. By analyzing major diet and heart disease studies conducted over the last several decades, investigators found that participants directed to adopt a whole diet approach instead of limiting fat intake had a greater reduction in cardiovascular death and non-fatal myocardial infarction.

Early investigations of the relationship between food and heart disease linked high levels of serum cholesterol to increased intake of saturated fat, and subsequently, an increased rate of coronary heart disease. This led to the American Heart Association's recommendation to limit fat intake to less than 30% of daily calories, saturated fat to 10%, and cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day.

"Nearly all clinical trials in the 1960s, 70s and 80s compared usual diets to those characterized by low total fat, low saturated fat, low dietary cholesterol, and increased polyunsaturated fats," says study co-author James E. Dalen, MD, MPH, Weil Foundation, and University of Arizona College of Medicine. "These diets did reduce cholesterol levels. However they did not reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease deaths."

Carefully analyzing studies and trials from 1957 to the present, investigators found that the whole diet approach, and specifically Mediterranean-style diets, are effective in preventing heart disease, even though they may not lower total serum or LDL cholesterol.

The Mediterranean-style diet is low in animal products and saturated fat, and encourages intake of monounsaturated fats found in nuts and olive oil. In particular, the diet emphasizes consumption of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, and fish.

A new Harris Poll shows consumers appear to be growing increasingly concerned about the safety of food they put on the table. The poll shows 86% of consumers are at least “somewhat concerned” about the number of food recalls that occur in the U.S.

For example, in February alone ConsumerAffairs has reported at least six food recalls in the first five days of the month. Not surprisingly, the Harris Poll finds 73% of consumers say they would like to see more government oversight in regard to food safety.

Drilling down through the data, the survey finds women more likely than men to be concerned about food safety and more supportive of government oversight. Consumers in households with annual income less than $35,000 are more concerned than higher income consumers about the integrity of the food supply.

Political breakdown

Politically, the breakdown is where you would expect it. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to characterize food recalls as a serious concern, with 86% of Democrats calling for more government oversight to 70% for Independents and 60% for Republicans.

Currently, most of the food safety oversight in the U.S. is divided up among three agencies – the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There have been a number of efforts in Congress to consolidate these responsibilities under one agency.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of U.S. food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law in early 2011. It shifts the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.

Not fully implemented

The law, however, is still not fully implemented. FDA is continuing to propose new regulations and finalize rules called for under the new law. The end result, however, should be more oversight responsibility resting with FDA.

A significant aspect of the law is the requirement placed on food processing facilities to evaluate the hazards in their operations, implement and monitor effective measures to prevent contamination, and have a plan in place to take any corrective actions that are necessary.

It also requires FDA to establish science-based standards for the safe production and harvesting of fruits and vegetables to minimize the risk of serious illnesses or death. According to the FDA this new ability to hold food companies accountable for preventing contamination is a significant milestone in the efforts to modernize the food safety system.

Industry attitude

The U.S. food industry has been generally supportive of some of the provisions, expressing the most enthusiasm for the part of the law giving FDA greater authority to oversee food imports. In a global economy an estimated 15% of the U.S. food supply now comes from other countries, including 60% of fresh fruits and vegetables and 80% of seafood.

The law requires importers to perform supplier verification activities to ensure imported food is safe. It also authorizes FDA to refuse admission to imported food if the foreign facility or country refuses to allow an FDA inspection.

Perhaps most significantly, the FSMA, for the first time, gives FDA authority to recall all food products. Currently food companies issue recalls voluntarily.

Maybe because of the piecemeal implementation of the new law consumers continue to express concern about food safety. When there is a high-profile food recall, the survey suggests the company at issue takes a short-term hit but that consumers, over time, are pretty forgiving. Over half the consumers in the survey said that if a brand they usually purchase is involved with a recall or safety concern issue, they'll temporarily switch to another brand and then return to the recalled brand once it's safe.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that one in six Americans – 48 million people – got sick from a foodborne illness. It estimates 128,000 were hospitalized and 3,000 died.

U.S.-based employers announced plans to reduce their payrolls by 45,107 in January -- up nearly 50% from the month before.

Outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which tracks labor developments, says the increase follows the eliminated of 30,623 positions -- the lowest one-month total since 17,241 cuts were announced in June 2000.

Most of the downsizing occurred in retail, where poor earnings led to a wave of job cut announcements from several national chains, including Macy’s, Sam’s Club, JC Penney, Sears, Best Buy and Target. Overall, retailers cut 11,394 job cuts in January -- up 71% from the 6,676 retail cuts tracked in January 2013. It was the heaviest for the sector since last March, when 16,445 positions were eliminated.

Weaker holiday sales blamed

“Holiday sales gains were relatively weak and many retailers achieved the gains by slashing prices on their products, which adversely impacted their year-end earnings,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “The post-holiday job-letting in the sector was inevitable.”

Challenger believes this is only the beginning. “Starting in January, retailers started shedding the tens of thousands of temporary seasonal workers hired to help handle the holiday rush,” he pointed out. “The announced job cuts, on the other hand, will impact full-time, permanent workers in the stores and at the corporate offices of these struggling chains.”

J.C. Penney Co., for example, announced that it would be cutting 2,000 workers from its payrolls as it closes 33 stores. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Macy’s will rely on a combination of store closings, job cuts among front-end store personnel, as well as a reduction in some merchandise planning positions and central office roles to reduce its headcount by 2,500 jobs.

Technology cuts

Not every sector announcing job cuts is struggling. Several significant job-cut announcements came from companies in the technology sector. The computer industry ranked second among January job cutters, announcing plans to eliminate 6,456 positions during the month -- up 146% from a year earlier when firms announced 2,626 job cuts.

“Perhaps the most notable cuts in the tech sector came from Intel and EMC Corp..” said Challenger. “In both cases, the cuts were due to shifts in business strategies. In these situations, it is not uncommon for job cuts to occur in one area while hiring occurs in another. In fact, EMC indicated in its announcement that it expects to end 2014 with the same number of employees it had to begin the year.”

The financial sector, which finished 2013 as the top job-cutting sector of the year with 60,962, started 2014 as the third largest. Employers in financial services reported 4,817 planned terminations in January -- down 44% from the 8,578 financial job cuts these firms announced to begin 2013.

Challenger wars that this could be another year of significant downsizing in the banking industry. While the housing market is bouncing back, many banks had ballooned their staffing in mortgage lending area to deal with foreclosures and troubled assets,” he noted. “As the number of foreclosures, refinancings, and troubled mortgages continue to decline, so will the need for these extra workers. The remaining mortgage bankers should be busy with increased home lending, but right now the staffs are larger than demand warrants.”

Initial jobless claims

Separately, fewer workers found themselves in the unemployment line last week.

The government reports 331,000 people filed first-time claims for jobless benefits during the week ending February 1 -- a drop of 20,000 from the week before. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com were calling for a total of 335,000 filings.

Analysts say the upward spike to 351,000 the week before was likely due to the extreme cold experience in many areas of the country.

The 4-week moving average, which is less volatile than the weekly number and, thus considered a more reliable indicator of the labor market, rose 250 -- to 334,000.

The complete report is available on the Labor Department website.

3T Design of Hong Kong is recalling about 1,525 Cervelo P5 bicycles with 3T Aduro aero handlebars in the U.S. and Canada.

The forward extension mounts can detach from the base bar causing the rider to lose control, posing a risk of injury.

The company has received 28 reports of incidents, including one report of a broken collar bone and four reports of abrasions.

The recall includes 2012 and 2013 Cervelo P5 bicycles equipped with 3T Aduro aero handlebars. The bicycles are black with red and white stripes. “P5” is on the seat tube, "Cervelo" is on the top tube and a large “é” is on the down tube in white lettering. The handlebars consist of four major components: a base bar, which attaches to the bike; a forward extension mount, which attaches to the base bar; forearm rests and forward extension bars, which attach to the forward extension mount. The base bar is black with red and white stripes and has “3T” on the top and rear. The handlebars come with both a high and a low forward extension mount, one of which will be installed based on customer fit. Consumers can purchase an ultra-low forward extension mount separately.

The words “Ultimate Performance” are on the forward extensions. The handlebars were manufactured between January 2012 and July 2012. Serial numbers for the handlebars are on a label inside the base bar under the stem cap on the rear wall. The serial number is the seven-digit number following “FM78-Basebar-.” The manufacture date code is the first four digits of the serial number in the MMYY format. Date codes for the defective handlebars range from 1201 to 1207. P5 bicycles which have already been inspected and passed at retailers are distinguished by a green sticker with an “é” on the underside of the Aduro base bar.

The bicycles, manufactured in China, were sold at Cervelo retailers nationwide from May 2012, to August 2013, for between $7,000 and $10,000.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles and contact 3T Design to have the recalled handlebars replaced free of charge with a modified set of Aduro aero handlebars installed with the high or low mount. Consumers who also purchased the ultra-low mount can receive a full refund for the ultra-low mount and a free modified Aduro aero base bar for use with the originally purchased low mount, or replacement of the Aduro aero handlebars with 3T Mistral aero handlebars with a low-position mount, which places a rider in a position similar to the Aduro ultra-low position mount.

Consumers may contact the Aduro Recall Hotline toll-free at (855) 225-7226 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

Now that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has turned on the “open” sign taxpayers may begin filing their returns. As you start to work on your taxes, don't overlook some very attractive deductions.

For example, if you or a dependent attended a college, university or other qualifying educational institution last year you may be able to deduct some of the costs, significantly lowering your tax liability.

Limitations

You may qualify if, at any time during 2013 you paid qualified education expenses for yourself, your spouse, or your dependents. There are some limitations. You cannot claim the deduction if your filing status is married filing separately or if another person can claim an exemption for you as a dependent on his or her tax return. The qualified expenses must be for higher education, such as tuition, fees and books – as long as they are required for attendance – and not living expenses.

There is also a limit on income. If you're an individual taxpayer whose Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is more than $80,000 or a married taxpayer with a MAGI over $160,000, you are not eligible.

However, if you can qualify for this deduction you can reduce the amount of your income subject to tax by up to $4,000.

You don't have to itemize

The nice thing about this particular deduction is that it doesn't go on IRS form Schedule A (Form 1040), which is for itemized deductions. Unless you have a lot of deductions, it usually makes sense not to itemize but take the Standard Deduction, which is $6,100 for a single taxpayer in 2013.

Since the education deduction is actually an adjustment to income, you can claim this deduction even if you do not itemize deductions on Schedule A. This deduction may also be beneficial to you if you do not qualify for the American opportunity or lifetime learning credits.

What expenses qualify

According to the IRS, the tuition and fees deduction is based on qualified education expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse, or a dependent for whom you claim an exemption on your tax return. Generally, the deduction is allowed for qualified education expenses paid in 2013 in connection with enrollment at an institution of higher education during 2013 or for an academic period beginning in 2013 or in the first 3 months of 2014.

For example, if you paid $1,500 in December 2013 for qualified tuition for the spring 2014 semester beginning in January 2014, you may be able to use that $1,500 in figuring your 2013 deduction. An academic period includes a semester, trimester, quarter, or other period of study, such as a summer school session, as reasonably determined by an educational institution. In the case of an educational institution that uses credit hours or clock hours and does not have academic terms, each payment period can be treated as an academic period.

If you have taken out loans to pay for school, you can claim a tuition and fees deduction for qualified education expenses you paid with the proceeds of the loan. Use the expenses to figure the deduction for the year in which the expenses are paid, not the year in which the loan is repaid. Treat loan disbursements sent directly to the educational institution as paid on the date the institution credits the student's account.

If a student withdraws from a class and receives a refund, that refund must be subtracted from the amount you are claiming as a deduction. However, if the qualified expenses are not refunded, you can still claim them, even though the student has withdrawn from the class.

Not all expenses qualify

Sorting out what qualifies for a deduction and what doesn't can be tricky. For example, you can't deduct the cost of insurance, medical expenses – including student health fees – room and board or transportation costs.

These costs are not eligible, even if the institution requires them as a condition of enrollment.

If you have gotten used to buying a pack of cigarettes or a pouch of pipe tobacco when you pick up your prescription at your local CVS drug store, be prepared to change your routine.

The parent company -- CVS Caremark -- says it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its more than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores across the U.S. by October 1, 2014. That would make it the first national pharmacy chain to do so.

"Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is the right thing for us to do for our customers and our company to help people on their path to better health," said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Caremark. "Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose."

President Obama said CVS' decision sends "a powerful message."

“As one of the largest retailers and pharmacies in America, CVS Caremark sets a powerful example,” Obama said. “Today’s decision will help advance my Administration’s efforts to reduce tobacco-related deaths, cancer, and heart disease, as well as bring down health care costs.”

CVS' action also won praise from Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who called it "an unprecedented step in the retail industry."

"We also commend CVS Caremark on their new national smoking cessation program. With more than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy locations, this private sector health leader’s new policy will have considerable impact," Sibelius said.

The move is expected to cost CVS $2 billion in annual revenue but the company says removing tobacco will help grow its business of "working with doctors, hospitals and other care providers to improve customers' health."

Reducing the risk

Smoking is the leading cause of premature disease and death in the U.S. with more than 480,000 deaths annually. While the prevalence of cigarette smoking has decreased from approximately 42 percent of adults in 1965 to 18 percent today, the rate of reduction in smoking prevalence has stalled in the past decade.

"CVS Caremark is continually looking for ways to promote health and reduce the burden of disease," said CVS Caremark Chief Medical Officer Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H. "Stopping the sale of cigarettes and tobacco will make a significant difference in reducing the chronic illnesses associated with tobacco use."

The American Cancer Society calls the decision "an important new development" in the fight to save lives from the devastating effects of tobacco use. "We applaud CVS Caremark for its leadership," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., CEO of the American Cancer Society, "and strongly encourage other industry leaders to follow suit."

Harold Wimmer, national president and CEO of the American Lung Association, applauds CVS Caremark "for boldly acting" to remove tobacco products at all its locations across the U.S. "We urge more retailers to take note of CVS Caremark's actions," he said, "and join in efforts to help reduce access to tobacco and tobacco use, and eliminate tobacco-caused deaths and disease."

Springtime launch

Meanwhile, CVS is launching a quit-smoking program this spring. It's expected to include information and treatment on smoking cessation both in stores and online. 

The program will be available broadly across all CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations and will offer additional comprehensive programs for CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management plan members to help them to quit smoking.  

Like Airbnb and Uber, Zipcar and other car-sharing services are winning the hearts and loyalties of Millennials and other younger consumers. Despite occasional hiccups, these Internet-driven services can save time, money and hassles.

But that doesn't mean everyone likes them. Obviously, hotels and taxi companies are not thrilled with Airbnb and Uber. And in the case of car-sharing, it's car dealers who are becoming alarmed by what they see as a threat to their business. 

It's not just resistance to new ideas that's creating the blowback, it's cold, hard data, including a new report from consulting firm AlixPartners that finds each Zipcar means 32 cars left unsold on dealers' lots.

The report estimates that consumers would have bought half a million new or used cars since 2006 if it weren't for car-sharing, a total that could reach 1.2 million by 2020.

"Lower costs and lower hassle is driving adoption, not environmentalism or fads," said Mark Wakefield, AlixPartners managing partner, Automotive News reported. "So this should not be seen as a fad."

Self-drivers

At the moment, car-sharing is limited to relatively dense urban areas and to the immediate vicinity of college campuses. But coming up fast is a development that could put the car-sharing trend on steroids: the self-driving car.

When cars are able to drive themselves, there's no need to have the thing sitting around all day in a parking lot near the office, or taking up space in the garage. It's expected that we'll join car-sharing services and simply summon a car on our smartphone when we need one.

To stretch an analogy a little, owning a car will be like buying a DVD. Why bother when you can summon the car via Zipcar or the movie via Netflix whenever you want it?

Currently, the average car-sharing service has 66 members for each car in its fleet, a number that's expected to grow to 81 members per car by 2020. Significantly, the report found that roughly half of car-sharing consumers don't bother buying a car of their own.  

When self-driving cars are available at the touch of a screen, the car-sharing business is widely expected to explode. What happens to car dealers? Implode may be too strong a word but then again ...

Federal safety regulators are looking into consumer complaints about side airbags deploying for no reason on 2008 Honda Accords. Two of the 28 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) involved injuries. 

Consumers say the curtain airbags and side torso bags deployed when the door was closed, for no apparent reason.

In one incident, on July 3, 2013, a consumer reported that he, his wife and 29-year-old son had just gotten into their 2008 Accord.

"When we my closed the passenger door, the side curtain airbag deployed from the headline and front passenger seat, causing an abrasion to [his] right forearm."

Since the incident was not caused by a collision, the insurance company refused to pay for the repairs. And since the car had 57,300 miles on it, Honda said the warranty had expired and also refused to pay for the repairs, which came to $2,500. 

Honda was not immediately available for comment.

Honda stiffs consumers

Consumers complaining to NHTSA are irate not just about the airbag deployment but by Honda's refusal to take responsibility for the problem.

"Honda is giving me the royal runaround and will not take responsibility," said a consumer whose driver's side airbags deployed in 2011, when it had 22,000 miles on it. "Their customer service department in California were very rude and advised if there is a recall in four or five years, then I can be reimbursed." 

"It is time Honda recalls their 2008 Accord and fixed this issue now, before it deploys and someone gets killed," he concluded.

Another consumer said his Accord's airbag deployed on March 21, 2012 and he also found that neither Honda nor his insurance company would pay for repairs.

"Those with this airbag problem are now driving around with deployed airbags due to a manufacturer defect that Honda refuses to fix," he said. "I am hoping to join a class action."

The NHTSA investigation at this stage is technically a "preliminary evaluation," which could eventually lead to a recall.

British researchers have sounded an alarm over the growing threat of hypertension, or high blood pressure, comparing it to the HIV epidemic that exploded two decades ago.

Their report, in the International Journal of Epidemiology, suggests high blood pressure could be as devastating to global health as HIV. Peter Lloyd-Sherlock of the University of East Anglia, Shah Ebrahim and Heiner Grosskurth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), find another similarity. They say the response of most governments to high blood pressure is little better than the reaction to HIV/AIDS 20 years ago – too little, too late.

Similarities

High blood pressure is not an infectious disease – you don't get it from human contact. But like HIV, the researchers say, it can lead to fatal and disabling illness. They estimate that the number of world-wide deaths attributable to hypertension over the next 20 years may substantially exceed the number resulting from HIV/AIDS.

Despite those numbers, the three researchers say there is “denial” and misunderstanding about the impact of hypertension, despite the two conditions having a number of things in common. Though they have different origins, both diseases can be treated and managed as chronic conditions through a combination of drug treatment and lifestyle changes.

“It has been suggested that valuable lessons for hypertension could be taken from HIV/AIDS policies,” the researchers write. “Yet there is little indication that these are being taken on board. Our response to the global epidemic of hypertension seems little better than our response to HIV/AIDS two decades ago: too little too late. Can we not wake up earlier this time, before millions have died?”

The condition

High blood pressure is a condition in which the heart uses excess force to pump blood through the circulatory system. It can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other health conditions.

The excessive pressure of the blood moving through the system can weaken artery walls, leading to a rupture and causing a stroke.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, about one in three adults in the U.S. suffers from high blood pressure. Since there are no signs or symptoms, you can have it for years without knowing it.

Blood pressure is measured using a cuff device that records the higher systolic pressure – when the heart is pushing blood through the body – and lower diastolic pressure – when the heart is at rest between beats. A reading of 120/80 or lower is considered normal.

Hypertension causes

High blood pressure is often caused by lifestyle factors. Smoking, unhealthy foods, being overweight or obese, too little exercise and too much alcohol are all factors that can raise blood pressure. Stress is another factor that can significantly raise risks.

Because high blood pressure is largely behavior-influenced, the researchers speculate government officials are reluctant to spend taxpayer funds to help people “who eat and drink too much.”

“HIV was faced with political denial and public misunderstanding in the early years of the pandemic, especially in some poorer countries,” the researchers write. “There is a similar pattern of denial with hypertension.”

The denial, they claim, is misguided, especially the view that hypertension does not affect poorer social groups. They say there is substantial evidence that hypertension is highly prevalent among poorer groups and that they are less likely to have access to effective treatment.

The years 2002-2011 saw a big decline in the number of children age 12 and younger who died in motor vehicle crashes.

According to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths in that age group plunged 43%. However, more than 9,000 children died in crashes during that period.

Research has shown that using age- and size-appropriate child restraints (car seats, booster seats, and seat belts) is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries in a crash. Yet the report found that almost half of all black (45%) and Hispanic (46%) children who died in crashes were not buckled up, compared with 26% of white children (2009-2010).

“No child should die in a motor vehicle crash because they were not properly buckled up and yet, sadly, it happens hundreds of times each year in the U.S.,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Many of these tragedies are preventable when parents use age-and size-appropriate child restraints every time their child rides in a motor vehicle.”

Key findings

CDC analyzed 2002–2011 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to determine the number and rate of motor-vehicle occupant deaths, and the percentage of child deaths among children age 12 and younger who were not buckled up.

The Vital Signs report also found that:

• One in three children who died in crashes in 2011 was not buckled up.
• Only 2 out of every 100 children live in states that require car seat or booster seat use for children age 8 and under.
• Child passenger restraint laws result in more children being buckled up. A recent study by Eichelberger et al, showed that among 5 states that increased the required car seat or booster seat age to 7 or 8 years, car seat and booster seat use tripled, and deaths and serious injuries decreased by 17%.

“Parents and caregivers play an important role in keeping children safe in the car,” said Daniel M. Sosin, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., acting director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “Children often imitate their parents; so it’s important that parents model safe behavior and buckle up on every trip. Parents also should always buckle children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats and, seat belts.”

What to do

To help keep children safe on the road, parents and caregivers can:

• Use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts in the back seat on every trip, no matter how short.
• Use rear-facing car seats from birth up to age 2
• Buckle children in a rear-facing seat until age 2 or when they reach the upper weight or height limit of that seat.
• Use forward-facing car seats from age 2 up to at least age 5. Make sure than when children outgrow their rear-facing seat, they are buckled in a forward-facing car seat until at least age 5 or when they reach the upper weight or height limit of that seat.
• Use booster seats from age 5 up until seat belt fits properly. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seat, they should be buckled in a booster seat until seat belts fit properly. The recommended height for proper seat belt fit is 57 inches tall.
• Use a seat belt once it fits properly without a booster seat. Children no longer need to use a booster seat once seat belts fit them properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck).
• Install and use car seats according to the owner’s manual or get help installing them from a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.
• Buckle children age 12 and under in the back seat.

The old favorites -- Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevrolet -- are still the leading car brands but Tesla is the one to watch, according to Consumer Reports’ annual Car-Brand Perception Survey.

Telsa Motors, which jumped from 47 points last year, to fifth position with 88 points this year, had a strong year, with soaring stock prices, magazine awards, and exceptional crash-test performance.

Innovation, performance, and sleek styling are clearly gaining attention and making a positive impression. By gaining points in several categories, Tesla was able to raise its overall score. This highlights the value of being good at multiple things, rather than relying on a single facet.

Consumer perception of Subaru’s safety is a key factor in that brand’s ascension into the top 10. This modest-scale automaker has made big news over the past year with its “good” crash-test performance, among other accomplishments. All its models, except for the aged Tribeca, have earned coveted Top Safety Pick+ status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The survey results suggest consumers are paying attention.

Among the tried-and-true brands, Toyota has a 25-point advantage over second-place Ford, reflecting a five-point gain over the year prior for Toyota and a three-point improvement for Ford. It could be interpreted that the safety concerns that saw the Toyota score stumble a few years ago have faded, returning the brand to its position as the perceived industry leader.

Consumer Reports brand perception scores reflect how consumers perceive each brand in seven important buying factors, ranked here in order of the importance to consumers: quality, safety, performance, value, fuel economy, design/style, and technology/innovation. Combining those factors produces the total brand-perception score. While the scores reflect a brand’s image, they do not reflect the actual qualities of any brand’s vehicles.

“The key word is ‘perception’. Consumers are influenced by word of mouth, marketing, and hands-on experience. Often, perception can be a trailing indicator, reflecting years of good or bad performance in a category, and it can also be influenced by headlines in the media,” said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy automotive editor.

That the remainder of the Top 10 all score 73 or higher is notable, for last year, there was a wider spread. Many brands impress consumers, creating a challenge for brands to distinguish themselves in the fast-moving marketplace. Likewise, consumers need to determine where to spend their money.

January was a decent month for job creation, according to the ADP National Employment Report.

The report, which is produced in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics, is derived from ADP’s actual payroll data and measures the change in total nonfarm private employment each month on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

During the past month, ADP says, private sector employment rose by 175,000 jobs from December.

"Cold and stormy winter weather continued to weigh on the job numbers, said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. “Underlying job growth, abstracting from the weather, remains sturdy. Gains are broad based across industries and company sizes.”

Services and goods

Most of the growth came in the service-providing industries, which added 160,000 jobs. Professional/ business services contributed the most -- 49,000 jobs, but was well below the average gain of the prior two months of 65,000. Trade/transportation/utilities growth slowed to a gain of 30,000 jobs, while financial activities employment was flat following two consecutive months of gains of 6,000 apiece.

Goods-producing employment rose by just 16,000 jobs in January, after adding 50,000 in December. Nearly all of i growth came from the construction industry which added 25,000 jobs over the month, following increases of 30,000 and 32,000 in the prior two months.

Manufacturing lost 12,000 jobs in January after a gain of 16,000 in the prior month. It's the first decline in manufacturing payrolls since July 2013.

Small and medium lead the way

Payroll growth for businesses with 49 or fewer employees decelerated in January, adding 75,000 jobs -- the slowest pace of small business job growth since August 2013. Among medium-sized companies with 50-499, there was an increase of 66,000, while employment at large companies -- those with 500 or more employees – was up by 34,000. While this represented an acceleration in job growth for mid-size firms, growth at large firms was nearly half of what it was in December.

The Labor Department is scheduled to release it January employmnt report at the end of the week.

A Wisconsin man who sent millions of unwanted text messages to consumers that deceptively promised “free” gift cards and electronics has agreed to an order banning him from future violations.

Jason Q. Cruz of West Bend, Wisc., was named in a series of Federal Trade Commission complaints alleging he sent text messages to consumers around the country offering free merchandise, such as $1,000 gift cards to major retailers or free iPads, to those who clicked on links in the messages.

A typical message read, “You have been selected for a $1,000 Walmart GiftCard, Enter code ‘FREE’ at [website address] to claim your prize: 161 left!”

Consumers who clicked on the links did not receive the “free” merchandise. Instead, consumers were taken to websites that requested personal information and required them to sign up for multiple risky trial offers to qualify for the supposedly “free” merchandise. Most of those trial offers were for questionable products and services that cost money and included recurring monthly charges.

“When scammers use unwanted text messages to entice consumers with deceptive offers, that’s a significant problem,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Banning a serial spammer like Mr. Cruz from sending unsolicited text messages helps the FTC take a huge cut out of scammers’ efforts to target consumers in this way.”

Cruz is permanently bannedfrom sending or assisting others in sending unsolicited text messages to consumers. The order also bans Cruz from deceptively presenting an offer as “free,” and from misleading consumers about the use of their personal information.

The order also includes a judgment of more than $185,000, which represents all of the money Cruz received in connection with the scam. Under the terms of the order, all but $10,000 of the monetary judgment is suspended based on Cruz’s inability to pay the full amount.

In addition, Cruz is required to destroy all consumer information he may have acquired over the course of the scam and cooperate with any further FTC investigations.

After slipping slightly the previous week, applications for home mortgages inched up 0.4% during the week ending January 31.

At the same time, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey show the Refinance Index jumped 3%. Still, the refinance share of mortgage activity was unchanged at 62% of total applications. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity rose to 8% of total applications.

Contract interest rates

• The average contract rate declined for all loan products in the survey, hitting their lowest level since November 2013. The 5/1 ARM, however, was at the lowest level since December 2013.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs) with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) fell 5 basis points to 4.47% from 4.52%, with points decreasing to 0.25 from 0.40 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,000) dropped from 4.47% to 4.42%, with points decreasing to 0.11 from 0.27 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 30-year FRMs backed by the FHA was down 6 basis points to 4.12%, with points decreasing to 0.15 from 0.33 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 15-year FRMs decreased to 3.53% from 3.59%, with points increasing to 0.28 from 0.26 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
• The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs plunged 10 basis points to 3.15%, with points increasing to 0.41 from 0.33 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The survey covers over 75% of all U.S. retail residential mortgage applications, and has been conducted weekly since 1990.   

Price continues to be the main reason a motorist pulls into one gas station and not another. It was that way when gasoline sold for 38 cents a gallon. It's no different now that it's $3.50.

But there is one difference. Even though 66% of consumers say price is the most important factor in determining where they fill up, 18% say they make their decision based on a specific loyalty card, according to a new survey by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

Loyalty cards reward regular customers with perks, often a few cents off per gallon of gasoline. Even when consumers express a preference for a brand, it's only because the brand has the reputation for low prices.

Gasoline is gasoline

Today no one believes one kind of gasoline is any better than another. That wasn't the case in the distant past, as the 1960s TV commercial for Texaco Sky Chief gasoline below tries to convince consumers it was a better quality than its competitors.

Influences attitudes

The price consumers pay for gasoline has a huge impact on their attitudes, the survey found. Not surprisingly, 85% of consumers say that gas prices influence how they feel about the economy.

"Gas prices play an enormous role in consumers' everyday conversations," said John Eichberger, NACS vice president of government relations. "Retailers know that consumers will go someplace else for a difference of a few cents per gallon — and this daily battle for customers is why retail fuel margins are so thin."

It is not unusual to find motorists driving out of their way to take advantage of the best deal on gas prices. In fact, 66% say that they would drive five minutes out of their way to save five cents per gallon.

Going up?

From now on, cheaper gasoline might be a bit harder to find, at least for a while. The first week of February traditionally marks the beginning of the spring transition to summer-blend fuels for the fuels industry, requiring a change-over at most refineries.

Since 2000 consumers have borne the brunt of that, with gasoline prices increasing on average, more than 50 cents between the first week in February and the time of the seasonal high price, typically late May.

Today's prices

Today, the national average price of self-serve regular is about $3.28 a gallon. If the pattern of past years holds true, prices could rise to about $3.78 by the start of the summer driving season. However, there are many reasons this year might break the pattern.

If gasoline prices are relatively cheap now where you live – and Arkansas, Tennessee and South Carolina have among the cheapest in the country – they aren't likely to rise much.

"Most consumers don't think much about their fueling experience — it's convenient and they are on their way," said Eichberger. "But consumers are always thinking about gas prices.”

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a camera-in-a-pill that can be swallowed by patients who have encountered problems with traditional colonoscopies.

The PillCam Colon is an ingestible camera that takes high-speed photographs as it works its way through the digestive system and helps doctors spot polyps and other early signs of colon cancer.

The FDA's approval covers its use in patients who have previously not been able to complete the colonoscopy process.

“PillCam Colon will improve patient care by offering a new and effective colon imaging option for patients who have experienced an incomplete colonoscopy.Among the limited alternatives available after incomplete colonoscopy, PillCam Colon gives us a minimally invasive, radiation-free option that provides endoscopic images of the same basic type that have made colonoscopy so useful,” said Douglas Rex, M.D., Indiana University School of Medicine and Director of Endoscopy, Indiana University Hospital.

Incomplete colonoscopies

Incomplete colonoscopies occur in approximately 750,000 patients in the nited States per year. Patients with incomplete colonoscopies often incur additional costs along with the inconvenience and risk of other procedures to complete the colorectal examination.

The incidence of incomplete colonoscopies is higher in women due to the increase in past pelvic surgeries and the differing anatomy of women that includes particularly acute rectosigmoid angles in thin women.  Patients with a redundant or long colon, history of abdominal surgery or advanced diverticular disease are also at a higher risk for experiencing an incomplete colonoscopy. 

"We have made tremendous strides in increasing the number of people who are getting screened for colon cancer, starting at age 50 for the average risk individual," said said Eric Hargis, CEO, Colon Cancer Alliance. "Colonoscopy is the most comprehensive option, but for up to 10% of individuals, achieving a complete colonoscopy may not be possible. For those individuals, PillCam Colon capsule endoscopy could be an effective option."

The device is made by an Israeli company, Given Imaging Ltd., and is available in more than eighty markets including Japan, Europe, Latin America, Canada, Australia and parts of Asia and Africa.