Lance Armstrong to Face Doping charges

The U.S. agency that polices drug use in sports has informed Lance Armstrong that it intends to bring formal doping charges against him, in an action that could ultimately cost the retired cycling champion all seven of his Tour de France titles.

The letter, which paints a picture of a wide-ranging conspiracy by a succession of the country's top cycling teams over a period of years, comes just months after federal prosecutors closed a two-year investigation into Mr. Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service-sponsored cycling team without bringing charges.

Read more about Lance Armstrong and doping allegations at wsj.com.

Celiac Disease More Common in U.S. than Previously Thought

from The Archives of Internal Medicine

In the largest multi-center epidemiologic study ever performed to establish the prevalence of Celiac Disease in the United States, researchers from the University of Maryland report that the immune-mediated condition in which the body (and in particular the digestive tract) reacts to gluten is a much greater problem in the United States than has previously been appreciated. The study of more than 13,000 people in 32 states found the overall prevalence of Celiac to be 1 in 133 people in the U.S.; for people with an immediate family member with Celiac the prevalence was much higher at 1 in 22.

The authors suggest that previous studies have underestimated the prevalence of Celiac because they failed to take into account atypical and  silent forms (without gastrointestinal symptoms) that were frequently detected in this study. Of particular interest was the high prevalence of Celiac found among individuals affected by numerous common disorders, including type 1 diabetes mellitus, anemia, arthritis, osteoporosis, infertility, and Down syndrome, even in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Among not-at-risk subjects (for example, people without significant family history) the prevalence of Celiac in adults was significantly higher (1:105) than in children (1:320), suggesting a correlation between the duration of gluten exposure and the development of an immune response to gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. 

"If Celiac is as common in the United States as our study suggests," the authors write, "One must question why it is not diagnosed more frequently."

Foremost among the possible explanations for missed diagnosis of Celiac is that if physicians believe Celiac is rare, they are less likely to test for it. A failure by physicians to appreciate that many individuals with the disease initially present without gastrointestinal symptoms is another reason why Celiac testing may not be performed, according to the study authors. A recently published survey of 1612 patients with Celiac in the United States revealed that the average gap between the onset of symptoms and the time diagnosis was confirmed was 11 years.

Living with undiagnosed Celiac can lead to nutrient deficiencies, fatigue and, for children, delayed growth. Hopefully this study will raise awareness and help people get diagnosed--and treated--earlier. 

More than Half of High School Seniors Admit They Text or Email While Driving

More than half of high school seniors admit they text or email while driving — the first federal statistics on how common the dangerous habit is in teens.

An anonymous national survey conducted by the CDC last year found that 58 percent of high school seniors said they had texted or emailed while driving during the previous month. About 43 percent of high school juniors acknowledged they did the same thing.

The CDC says parents are the key to changing the behavior. Parents should first set a good example, and then drive home the point that electronic silence during a 20 minute drive is infinitely preferable to eternal silence. 

Read more about teen texting at msnbc.com.

Ray Bradbury - In His Own Words

Ray Bradbury, High Priest for all who love science died this morning. Here, his own beautiful words, from last weeks' New Yorker, science fiction issue.

I'd help my grandpa carry the box in which lay, like a gossamer spirit, the paper-tissue ghost of a fire balloon waiting to be breathed into, filled, and set adrift toward the midnight sky. My grandfather was the high priest and I his altar boy. I helped take the red-white-and-blue tissue out of the box and watched as Grandpa lit a little cup of dry straw that hung beneath it. Once the fire got going, the balloon whispered itself fat with the hot air rising inside.

Ray Bradury's New York Times obituary.

Disney Says No More Junk Food Ads

From Latimes.com

Disney says it’s taking ads for junk food off its children’s programming.

The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday announced new guidelines for TV, radio and website programming at an appearance in Washington with First Lady Michelle Obama. Critics who have for years complained about fatty, sugary food and beverage ads aimed at kids praised the move.

And, they said, it’s smart: As a company that positions itself as family-friendly, Disney can be seen as looking out for kids’ health.

Obama, who has made improved children’s health a central focus of her work, called Disney’s plan a "game changer."

Read more about Disney's plan to drop junk food ads.