• Australia: Welcome back cockatoo
• US: Washington, D.C. has Bike to Work Day
• US: Big 4 cellphone carriers unite on anti-texting ads

• India, Nepal, Greece: Total Health World Tour highlights integration of modern science, ancient Vedic medicine
• 'Doctor's orders: 20 minutes of meditation twice a day' -Wall Street Journal
• New American Heart Association report informs doctors that Transcendental Meditation lowers blood pressure

• Up to 1 in 5 US children suffer from mental disorder: CDC
• US research: Kidney problems linked to traffic fumes
• Agent Orange tied to aggressive prostate cancer risk

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Australia: Welcome back cockatoo
17 May 2013 - Conservation minded citizens are planting trees to provide habitat for the endangered glossy black cockatoo. (more)

US: Washington, D.C. has Bike to Work Day
17 May 2013 - Thousands of cyclists are expected to hit the Washington region's roads Friday for Bike to Work Day, an annual event aimed at encouraging people to commute on two wheels rather than by car, bus, or train. Bike commuting is quickly becoming a popular option in the D.C. area, with the number of daily bike commuters nearly doubling since 2007. More than 12,000 people participated last year, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association reported that more than 14,000 people registered for this year's event. (more)

US: Big 4 cellphone carriers unite on anti-texting ads
14 May 2013 - America's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's 'It Can Wait' slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile will be joined by 200 other organizations backing the multi-million dollar ad campaign. The campaign is unusual not just because it unites rivals, but because it represents companies warning against the dangers of their own products. (more)

US: Tougher drunken driving threshold recommended
14 May 2013 - Federal accident investigators were weighing a recommendation Tuesday that states reduce their threshold for drunken driving from the current .08 blood alcohol content to .05, a standard that has been shown to substantially reduce highway deaths in other countries. Australia saw a 12 per cent decline in alcohol-related deaths as a share of overall traffic fatalities when it lowered its legal limit to .05. (more)

Netherlands: Hundreds of bicyclists pour through Dutch museum
13 May 2013 - Hundreds of bicycles are pedalling triumphantly through the Netherlands' national museum in Amsterdam, signalling the end of more than a decade of efforts by cyclists to ensure a passageway that runs under and through the Rijksmuseum would remain open to bike traffic. Bikers began ringing their bells and then a cheer went up at 6 pm local time Monday, when guards removed metal fences that were the last remaining barrier. (more)

Australia the 10th best place to be a mother: report
12 May 2013 - Australia has been ranked as the 10th best country to be a mother in a new report by charity Save The Children. Scandinavian countries topped the list this year, with Finland coming in first place, followed by Sweden, Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Save the Children's Annie Bodmar-Roy says there is not much separating the top 10 countries. (more)

Finland named as a best place in the world for mothers
8 May 2013 - Finland has climbed from the sixth place to the first place in the Save the Children's annual The State of the World's Mothers report. Finland was named a best place in the world for mothers amongst 176 countries. Sweden was number two and Norway number three. The Mother's Index compares countries based on how well they save lives of mothers and their new-born babies. It also assesses mothers' well-being using indicators of maternal health, under-five mortality, levels of women's education, income, and political status. (more)

India: Tiny, inexpensive filter clears hazardous microbes and chemicals from drinking water
8 May 2013 - About 780 million people -- a tenth of the world's population -- do not have access to clean drinking water. Water laced with contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, lead and arsenic claims millions of lives each year. But an inexpensive device that effectively clears such contaminants from water may help solve this problem. (more)

Helping the brain clean itself - researchers find internal brain-cleansing system
7 May 2013 - There are many organs to consider when we are desirous of cleansing the body for a goal of optimal health. Thanks to new technology, though, we can now see exactly how the brain washes itself -- not in the metaphoric sense, but how the glial cells, which power cerebrospinal fluid, help wash out guck from the brain. (more)

Alberta, Canada: Province launches 'exciting' new initiative to encourage families to be healthy
6 May 2013 - A new campaign from Alberta Health is focused on encouraging elementary-aged children and their parents to get in the habit of eating healthy, and exercising. The province announced the 'Healthy U 5and1' campaign, designed to help parents and their young children start thinking about and implementing healthy food and activity choices in their day-to-day lives. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

India, Nepal, Greece: Total Health World Tour highlights integration of modern science, ancient Vedic medicine
17 May 2013 - Robert Schneider, MD, FACC, one of the world's leading authorities on scientifically verified natural approaches to prevention and treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular risk factors, recently undertook the first part of a Total Health World Tour that included presentations and meetings in India, Nepal, and Greece. (more)

'Doctor's orders: 20 minutes of meditation twice a day' -Wall Street Journal
16 May 2013 - The front page of the Health section of the Wall Street Journal, America's most read newspaper, recently featured a story affirming meditation's move into mainstream American healthcare. The article included a description of a study published last November in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, which found that 'African-Americans with heart disease who practiced Transcendental Meditation regularly were 48% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, or to die, than those who attended a health-education class'. (more)

New American Heart Association report informs doctors that Transcendental Meditation lowers blood pressure
1 May 2013 - A report from the American Heart Association (AHA) published on April 22 concluded that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique lowers blood pressure and recommends that TM may be considered in clinical practice for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. The purpose of the report, entitled 'Beyond Medications and Diet--Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association,' is to inform physicians which alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure have been shown by research to be effective. After considering meta-analyses and the latest clinical trials on different types of meditation, the report stated that while Transcendental Meditation is recommended to lower BP, there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend other meditation or relaxation techniques. Clinical trials have shown TM practice is also associated with lower rates of heart attack and stroke. (more)

Transcendental Meditation reduces PTSD in African refugees, study finds
27 April 2013 - A study published in April in the Journal of Traumatic Stress found that Transcendental Meditation dramatically relieved the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Congolese refugees. The study found that within just 30 days, the refugees went from having high levels of Post-Traumatic Stress to becoming non-symptomatic. In contrast, the control group's symptoms worsened over time. (more)

US: New York City event focuses on treating PTSD with Transcendental Meditation
23 April 2013 - An event at the New York Athletics Club in February aimed to raise awareness of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its effective treatment with Transcendental Meditation. The event, hosted by the David Lynch Foundation and Operation Warrior Wellness, was designed to help veterans and active-duty military personnel suffering from PTSD. (more)

Transcendental Meditation reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms in African refugees
15 April 2013 - Refugees from the Congolese civil war who practised Transcendental Meditation experienced significant reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms, according to new study results published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. The reduction in symptom severity continued for an extended period of time. 'These findings suggest that clinicians have another option for treating posttraumatic stress, particularly for patients who prefer to avoid medications or are reluctant to discuss or re-live their trauma,' study researcher Col. Brian Rees, MD, MPH, of the US Army Reserve Medical Corps, told Psychiatric Annals. (more)

Transcendental Meditation significantly reduces posttraumatic stress in African refugees
8 April 2013 - A significant percentage of veterans returning from wars exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS). This is now recognized as a serious health problem, but what about the victims of such violence? Refugees live with the constant reminder of what war has done to their lives and those of their families. A randomized/matched study published today in the April 2013 issue of Journal of Traumatic Stress measured the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in refugees in Africa before and after learning the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. The reductions were dramatic. (more)

UK: Professional project manager finds dramatically reduced stress, more energy with Transcendental Meditation
5 April 2013 - Since learning Transcendental Meditation, John McHale has noticed that he is more resistant to the stresses of a very demanding career as project manager for a commercial property development company in the UK. John has responsibility for the management of around 30 projects -- any one of which can be as large as a million square feet -- at every stage of development. 'One of the dramatic effects in my day to day life is my improved attitude to work and ability to cope with pressure,' he says. ' I am absolutely convinced that the reduction in the effects of stress that I have experienced in the past year is entirely down to the regular practice of Transcendental Meditation.' (more)

Five new findings about stress - and how Transcendental Meditation can help
2 April 2013 - Getting rid of stress so that one can have a calm, creative mind is a good reason to practise the Transcendental Meditation technique each day. Scientists seem to keep giving even more incentives to meditate--including new research findings that stress weakens the body's ability to heal; shrinks the brain; prematurely ages children; could negatively affect one's child's genes; and makes colds worse. 'Fortunately,' a mental health professional writes, 'our bodies are designed to eliminate stress, and daily Transcendental Meditation practice has been found to be a natural way to give the nervous system a means to gain the kind of deep rest that gives our bodies a chance to release stress.' (more)

New guidance for avoiding heart attack, stroke: Study showed 'Transcendental Meditation can lower cardiovascular disease risk by nearly 50 percent'
2 April 2013 - DelawareOnline recently reported on a study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, which 'showed that Transcendental Meditation can lower cardiovascular disease risk by nearly 50 percent'. The five-year study found that 'African Americans who practiced Transcendental Meditation two times a day were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from all causes.' The article highlighted the study as among 'recent studies on preventing heart disease, published in prestigious mainstream medical journals within the past six months, [that] clearly support natural, low-cost, easy-to-follow options for lowering your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.' (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Up to 1 in 5 US children suffer from mental disorder: CDC
16 May 2013 - Up to 20 per cent of children in the United States suffer from a mental disorder, and the number of kids diagnosed with one has been rising for more than a decade, according to a report released on Thursday by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. In the agency's first-ever study of mental disorders among children aged 3 to 17, researchers found childhood mental illnesses affect up to one in five kids and cost $247 billion per year in medical bills, special education, and juvenile justice. Children with mental disorders -- defined as 'serious deviations from expected cognitive, social, and emotional development' -- often have trouble learning in school, making friends, and building relationships later in life, the report said. They are more likely to have other chronic health problems, such as asthma and diabetes, and are at risk for developing mental illnesses as adults. (more)

US research: Kidney problems linked to traffic fumes
15 May 2013 - Living close to a busy road may increase your risk of developing kidney problems, research suggests. The US investigators who discovered a link in 1,100 patients believe traffic pollution could harm the arteries that supply the kidneys. (more)

Agent Orange tied to aggressive prostate cancer risk
13 May 2013 - Men who were exposed to Agent Orange chemicals used during the Vietnam War are at higher risk for life-threatening prostate cancer than unexposed veterans, researchers have found. What's more, those who served where the herbicide was used were diagnosed with cancer about five years earlier than other men, on average, in the new study. Agent Orange -- named after the giant orange drums in which the chemicals were stored -- was used by the US military to destroy foliage, mainly in southern Vietnam. The herbicide was often contaminated with a type of dioxin, a potently carcinogenic chemical. The Vietnam Red Cross Society has estimated that up to one million Vietnamese suffered disabilities or health problems as a result of Agent Orange, including children born with birth defects years after their parents were exposed. (more)

UK research: Technology, food additives, air pollution causing earlier dementia
13 May 2013 - Modern life is causing dementia to develop earlier than ever, according to new research. Experts have found that more people are developing the symptoms of mental decline of dementia and scientists have blamed PCs, mobile phones, chemicals, and electronic devices for the shift. The study, carried out by Bournemouth University, found that deaths as a result of neurological illness rose in all 16 countries covered by the research. (more)

Air pollution raises risk of diabetes precursor in kids: German study
9 May 2013 - Exposure to air pollution raises the risk of resistance to insulin, a typical warning sign of diabetes, according to a study of almost 400 German children. Insulin resistance climbed by 17 per cent for every 10.6 micrograms per cubic metre increase in ambient nitrogen dioxide and by 19 per cent for every 6 micrograms per cubic metre increase in particulate matter in the study of 10-year-olds. The findings were published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. (more)

Traffic noise increases risk of diabetes
9 May 2013 - Noise from busy roads and highways can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, possibly by interrupting sleep and increasing stress, according to a large study from Denmark. The risk increased by 8 to 11 per cent for every 10-decibel rise in road noise. The results add to the growing number of studies that link traffic noise to human health problems. (more)

Africa is riskiest place to be born
7 May 2013 - More than 1 million babies die the day they are born every year, and the 14 countries with the highest rates of first-day deaths are all in Africa, according to a new report released Tuesday. Somalia, Congo, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Central African Republic are the five countries with the highest rates of such deaths, according to the report 'Surviving the First Day' from the aid group Save the Children. 'Health care for mothers in sub-Saharan Africa is woefully insufficient. On average, only half the women in the region receive skilled care during birth,' the report said. 'The region as a whole has only 11 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10,000 people, less than half the critical threshold of 23 generally considered necessary to deliver essential health services.' The numbers in Somalia -- a country wracked by 20 years of violence with little established government and few health services -- are particularly grim. Eighteen out of 1,000 babies in Somalia die the day they are born, the report said. Five per cent of newborns die within the first month of life and one in six won't live to age 5. (more)

Toxic waste sites may cause health problems for millions
7 May 2013 - Living near a toxic waste site may represent as much of a health threat as some infectious diseases, a study in three developing countries finds. Researchers analyzed 373 toxic waste sites in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, where an estimated 8.6 million people are at risk of exposure to lead, asbestos, hexavalent chromium, and other hazardous materials. Among those people at risk, the exposures could cause a loss of around 829,000 years of good health as a result of disease, disability, or early death. (more)

Fever hits thousands in parched US west
6 May 2013 - California and federal public health officials say valley fever, a potentially lethal but often misdiagnosed disease infecting more and more people around the nation, has been on the rise as warming climates and drought have kicked up the dust that spreads it. The fever has hit California's agricultural heartland particularly hard in recent years, with incidence dramatically increasing in 2010 and 2011. The disease -- which is prevalent in arid regions of the United States, Mexico, Central, and South America -- can be contracted by simply breathing in fungus-laced spores from dust disturbed by wind as well as human or animal activity. Nationwide, the number of valley fever cases rose by more than 850 per cent from 1998 through 2011, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Longstanding concerns about valley fever were heightened last week when a federal health official ordered the transfer of more than 3,000 exceptionally vulnerable inmates from two San Joaquin Valley prisons where several dozen have died of the disease in recent years. (more)

UK: High levels of metal in underground air raise concerns
3 May 2013 - Millions of people travel on underground urban transit systems in cities across the world. Researchers at Southampton University say metal in the air thrown up by trains running on metal tracks could pose a health risk. Airborne particles small enough to be inhaled are known to damage health. They increase the risk of developing asthma, lung cancer, or cardiovascular disease. The new study looked at how much metal this so-called particulate matter is contained in the air of underground train systems. (more)