Santa Clarita Local Colleges - Common Painkillers 'Pose Heart Risk'

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - James Gallagher
Category - Santa Clarita Local Colleges
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Santa Clarita Local Colleges

People with severe arthritis often take the drugs, which also calm inflammation, to go about daily life.

The researchers said some patients would deem the risk acceptable, but they should be given the choice.

A study, published in the Lancet, showed the drugs posed even greater risks for smokers and the overweight.

The risks have been reported before, but a team of researchers at the University of Oxford analysed the issue in unprecedented detail in order to help patients make an informed choice.

The group investigated more than 353,000 patient records from 639 separate clinical trials to assess the impact of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

They looked at high-dose prescriptions levels, rather than over-the-counter pain relief, of 150mg diclofenac or 2,400mg ibuprofen each day.

They showed that for every 1,000 people taking the drugs there would be three additional heart attacks, four more cases of heart failure and one death as well cases of stomach bleeding - every year as a result of taking the drugs.

So the number of heart attacks would increase from eight per 1,000 people per year normally, to 11 per 1,000 people per year with the drugs.

"Three per thousand per year sounds like it is quite a low risk, but the judgement has to be made by patients," said lead researcher Prof Colin Baigent.

He added: "So if you're a patient and you go and sit in front of your doctor and discuss it, you are the one who should be making the judgement about whether three per thousand per year is worth it to allow you, potentially, to go about your daily life."

He said this should not concern people taking a short course of these drugs, for example for headaches.

However, he did warn that those already at risk of heart problems would be at even greater risk as a result of the high-dose drugs.

High blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking all increase the risk of heart problems.

Prof Baigent said: "The higher your risk of heart disease, the higher your risk of a complication. Roughly speaking, if you've got double the risk of heart disease, then the risk of having a heart attack is roughly doubled."

He said patients should consider ways to reduce their risk, which could include statins for some patients.
Alternative

A similar drug called rofecoxib (known as Vioxx), was voluntarily taken off the market by its manufacturer in 2004 after similar concerns were raised.

There are more than 17 million prescriptions of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the UK each year. Two thirds are either ibuprofen or diclofenac.

A third drug, naproxen, had lower risks of heart complications in the study and some doctors are prescribing this to higher-risk patients.

The drug does a similar job to aspirin by stopping the blood from clotting although this also increases the odds of a stomach bleed.

Prof Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, said the drugs were a "lifeline" for millions of people with arthritis and were "extremely effective in relieving pain".

He added: "However, because of their potential side-effects, in particular the increased risk of cardiovascular complications which has been known for a number of years, there is an urgent need to find alternatives that are as effective, but safer."

Prof Donald Singer, member of the British Pharmacological Society and from the University of Warwick, said: "The findings underscore a key point for patients and prescribers - powerful drugs may have serious harmful effects.

"It is therefore important for prescribers to take into account these risks and ensure patients are fully informed about the medicines they are taking."

Hotel In Santa Clarita - Home Price Gains Propel U.S. Stocks

Source - http://www.latimes.com/
By - Alejandro Lazo
Category - Hotel In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In Santa Clarita

Home prices are soaring at a pace not seen since the housing boom, giving a much-needed boost to the larger economy.

The rebound is helping homeowners recover losses from the crash and giving them confidence to spend. And that's raising the fortunes of banks, builders and investors — all reflected in a Tuesday rally on Wall Street.

Home prices rose 10.9% in March compared with the same month last year, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 U.S. cities. Fueled by strong demand and tight supply, that was the strongest annual jump since April 2006.

The real estate market has emerged once again as the driver of economic optimism, sorely needed to pick up the slack left by weak government spending, economists said.

Home prices will keep accelerating this year and next year because of home shortages, said economist Patrick Newport of IHS Global Insight. But he advised caution in joining the fray of home buyers.

"Whenever you see double-digit increases, human psychology starts kicking in," Newport said, which could cause some markets to overheat and risk another price crash.

The Case-Shiller index, created by economists Karl E. Case and Robert J. Shiller, is widely considered the most reliable read on home values. The housing index compares the latest sales of detached houses with previous sales and accounts for factors such as remodeling that might affect a home's sale price over time.

On an annual basis, every metro area tracked by the index has posted year-over-year gains for three consecutive months. The Phoenix area had the largest annual gain — up 22.5% in March. San Francisco posted a 22.2% gain. Once-downtrodden metro areas showed huge jumps, with Las Vegas up 20.6%; Atlanta, 19.1%; Detroit, 18.5%; and Los Angeles, 16.6%.

So far, the increases have served to make up for some of the severe losses suffered during the bust. The 20-city home price index remains about 28% off its bubble-era peak and matches the level of late 2003.

Western cities are leading the rally. But home prices in some areas are outpacing fundamentals such as employment gains and increases in real wages. That's particularly true in many California cities, including Los Angeles, according to commentary issued Tuesday by credit rating firm Fitch Ratings.

"In cities that never fully unwound the mid-2000s bubble, rapidly increasing price levels are a potential cause for concern," the Fitch analysts wrote. "For example, in Los Angeles, prices are up more than 10% in the past year despite a stubborn unemployment rate that remains above 10% and real incomes that have declined over the past two years."

The housing recovery began last year as foreclosures waned and buyers chased perceived home bargains and low interest rates. Investors, meanwhile, have snapped up homes on the cheap to either flip or rent out. Growing confidence in the recovery has unleashed pent-up demand from buyers waiting out the crash.

"We believe this level of housing demand is likely to abate once the pent-up demand is satisfied," the Fitch analysts wrote.

Rising home prices have boosted spirits on Main Street and Wall Street.

Consumer confidence surged this month to its highest level in more than five years as optimism increased about the state of the economy and its prospects for the rest of the year, according to a closely watched private barometer released Tuesday.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index jumped to 76.2 in May from the previous month's upwardly revised reading of 69. The last time the index was this high was in February 2008, at the start of the Great Recession.

The index now has risen two straight months after plunging in March amid concerns about the effect of tax increases that kicked in at the start of the year as well as the federal budget cuts known as sequestration.

"Back-to-back monthly gains suggest that consumer confidence is on the mend," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board.

The percentage of consumers saying business conditions were good increased to 18.8% this month, from 17.5% in April. And the percentage of consumers who said jobs were plentiful rose to 10.8%, from 9.7%.

Wall Street rejoiced at the reports on housing and consumer confidence, driving stocks up more than 1% in early trading after a rally in global markets. Investors pulled back later in the day, and the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day up 106.29 points, or 0.69%, to 15,409.39. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 10.46 points, or 0.63%, to 1,660.06, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 29.75 points, or 0.86%, to 3,488.89.

The rally signals that investors are looking to economic growth, not just easy money from the Federal Reserve.

Investors are not "excited about a handout anymore," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ. "The excitement is coming from organic growth."

The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus programs have fueled a run-up in stocks this year. The central bank has continued to pump cheap money into the system. The aim is to lower interest rates to make borrowing cheaper and stimulate growth. In doing so, the Fed has made safer investments such as bonds less attractive and lured investors into riskier assets such as stocks.

Many on Wall Street have been expecting a pull-back or correction of 10% or more in stocks during the second quarter. But with May almost in the rear-view mirror, any significant halt in the rally has to wait until next month.

California Vacation Packages - Insurance Rates Climbing In Florida

Source - http://www.weartv.com/
By - Press Release
Category - California Vacation Packages
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

California Vacation Packages

It's been nearly eight years since a hurricane caused widespread damage in Florida, but rates for homeowners insurance have still been climbing. With hurricane season starting Saturday, authorities say there's a chance rates may finally stabilize. Some homeowners say they feel like they're being eaten alive by insurance premiums, and they want some relief. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation has been approving more than 100 rate hike requests a year since 2009, including requests to hike rates by double-digits. "It's really high," said Chuck Taylor. Chuck Taylor and his neighbors in Garcon Point say they've had no choice but to keep shelling out big bucks for insurance. "If you live down here, you have to have your house up elevated when you rebuild and then you pay flood insurance. Flood insurance doesn't cover any of that, so you're paying insurance twice," Taylor said. This year's hurricane season could determine how much homeowners pay. Florida's Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty says there's a chance rates may finally even out, if no major storms come our way this year. Taylor is skeptical of that prediction. "I really don't see it going down that much," Taylor said. His neighbor, Judy Wagner, however, has a different perspective. "There are storms other places, too. And I mean, the insurance companies are paying for those. You know, you have to pay for where you live," said Judy Wagner. The state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, meanwhile, is expected to ask for rate hikes for 2014.

Hotels In Northern California - EU Investigating Apple's iPhone Agreements With Mobile Operators

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/
By - John Ribeiro
Category - Hotels In Northern California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Hotels In Northern California

The European Commission has sent a questionnaire to a number of mobile operators in the European Union, focusing on whether its distribution terms with these providers may put Apple at an advantage over other smartphone makers, according to a newspaper report.

"The Commission has information indicating that Apple and Mobile Network Operators ("MNOs") have concluded distribution agreements which may potentially lead to the foreclosure of other smartphone manufacturers from the markets," the nine-page questionnaire states, The Financial Times reported Sunday.

The commission referred to the possibility that certain technical functions are disabled on certain Apple products in certain countries in the EU and the European Economic Area, which if confirmed could constitute an infringement of antitrust law. The questionnaire also probes operators on Apple's sales practices, including whether they are required to buy a minimum number of phones, and are required to always offer Apple no worse subsidies and sales terms than other smartphone vendors, according to the newspaper.

The European inquiry, based on private complaints from some mobile operators, is at a preliminary stage, and would require that Apple be found to be dominant in the EU smartphone market, the newspaper said.

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment. The company was questioned last week in the U.S. by a Senate subcommittee looking into charges that the company avoided tax by diverting profits to subsidiaries in Ireland. Apple said it did not break the laws.

Samsung Electronics became the top smartphone manufacturer in Europe in April last year, a position it has maintained through the rest of the year, Web and mobile usage tracking firm comScore said in February. The South Korean company had a 32.3 percent share of the market by December, followed by Apple with 20.5 and Nokia with 16.3 percent.

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita - Galaxy S4 Fastest-Selling Android Phone Ever

Source - http://www.smh.com.au/
By - James W. Manning
Category - Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita

Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone has sold more than 10 million units around the world less than one month after being released, making it the fastest-selling Android phone in history.

The new flagship smartphone, launched globally on April 27, is estimated to have sold at a rate of four units per second, according to the company, and has sold at twice the rate its rival, the HTC One.

The S4's predecessor, the Galaxy S3, previously held the title for the fast-selling Android smartphone after reaching the 10 million mark after 50 days on sale in 2012. Before that, the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S took five and seven months respectively to reach the same goal.

"On behalf of Samsung, I would like to thank the millions of customers around the world who have chosen the Samsung GALAXY S4," said J.K. Shin, chief executive and president of IT and mobile communications at Samsung. "At Samsung we'll continue to pursue innovation inspired by and for people."

An anonymous Samsung executive told South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo last week that sales had surpassed six million in the first two weeks after launch.

Meanwhile, an unnamed HTC executive told The Wall Street Journal that the HTC One, seen by industry commentators as a rival to Samsung's S4, has sold five million units since its launch, which occurred about the same time as the S4, meaning Samsung has doubled the sales of its HTC rival.

Both Samsung and HTC have confirmed they will release a version of their new

smartphones running the default version of Google's Android mobile operating system, rather than the ones currently customised with Samsung or HTC apps built in.

Samsung also confirmed that the Galaxy S4 will be made available in four new colours later this year: red, blue, purple and brown. The smartphone was available in black and white at launch.
 

Vacations In Santa Clarita - Samsung Galaxy S4 Shipments Hit 10 Million One Month After Release

Source - http://techcrunch.com/
By - Catherine Shu
Category - Vacations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Vacations In Santa Clarita

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has hit 10 million channel sales one month after its release. The company announced its latest milestone today just eight days after confirming that it had shipped over 6 million units of the S4 since its international launch on April 26. According to Samsung, this is the fastest ever sell rate for any of its smartphones.

The latest entry in the Galaxy series–meant as Samsung’s iPhone challenger–has sold much more quickly than its predecessors. The Galaxy S4′s milestone beats the record set by the Galaxy S3, which reached 10 million channel sales 50 days after its launch in 2012. The Galaxy S2 took five months and the Galaxy S seven months to reach the same number.

(Channel sales are to wireless operators and not direct to consumers. In other words, the numbers are for units shipped.)

The Galaxy S4 had to overcome inventory issues that disrupted its U.S. rollout and were attributed by the company to unexpectedly high demand for the phone. Though the Galaxy S4 is indeed selling swiftly, reinforcing Samsung’s dominance of the worldwide smartphone market, Jordan Crook noted after it hit 6 million units shipped that the iPhone is still technically a faster selling phone than any of Samsung’s Galaxy models.

When the iPhone 5 launched, Apple took over 2 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours available. Furthermore, iPhone 5 pre-orders were two times the number of pre-orders seen for the iPhone 4S. Despite Apple’s recent earnings woes, consumers still love their iPhones, and Samsung VS Apple: Battle Smartphone is not over quite yet, especially as the Cupertino company prepares to launch new products this fall.

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita - China's Bird Flu Outbreak Cost $6.5 Billion

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Stephanie Nebehay
Category - Budget Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita

Health authorities worldwide must be on the lookout to detect the virus, the experts said, which could still develop the ability to spread easily among humans and cause a deadly influenza pandemic.

The new bird flu virus is known to have infected 130 people in mainland China since emerging in March, including 36 who died, but no cases have been detected since early May, Health Minister Li Bin told a meeting of the World Health Organization. One case was found in Taiwan in April, making a total of 131.

"The immediate outbreak has been controlled, but it is also unlikely that virus has simply disappeared. We believe we need go another autumn/winter/spring season to know," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general for health security.

"We also have high concern over the potential, I stress the potential, to gain the ability to sustain transmissibility."

There was no evidence of sustained spread among people and "most cases probably resulted from infected poultry or perhaps contamination related to live poultry markets," Fukuda said.

Li said local Chinese authorities had shut down live poultry markets "temporarily or permanently as needed" to control the source of outbreaks in 10 provinces. It standardized methods of transporting poultry to reduce spread among birds.

China's government had spent 600 million RMB or $97 million to support healthy development of the poultry industry, Li said.

"In view of the present situation, H7N9 is preventable and controllable. There has been no qualitative change in the epidemic. Cases are sporadic and there has been no genetic mutation (of the virus)," she said.

H7N9 is highly pathogenic in humans, causing severe respiratory disease, but is not virulent among birds, making it nearly impossible for farmers to detect, experts said.

"There have been no (human) cases since May 8, that is a good indication and means measures are being taken seriously. Now when the virus is found at market, all birds are killed, that is important too," Bernard Vallat, head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), told reporters.

Out of 60,000 samples taken from birds, 53 were found to carry the virus, Liang Wannian of China's health ministry said.

There is "no red flag" for H7N9 among poultry, unlike H1N1 which kills off flocks, said Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"Economic impacts of H7N9 have been astounding," he said.

"Over $6.5 billion has been lost in the agriculture sector because of prices, consumer confidence and trade. So poultry industry losses in China have been high," Lubroth said, later making clear it was an estimate by China's agriculture ministry.