Health Highlights: Aug. 22, 2006

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Smoking Scenes Cut From Classic Cartoons

British children''s TV channel Boomerang says it will edit scenes that glamorize smoking from Tom and Jerry cartoons, BBC News reported.

The move follows an investigation by British media regulator Ofcom in response to a viewer complaint that the smoking depicted in some of the classic cat and mouse cartoons was inappropriate for children.

Boomerang said it would edit episodes where smoking appears to be condoned, acceptable or glamorized. Two Tom and Jerry cartoons that include such depictions are "Tennis Chumps" from 1949 and "Texas Tom" from 1950, BBC News reported.

Tom and Jerry isn''t the only affected cartoon. There are plans to review more than 1,500 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones, for scenes that glamorize smoking.

-----

Alzheimer''s Caregivers Have Heavy Burden

People who care for a family member with Alzheimer''s disease have to cope with more care-related costs and stress than those who take care of someone with other kinds of disabilities, says a study released Tuesday by the MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMMI).

Costs for Alzheimer''s caregivers are 41 percent higher than for other caregivers, and Alzheimer''s caregivers are 45 percent more likely to say that caregiving has harmed their health. The study also found that Alzheimer''s caregiving requires a greater time commitment.

The study included more than 400 people who provided care for someone over the age of 65.

Caregivers of people with Alzheimer''s or another form of dementia provided an average of 47 hours of care per week, compared to 33 hours by caregivers of people with physical impairments. The study also found that 10.6 percent of spouses of people with Alzheimer''s or another dementia quit their job due to their caregiving responsibilities, compared to 4 percent of spouses of people with other kinds of disabilities.

-----

School Safety Refresher for Parents

Parents need to review some school-safety advice as their children return to the classroom, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

It offers the following tips:

• Don''t buy children''s clothes with hood and neck drawstrings that can catch on playground and other equipment and pose a strangling hazard. Remove hood and neck drawstrings in any clothing already in a child''s wardrobe.
• Drawstrings on children''s clothing bottoms should be short and should not have toggles at the end.
• In case a child falls, playground equipment should have a shock-absorbent surface such as mulch or wood chips beneath it.
• Parents should check playground equipment for exposed bolts, "S" hooks and other hardware that can catch on a child''s clothing.
• Playground ladder rungs and guard rails should be spaced so that children can''t become trapped between them.
• Children should be properly supervised when they''re on the playground.
• Moveable soccer goals should be properly anchored to the ground to prevent them from tipping over and pinning a child.
• Check to make sure children''s art materials aren''t toxic. Look for labels that say "conforms to ASTM D-4236."
• Children must wear appropriate helmets when on bicycles, scooters and skateboards.

-----

Gerald Ford Gets Heart Pacemaker

Former U.S. President Gerald Ford had surgery Monday to implant a pacemaker to enhance his heart''s performance, the Associated Press reported.

The procedure was done at the Mayo Clinic. Ford, 93, was resting comfortably and was expected to continue to recuperate at the clinic for the next several days, according to a statement released Monday afternoon by his chief of staff, Penny Circle.

Ford, the nation''s oldest living former president, was admitted on Aug. 15 for tests and evaluation. At that time, neither Circle nor the Mayo Clinic provided any details about his condition, the AP reported.

In July, Ford spent a few days at a Colorado hospital due to shortness of breath. In January, he spent 12 days in a California hospital for treatment of pneumonia. Five years ago, Ford spent about a week in hospital after he suffered two small strokes.

-----

World''s Oldest Man Turns 115

The oldest man in the world turned 115 on Monday and said a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol are the reasons he has lived so long, the Associated Press reported.

"I never damaged my body with liquor," said Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico.

While he never drank alcohol, Mercado did smoke for 76 years, a habit he kicked when he was 90. He''s wheelchair-bound, has difficulty hearing, and has been blind for four years. But he says he''s happy.

Mercado lives with his 84-year-old niece in the northwestern coastal town of Isabella, the AP reported.

At his birthday celebration Monday, Mercado was serenaded by his favorite singer, Iris Chacon. The party was held at an outdoor plaza and included family, friends and the mayor of Isabella.

The oldest woman in the world is 116-year-old Maria Esther de Capovilla of Ecuador. Her next birthday is on September 14.

Last Updated: Aug. 22, 2006