According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 2013, 183 cases of polio were reported from Somalia, 14 polio cases were reported from Kenya and eight cases were reported from the Somali Region of Ethiopia. These are the first wild poliovirus cases reported in Somalia since 2007, in Kenya since July 2011, and in Ethiopia since 2008. CDC recommends that all travelers to Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia be fully vaccinated against polio. In addition, adults should receive a one-time booster dose of polio vaccine.

Insurance penetration remains dismally low in Kenya by international standards, in spite of a wealth of insurance packages and agents, a situation that leads to both health and financial problems for the uninsured in the event of accident or emergency. Kenya has 46 insurance companies and 4,576 registered insurance agents, yet a paltry 3 percent of Kenyans have insurance cover.

Sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years.

Adverse effects of sedentary behaviors on health outcomes are well known, but what are the effects on life expectancy? Investigators used data from five prospective cohort studies and from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to estimate the effect of sitting and television viewing on life expectancy at birth in the U.S. population.

Author Affiliations

• Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and International Health (Human Nutrition), Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Correspondence to Dr. Lawrence J. Appel, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 2024 East Monument Street, Suite 2-645, Baltimore, MD 21205-2223. Phone: 410-955-4156; Fax: 410-955-0476;

In an observational study, glycosylated hemoglobin between 8% and 9% was best.

Experienced clinicians have long recognized that tight glycemic control can be perilous in frail older patients with type 2 diabetes. Now, an observational study addresses that concern. Researchers in San Francisco studied 367 community-dwelling, older patients (mean age, 80) with diabetes who participated in a comprehensive adult day-care program and were unable to live independently.