USA - health news articles
Red wine may ward off effects of age on heart, bones, eyes and musclesLarge doses of a red wine ingredient can ward off many of the vagaries of aging in mice who begin taking it at midlife, according to a new report published online on July 3rd in Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication. Those health improvements of the chemical known as resveratrol-including cardiovascular benefits, greater motor coordination, reduced cataracts and better bone density-come without necessarily extending the animals' lifespan.
US Food Protection Plan shows significant progressThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Protection Plan Progress Report in conjunction with the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety Action Plan Update, shows significant areas of activity to further improve the safety of America's food supply since unveiling its Food Protection Plan in November 2007.
Rheumatoid arthritis risk higher in people with high birth weightPeople who have a birth weight over 10 pounds are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis when they are adults compared to individuals born with an average birth weight, according to a study published by researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery online in advance of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
RFID may pose hazards to medical equipmentsThe use of radio frequency identification devices RFID appears to have the potential to cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction. Electromagnetic interference from these identification devices pose hazards to critical care medical equipments in hospitals and nursing homes.
Hearing loss common in diabetes patientsHearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Malarial parasite plasmodium vivax more seriousPlasmodium vivax can cause severe malaria associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, show two studies published in PLoS Medicine this week. These findings challenge the current dogma that P. falciparum can be severe and life-threatening whereas Plasmodium vivax tends to be mild, according to the related commentary by Stephen Rogerson (University of Melbourne, Australia), an expert not connected with these studies.
Elderly are more socially satisfiedThe elderly are better at having fun and socially satisfied, according to a new study which shows they are as happy as young people despite spending more time alone each day.
Reduce weight with high carb and protein breakfastResearchers revealed a possible way to overcome the common problem of dieters eventually abandoning their diet and regaining the weight they lost. Eat a big breakfast packed with carbohydrates ("carbs") and protein, then follow a low-carb, low-calorie diet the rest of the day.
Bapineuzumab promising in treating Alzheimer's diseaseElan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) and Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) announced encouraging preliminary findings from a Phase 2 study of bapineuzumab (AAB-001) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. In the 18-month trial, bapineuzumab appeared to have clinical activity in treating Alzheimer's disease.
Depression risk high in treated diabetes patientsPersons with treated type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for developing depression, while a more modest association was found between persons with depression and the risk of diabetes, revealed by researchers.
Traffic pollution raises childhood allergiesTraffic pollution may increase risk of allergies in children. In a German study, researchers have confirmed that they found a link between traffic pollution and childhood allergies.
Travelers' diarrhea vaccine skin patch for travelersResearchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health have found that patients given a travelers' diarrhea vaccine were significantly less likely to suffer from clinically significant diarrhea than those who received placebo, according to a study published in this week's edition of The Lancet.
PVC vinyl shower curtains toxic to healthShower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic contain many harmful chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and organotins; these PVC shower curtains are potentially toxic to the health of consumers, revealed by a recent study.
Avoid raw red tomatoes in New Mexico, TexasThe Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers in New Mexico and Texas that a salmonellosis outbreak appears to be linked to consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes.
Cannabis use exerts harmful effects on brain tissueLong-term, heavy cannabis use may be associated with structural abnormalities in areas of the brain known as the hippocampus and amygdala, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Antibacterial wipes may spread bacteriaAntimicrobial-containing wipes currently used to decontaminate surfaces in hospitals can spread pathogens after first use, revealed by researchers at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, Wales, UK.
New therapy promising for melanoma skin cancerThe combination of two different biotherapies (interferon alfa-2b and tremelimumab) may be beneficial for patients with inoperable melanoma, revealed by researchers in US.
Childhood lead exposure is a risk factor for criminal behaviorLead exposure during childhood is associated with adult criminal behaviour, including violent crime, revealed by researchers in this week's PLoS Medicine. Childhood lead exposure is a purported risk factor for antisocial behavior, but prior studies either relied on indirect measures of exposure or did not follow participants into adulthood to examine the relationship between lead exposure and criminal activity in young adults.
Persistent HPV infection raises cervical cancer riskPersistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) could be a useful clinical marker for increased risk of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide, revealed by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Anti-smoking medicine Chantix banned for pilotsUS Federal Aviation Administration ordered pilots and air traffic controllers to stop taking anti-smoking medicine Chantix immediately, as a new study reported that the anti-smoking medicine Chantix might lead to some health problems in its users and finally may lead safety problems during flight.
High blood pressure patients advised to use home monitorsPeople with hypertension should routinely monitor their blood pressure at home to help manage the disease, according to a new joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses' Association.
First-born babies' have higher asthma and allergy ratesFirst-born children are at higher risk of developing asthma and allergy because of different conditions they experience in the uterus, revealed by researchers.
Decision to quit smoking appears to be contagiousThe decision to quit smoking appears to be taken up almost communally, with whole clusters of spouses, friends, siblings and co-workers giving up the habit at about the same time, revealed by researchers.
Sleep deprivation affects visual abilityResearchers have found that a sleep-deprived brain can normally process simple visuals, like flashing checkerboards. But the ‘higher visual areas' – those that are responsible for making sense of what we see – didn't function well.
Breast cancer spread stopped by bone drugResearchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that women treated for stage II/III breast cancer who also received a bone strengthening drug zoledronic acid were less likely to have breast tumor cells growing in their bones after three months.
Breastfeeding improves children's intelligenceLong-term, exclusive breastfeeding appears to improve children's cognitive development, revealed by researchers. It is already known that children and adults who were breastfed as infants have higher scores on IQ tests and other measures of cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) development than those who were fed formula.
OPAL Therapy cost-effective method of treating HIVAustralian researchers have unveiled a new immunotherapy technique to help prevent the progression from HIV infection to AIDS. Details of the simple, cost-effective technique are published May 2nd in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens.
Mothers less likely to vaccinate daughters against HPVU.S. mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus (HPV), even though the vaccine is recommended for girls at age 11 and 12, it's incumbent upon the healthcare community to work to improve mom's acceptance of the vaccination for younger daughters, say researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the study.
Women more likely to ignore heart attack warningsMany women under age 55 aren't seeking timely treatment for heart attack because they expect the warning signs and their reaction to follow a Hollywood script - tightening in the chest, shortness of breath, clutching the chest while dropping to one knee.
Role of Omega-3 unclear for bipolar disorderDespite intriguing findings that omega-3 fatty acid supplements could alleviate depression symptoms, there is still not enough evidence to say whether omega-3s are useful treatments for people with bipolar disorder, according to a review of recent studies.
Health news world