Health News

Study shows being an elite male athlete protects against type 2 diabetes in later life

Date: Nov-16-2013
A study of almost 400 former elite male athletes shows that former status as an elite athlete reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life by 28%. The research appears in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), and is by Dr Merja Laine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues.The study of Finnish male athletes follows-up on work that began in 1985, when a questionnaire was sent to 1,518 former athletes and 1,010 controls, and further questionnaires were sent out in1995 and 2001.

Cognitive function improved by intranasal insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes

Date: Nov-16-2013
In recent years, the link between type 2 diabetes and dementia has become widely recognized. Older individuals with diabetes develop Alzheimer's disease at an earlier age, and are more likely to develop vascular dementia than people who do not have diabetes.Now, a small proof-of-concept study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) offers promise of a new treatment for this widespread problem.

Brain processes visual info not shared with conscious perception

Date: Nov-15-2013
As children, many of us encountered optical illusions, such as Rubin's Vase, which could be perceived as either two faces or a vase. Using this concept, a new study published in the journal Psychological Science demonstrates that our brains process visual input that we may never perceive consciously.The study, led by doctoral degree candidate Jay Sanguinetti at the University of Arizona (UA), challenges widely accepted ideas about how the brain processes visual data.

'Antibiotic resistance breaker' set for phase III trials

Date: Nov-15-2013
Scientists have announced what they say is a "major breakthrough" in the fight against antibiotic resistance, after a new compound combined with an existing antibiotic has proven successful in phase II trials.Antibiotic resistance is defined as an infection that does not respond to a particular drug, as a result of bacteria changes that make the infection immune to the drug.Scientists say a compound called HT61 has proven successful in phase II trials at boosting the effectiveness of old antibiotics against drug resistance.Drug-resistant bacteria is a global concern.

Malaria drug as effective in low doses

Date: Nov-15-2013
A new study finds that lower doses of the drug primaquine are as effective at preventing transmission of malaria as standard doses.Primaquine targets the transmission stages of the malaria parasite, the gametocytes, and is considered an important tool for malaria elimination.The new study, led by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the UK, is published in the latest online issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Caffeine can disrupt sleep hours later

Date: Nov-15-2013
Drinking coffee might be a nice way to round off the evening meal or perk you up in the late afternoon, but it may well disrupt your sleep hours later when you retire for the night, according to a new study reported this week.Writing in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the researchers say this is the first study to look at the effects of a given dose of caffeine taken at different times before a night's sleep.

World Pneumonia Day, innovations will save lives

Date: Nov-15-2013
Pneumonia is the leading killer of children in in the world, accounting for nearly 1.4 million deaths of children under the age of five each year. Low-income countries share the bulk of this burden. "If we are to save more of these lives, it is critical that pneumonia is rapidly and accurately diagnosed so that it can be correctly treated," said Charles Nelson, Malaria Consortium's Chief Executive. "Innovating to improve diagnosis could be the key to reducing the number of young lives lost to this disease.

Five inspirational organisations from Malawi, Mali, Kenya, Bangladesh and Colombia recognised by GSK and Save the Children

Date: Nov-15-2013
A simple low-cost device that helps newborn babies to breathe and has the potential to transform the life chances for thousands of African babies has been awarded the highest fund in the first GSK and Save the Children $1million Healthcare Innovation Award. The life-saving kit, called a 'bubble' Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or 'bCPAP', is used to help babies in respiratory distress, which is often caused by acute respiratory infections like pneumonia.

Sexual health a key to patient wellbeing: Innovative framework for gynaecological cancer professionals

Date: Nov-15-2013
Adelaide: Health professionals should be better equipped to address the psychosexual needs of gynaecological cancer patients, according to research to be presented at an international cancer conference on 14th November. Professor Patsy Yates, head of Queensland University of Technology's school of nursing, will discuss a ground-breaking framework for managing psychosexual care needs at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia's (COSA's) Annual Scientific Meeting.

Clues to cocaine's toxicity could lead to better tests for its detection in biofluids

Date: Nov-15-2013
A new study on cocaine, the notorious white powder illegally snorted, injected or smoked by nearly 2 million Americans, details how it may permanently damage proteins in the body. That information, gleaned from laboratory tests, could be used to potentially detect the drug in biofluids for weeks or months - instead of days - after use, say scientists. The findings, which appear in the ACS journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, could also help explain cocaine's long-term health effects.Anthony P.