Health News

More Gluten In New Wheat Probably Not Responsible For Increase In Celiac Disease

Date: Feb-09-2013
No clear evidence exists to support the idea that celiac disease is increasing in prevalence because farmers are growing strains of wheat that contain more gluten. That's the conclusion of an article in the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Donald D. Kasarda cites evidence that the incidence of celiac disease increased during the second half of the 20th century. Some estimates indicate that the disease is 4 times more common today...

Lymphoma Cells Selectively Destroyed By Experimental Drug Combination

Date: Feb-09-2013
Laboratory experiments conducted by scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center suggest that a novel combination of the drugs ibrutinib and bortezomib could potentially be an effective new therapy for several forms of blood cancer, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). The study, published in the British Journal of Hematology, showed that the experimental drug combination killed cancer cells through a form of cell suicide known as apoptosis, but was relatively non-toxic to normal, healthy cells...

Mobile Phone That Can Detect Mercury Contamination In Water

Date: Feb-09-2013
Chemists at the University of Burgos (Spain) have manufactured a sheet that changes colour in the presence of water contaminated with mercury. The results can be seen with the naked eye but when photographing the membrane with a mobile phone the concentration of this extremely toxic metal can be quantified. Mercury contamination is a problem that is particularly affecting developing countries. It poses a risk to public health since it accumulates in the brain and the kidneys causing long term neurological illnesses...

First-Ever Study Shows Impact Of Abusive Supervisor Extends To Victim's Co-Workers

Date: Feb-09-2013
Abusive bosses who target employees with ridicule, public criticism, and the silent treatment not only have a detrimental effect on the employees they bully, but they negatively impact the work environment for the co-workers of those employees who suffer from "second-hand" or vicarious abusive supervision, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire...

Possible Link Between Obesity And Gum Disease

Date: Feb-09-2013
Impacting approximately one-third of the U.S. population, obesity is a significant health concern for Americans. It's a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain forms of cancer, and now, according to an article published in the January/February 2013 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), it also may be a risk factor for gum disease. "We know that being overweight can affect many aspects of a person's health," says Charlene Krejci, DDS, MSD, lead author of the article...

DNA Diagnosis Performed By Genetic Device

Date: Feb-09-2013
Scientists hope that one day in the distant future, miniature, medically-savvy computers will roam our bodies, detecting early-stage diseases and treating them on the spot by releasing a suitable drug, without any outside help. To make this vision a reality, computers must be sufficiently small to fit into body cells. Moreover, they must be able to "talk" to various cellular systems. These challenges can be best addressed by creating computers based on biological molecules such as DNA or proteins...

New Measles Cases Highest In 18 Years, England

Date: Feb-09-2013
New cases of measles have reached their highest level in 18 years in the England and Wales, many of them young adults and teenagers who were not immunized after the fraudulent 1998 MMR scare. Health authorities say that many young people and children have had to be taken to hospital. According to the HPA (Health Protection Agency), there were 2,016 confirmed cases in England and Wales last year, the highest total for one year since 1994. In 2012, there were prolonged outbreaks in Merseyside and Sussex, as well as several minor outbreaks among travelling communities across the country...

EMA Begins Safety Review Of Acne Drug Diane 35

Date: Feb-09-2013
A safety review of the acne drug Diane 35 (cyproterone acetate 2 mg, ethinylestradiol 35µg) and its generics has officially begun. The review was started by The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) at its meeting February 4-7 2013. The French medicines regulatory agency (ANSM) requested this Europe-wide review, after stating that they would suspend the permission to advertise Diane 35 and its generics for the treatment of acne in France over the next 3 months...

Roughly 25 Percent Of ACL Tears From Recreational Ski Injuries Heal By Themselves

Date: Feb-09-2013
Roughly a quarter of recreational skiers who tear their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while hitting the slopes can be successfully treated without surgery, according to a new study. The study, conducted by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, appears online ahead of print in the journal Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy. "Some patients who tear their ACL while skiing can get away without surgery. Their ligament heals by itself, they will have stable knees, and they will be able to do whatever they want, including skiing," said Robert Marx, M.D...

Stress Hits Young American Adults Badly

Date: Feb-08-2013
Young adults in the USA find it particularly hard to manage their stress and get the health care that meets their needs, says a new American Psychological Association survey "Stress in America: Missing the Health Care Connection". The survey found that adults aged from 18 to 33 years, also known as "Millennials", have an average stress level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale, compared to the national average of 4.9. In fact, the survey found that a significant proportion of Americans feel there is a gap between what they want from their health care system and what it actually delivers...