Health News

Autoimmune Disease Rates Increasing

Date: Jun-22-2012
According to a new study the prevalence and incidence of autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes, is on the rise and researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are unsure why. Between 2001 and 2009, the incidence of type 1 diabetes increased by 23%, according to The American Diabetes Association. Finland also showed a similar increase...

Mother To Child HIV Transmission Blocked By Drug Combo

Date: Jun-22-2012
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have found that a two- or three-drug combination can reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission by around 50%. At present, zidovudine (AZT) is routinely given shortly after birth to non-breastfed babies born to HIV-positive mothers who didn't receive antiretrovial therapy (ART) during pregnancy in order to prevent HIV transmission. Although AZT is effective on it's own, infants can still contract HIV during labor and delivery...

Does Social Class Discrimination Affect Teenage Health?

Date: Jun-22-2012
Social class discrimination can contribute to poorer health in teens, say researchers. The study, conducted by Dr. Thomas Fuller-Rowell, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is published online in Psychological Science. Although earlier studies have found an association between poor health and poverty, this is the one of the first studies to examine the health impacts of class discrimination. The researchers examined 252 teenagers, all 17 years old from upstate New York who were enrolled in the Cornell University study of rural poverty...

EMA Investigating Deficiencies In Roche Safety Reporting

Date: Jun-22-2012
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said today that it is taking action to investigate safety deficiencies that may be present in Roche's reporting system. The EMA said that it will be working with local and national medicines authorities in the EU to assess possible impacts on patients, as well as looking at whether the deficiencies have had an impact on the overall risk-benefit profile of any products involved in the investigation...

The Danger Of Magnets In The Home

Date: Jun-22-2012
Magnetic toys are growing in popularity, but so is the accidental ingestion of magnetic elements among children. In a letter published in The Lancet, Doctors highlight the dangers of swallowing magnets and advise parents to take extra care that their children do not accidentally ingest them. In the letter, Dr Anil Thomas George and Dr Sandeep Motiwale of Queen's Medical Center, part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK, report two separate cases in the last 18 months of children needing surgery in order to remove swallowed magnets...

International Conference Highlights Versatility Of Zebrafish Research

Date: Jun-22-2012
It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease. The variety of presentations at the 2012 International Zebrafish Development and Genetics Conference, held June 20-24 in Madison, Wisconsin, showcase the breadth of research possible with the zebrafish...

Apple Peel Compound Protects Mice From Obesity

Date: Jun-22-2012
A new study in mice finds that ursolic acid, a compound naturally present in apple peel, partially protected the animals against obesity and some of its harmful effects such as pre-diabetes and fatty liver disease.  Lead researcher Christopher Adams, of the University of Iowa (UI) in the United States, and colleagues, said although they found ursolic acid increased skeletal muscle and brown fat in the mice, which in turn led to increased calorie burning, they didn't investigate the underlying biology, and so can't say if the same would happen in humans...

Treating Urinary Tract Infections Without Antibiotics

Date: Jun-22-2012
A potential new approach for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) - which affect millions of people annually - without traditional antibiotics is being reported in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. It involves so-called FimH antagonists, which are non-antibiotic compounds and would not contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance bacteria. Beat Ernst and colleagues explain that antibiotics are the mainstay treatment for UTIs...

Informed Consent For Newborn Screening?

Date: Jun-22-2012
Parents must be considered when states decide to expand genetic screening programs for newborns, according to a new study that looked at mandatory testing panels and political pressure by advocacy groups. Nearly all infants in the United States undergo a heel prick within days of birth for a simple blood test to detect rare genetic disorders. For decades, state-based mandatory newborn screening programs have focused on disorders such as phenylketonuria (PKU) or hypothyroidism in which a prompt diagnosis and treatment could prevent disability or even death...

Targeting Androgens In Prostate Cancer

Date: Jun-22-2012
Prostate cancer cells require androgens including testosterone to grow. A recent review in the British Journal of Urology International describes new classes of drugs that target androgens in novel ways, providing alternatives to the traditional methods that frequently carry high side effects. "In many ways, therapies for prostate cancer have led the way in the fight against the disease," says E. David Crawford, MD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and review co-author. "The first effective oral therapy for any cancer was estrogen which was described in 1941...