Health News

Early warning system for epidemics

Date: Feb-24-2014
The environment has an impact on our health. Preventing epidemics relies on activating the right counter-measures, and scientists are now trying to find out how better use of forecasting can help. The EU's EO2HEAVEN project developed a risk map for correlating environmental and health data in order to identify where a disease may break out next. The concept will be on show at Booth E40 in Hall 9 of the CeBIT trade fair in Hannover.Cholera has been all but eradicated in Europe, but this bacterial, primarily waterborne disease still claims thousands of lives in Africa every year.

CEOi and Academy launch development of Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP)

Date: Feb-24-2014
The Global CEO Initiative (CEOi) on Alzheimer's Disease and the New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) today (February 20th) convened representatives from industry, academia, government and nonprofits to launch the development of a Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP), designed to reduce the time and costs of Alzheimer's clinical trials, develop an infrastructure that promotes innovation, and assure international collaboration."Alzheimer's is a global epidemic that must be addressed with urgency and passion.

Vitamin D and calcium disparities found among American subpopulations

Date: Feb-24-2014
Many Americans do not meet recommended intakes of calcium and vitamin D, despite the important role these vital nutrients play in bone health during all stages of the lifecycle. Researchers set out to determine calcium and vitamin D intakes among specific subpopulations of Americans in order to identify those most in need of fortification/enrichment and supplementation. Their findings are now available in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the Official Publication of the American College of Nutrition and a publication from Routledge.

Robot 'REX' helping wheelchair patients walk

Date: Feb-24-2014
A world first wearable robot known as REX that helps wheelchair users stand and walk will be available in Australia within three months. The forty kilogram device known as REX comprises more than 8000 components and 29 custom onboard computers. It allows users to stand, walk on flat surfaces and turn in any direction. Unlike any other exoskeleton, REX does not require crutches or a walking frame, leaving the hands free to do other things and eliminating the risk of shoulder injury. The robot is simple and easy to use, with users manoeuvering it via a user friendly keypad and joystick.

New breakthrough for women with advanced cervical cancer, Avastin (bevacizumab) can extend lives

Date: Feb-24-2014
New data showing cancer treatment Avastin® (bevacizumab) can extend the lives of women with advanced cervical cancer compared to chemotherapy alone has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the last decade the incidence of cervical cancer has risen by approximately 15% in the UK with 2,900 women diagnosed in 2010.2 Until now there have been limited clinical advances with patients only having a choice of traditional chemotherapies.

Seasonal flu vaccine may cut stroke risk

Date: Feb-24-2014
Having the seasonal flu jab could reduce the risk of suffering a stroke by almost a quarter, researchers have found.Academics from the University of Lincoln and The University of Nottingham in the UK discovered that patients who had been vaccinated against influenza were 24% less likely to suffer a stroke in the same flu season.Their findings are reported in the scientific journal Vaccine.In 2010, the same research team showed a similar link between flu vaccination and reduced risk of heart attack.

When feeling poor makes you sick - Subjective poverty massively affects older people's health

Date: Feb-24-2014
Being objectively low income leads to poor health and a shorter life. This much we already knew. But poverty can also be a matter of subjectively feeling poor. WZB economist Maja Adena and her colleague Michal Myck (DIW Berlin and the Center for Economic Analysis, CenEA, Szczecin) have substantiated how the subjective assessment of being poor affects the health of the 50+ age group. A study of Germany and 11 other European countries shows that older people who assess themselves as poor get sick more often (38 per cent) andsuffer more from health setbacks (48 per cent) than those who do not.

Dyspnea during daily activities predicts all-cause mortality

Date: Feb-24-2014
Dyspnea, a sensation of breathlessness, during light daily activities can be used as an indicator of exercise intolerance and low fitness. According to a study on Finnish twins, persistent or developing dyspnea reveals an increased risk of death.The prospective cohort study on Finnish twins revealed that all-cause mortality increased along the degree of dyspnea during the 28-year follow-up. In the study, twin individuals with persistent dyspnea (dyspnea noticed in 1975 and 1981) and dyspnea developers (dyspnea noticed in 1981) had an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.

Researchers look for culprit behind oral health problems in HIV-positive patients

Date: Feb-24-2014
Researchers want to help HIV-positive patients live better by understanding why their essentially dormant infection is still wreaking havoc in their mouth. Even with meticulous dental hygiene, tooth decay and gum disease, as well as infections by yeast, bacteria, and viruses such as human papillomavirus, continue to plague many patients, said Dr. Josѐ A.Vazquez, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

Culturally-tailored education about nicotine replacement therapy needed, study says

Date: Feb-24-2014
Population-based studies have reported high rates of smoking prevalence among Chinese and Vietnamese American men. Although nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is effective, recommended, and accessible without prescription, these populations underuse NRT for smoking cessation. The aim of this study was to assess understanding and use of NRT and nonpharmacologic treatments among Chinese and Vietnamese American male smokers and their families.In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 smoker-family pairs, followed by individual interviews with each participant.