Health News

High family stress can impact a child's immune system

Date: Feb-20-2014
High family stress can lead to the child's immune system being affected, as a research group at the School of Health Sciences at Jönköping University and the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linköping University in Sweden shows in a study being published in the renowned American periodical Journal of Immunology.Our immune system has the task of protecting us against bacteria and viruses. Our bodies are also equipped to handle everyday stress - that is, stress that lasts only briefly.

FDA approves Northera to treat neurogenic orthostatic hypotension

Date: Feb-20-2014
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Northera capsules (droxidopa) for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). NOH is a rare, chronic and often debilitating drop in blood pressure upon standing that is associated with Parkinson's disease, multiple-system atrophy, and pure autonomic failure. Symptoms of NOH include dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, fatigue and fainting when a person stands.

Data shows Prolaris test predicts metastases in prostate cancer from biopsies

Date: Feb-20-2014
Myriad Genetics, Inc. has announced it has published data in the Journal of Urology demonstrating that its Prolaris test accurately predicted, based on biopsy specimens, which men would develop biochemical recurrence (BCR) or metastatic disease following radical prostate surgery. Prolaris is a 46-gene molecular diagnostic test that has been evaluated in more than 5,000 patients across 11 clinical studies."This study represents a great advance in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Reducing the risk of falls by motivating older people to do preventative exercise

Date: Feb-20-2014
Every year, a third of people over 65 living in the UK will experience a fall.This not only causes considerable emotional distress and physical harm, but also costs an already over-stretched health system over £1 billion each year. Simple strength and balance training can effectively help to prevent falls, but Bournemouth University research shows only a minority of older people will carry out these exercises.

Study points out inequalities in prescribing blood pressure meds

Date: Feb-20-2014
Primary care doctors are not quick to prescribe antihypertensive medication to young people even after an average of 20 months of high blood pressure. Young adults who are white, male, not on Medicaid and not frequent clinic visitors are especially less likely to receive medication. These are the results of a study by a research team at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in the United States led by Heather Johnson. It appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.

Healthy lunchbox challenge helps influence healthy eating habits in children

Date: Feb-20-2014
During the school year, 21 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches, yet less than 10% of those children participate in the Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program. This discrepancy places responsibility for food choices during the summer on parents. Previous efforts to improve the healthfulness of foods and beverages provided by parents have resulted in little to no improvement in the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and/or water.

The importance of getting up and moving during work hours

Date: Feb-20-2014
Are you active at your job? If you're like most workers, you probably aren't. And the consequences could be deadly.A team of researchers at the University of Iowa measured physical activity in police, whose jobs are presumably predicated on movement. Yet the group found that police officers burn as much energy on the job as someone sitting while holding a baby or washing dishes."We find that police work is primarily sedentary," explains Sandra Ramey, assistant professor in the UI College of Nursing.

Risk of psychotic symptoms in early adolescence increased by frequent school moves

Date: Feb-20-2014
Researchers at Warwick Medical School have shown that frequently moving schools during childhood can increase the risk of psychotic symptoms in later years.The study, published in American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, found that school mobility during childhood heightens the risk of developing psychotic-like symptoms in early adolescence by up to 60%.Suffering from psychotic-like symptoms at young age is strongly associated with mental health problems in adulthood, including psychotic disorders and suicide.

Sticky nanoparticles developed to fight heart disease

Date: Feb-20-2014
Clemson University researchers have developed nanoparticles that can deliver drugs targeting damaged arteries, a non-invasive method to fight heart disease.Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the standard ways to treat clogged and damaged arteries currently is to implant vascular stents, which hold the vessels open and release such drugs as paclitaxel.

Treating vaginal thrush with a probiotic

Date: Feb-20-2014
Scientists are testing vaginal pessaries containing 'good' probiotic bacteria for the treatment of vaginal thrush. Research published today (19 February) in the Society for Applied Microbiology's Journal of Applied Microbiology shows that this approach is likely to be a viable alternative to using precious antimicrobial drugs.The team, led by Dr M. Cristina Verdenelli at Università di Camerino, Italy, tested five strains of lactobacilli for their antimicrobial potential against the most common type of vaginal infections, Candida.