Health News

Good risk communication, safer food

Date: Feb-12-2014
Food scares make authorities uneasy. In previous cases, national food safety agencies have not always known how to react, making the public wary. For example, in 2011, the German health authorities incorrectly linked the deadly E. coli outbreak to cucumbers from Spanish greenhouses. The ensuing panic saw consumers across Europe shun fruit and vegetables. This caused EU farmers to lose millions of euro in revenue per week as produce rotted in their fields and warehouses.

FDA warns against using Uncle Ben's 5- and 25-pound bags of Infused Rice

Date: Feb-12-2014
Mars Foodservices recalls all lot numbers of Infused Rice linked to recent illness in Texas. Fast FactsGovernment officials are investigating a cluster of illnesses associated with Uncle Ben's Infused Rice Mexican Flavor sold in 5- and 25-pound bags.Out of an abundance of caution, the FDA is warning food service companies and consumers not to use any Uncle Ben's Infused Rice products sold in 5- and 25-pound bags.These products are sold to food service companies that typically distribute to restaurants, schools, hospitals and other commercial establishments.

Manga comics may help promote fruit consumption among youth - according to a new study in the journal of nutrition education and behavior

Date: Feb-12-2014
A recent pilot study in Brooklyn, New York, with minority students found that exposure to Manga comics (Japanese comic art) promoting fruit intake significantly improved healthy snack selection. As snacking accounts for up to 27% of children's daily caloric intake, and childhood obesity has been linked to inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, the results of this study could have wide-reaching implications."Manga comics could be used to promote healthier behaviors and beliefs related to fruit consumption in at-risk youth.

Better RNA interference, inspired by nature

Date: Feb-12-2014
Inspired by tiny particles that carry cholesterol through the body, MIT chemical engineers have designed nanoparticles that can deliver snippets of genetic material that turn off disease-causing genes.This approach, known as RNA interference (RNAi), holds great promise for treating cancer and other diseases. However, delivering enough RNA to treat the diseased tissue, while avoiding side effects in the rest of the body, has proven difficult.

Alivecor receives FDA over-the-counter clearance for its heart monitor

Date: Feb-12-2014
AliveCor, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the company over-the-counter (OTC) clearance for the AliveCor™ Heart Monitor, a single-channel ECG (electrocardiogram) recorder, previously available by prescription only. The device is available now for pre-order purchase with shipments beginning in March.The AliveCor Heart Monitor provides people with suspected or diagnosed heart conditions, and those at risk of heart conditions, the ability to track their heart health anytime, anywhere, at an affordable cost.

Young arthritis sufferers choose treatments that 'make life normal'

Date: Feb-12-2014
New research suggests that young arthritis sufferers make treatment decisions based on how the treatment will affect their appearance, their social life and their physical and mental well-being. The research, which will be presented at the British Society for Rheumatology's conference Rheumatology 2014, suggests that young people are concerned about whether treatments could threaten their day-to-day life.

EHR-based screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysms cuts the number of unscreened at-risk men by more than half

Date: Feb-12-2014
A screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysms, integrated into an electronic health record, dramatically reduced the number of unscreened at-risk men by more than 50 percent within 15 months, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a balloon- like bulge in the aorta, which - if ruptured - can result in death. It is estimated that more than one million Americans are living with undiagnosed AAA, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery.Since 2005, the U.S.

UK needs to tackle high cost of mental-ill health, says OECD

Date: Feb-12-2014
Mental health issues cost the UK around GBP 70 billion every year, or roughly 4.5% of GDP, in lost productivity at work, benefit payments and health care expenditure. Better policies and practices by employers and the health system are needed to help people deal with mental health issues and get back to work, according to a new OECD report.

'Double mastectomy better' for women with BRCA gene mutation

Date: Feb-12-2014
Women with early-stage breast cancer who have a mutation in the BRCA gene are much less likely to die from the disease if they have a double mastectomy, compared with women who have the mutation and only have one breast removed. This is according to a study published in the BMJ.The research team, including Prof. Steven Narod of the Women's College Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, says the findings suggest that clinicians should discuss double mastectomies as a treatment option for young women with a BRCA mutation who are in the early stages of breast cancer.

Ruling on life support by Supreme Court of Canada has wider impact: Hassan Rasouli case

Date: Feb-12-2014
In the debate over whether to withdraw life support for patients who have no hope of recovery, the recent judgment by the Supreme Court of Canada on the Hassan Rasouli case in Ontario has broader implications for health care in the country, argue authors in a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).