Study links bad asthma with bad behavior
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Preschoolers with persistent asthma symptoms may be more likely to get into fights with their peers or otherwise have more behavior problems than children with less severe asthma, a study finds.
“These findings suggest a clear need for an early biopsychosocial approach to care for vulnerable children with asthma,” according to study author Dr. Jill S. Halterman, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York, and colleagues.
New Nigerian bird flu cases, panic selling blamed
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Panic selling of birds infected with bird flu has helped spread the H5N1 virus in Nigeria, but compensation could persuade farmers to abide by quarantine rules, a top veterinary expert said on Wednesday.
The deadly H5N1 strain was confirmed last week in four farms in three northern Nigerian states, but there have been suspected outbreaks in at least five other states in Africa’s most populous country.
FDA proposes definition for whole grains
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it has formulated a new definition of whole grain that will make it easier for consumers to follow a healthy diet.
It is the first time the FDA has issued a specific definition for consumers and the food industry of what it considers to be whole grain.
Testosterone ups quality of life in men with AD
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A testosterone gel can improve the quality of life for men with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but it seems to have little effect on cognition, according to the results of a study.
Previous reports have suggested that testosterone levels are lower in men with Alzheimer’s than in their counterparts without the neurologic disorder. Testosterone use has been shown to improve cognition in older men without Alzheimer’s disease and, in animal models, treatment with the male hormone has been linked to reduced formation of beta-amyloid, the protein that forms the plaques that clog the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Calcium + vitamin D doesn’t curb colorectal cancer risk
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In a large study of postmenopausal women, daily supplementation of calcium with vitamin D for 7 years did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, doctors report in The New England Journal of Medicine this week. However, a beneficial effect may be become apparent with longer follow-up, the authors note.
Past studies have linked calcium and vitamin D use with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and, in polyp-prevention trials, this combination seemed to help prevent polyp recurrence. Whether this dietary intervention could actually help prevent colorectal cancer, however, was unclear.
Nerve damage may underlie mystery pain syndrome
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The findings from a new study lend support to the hypothesis that the so-called “complex regional pain syndrome” is a bona fide neurologic disorder caused by persistent nerve injury affecting small fibers that can feel pain.
Complex regional pain syndrome involves post-traumatic limb pain and other disturbances that continue even though the inciting injury seems to have healed. The cause of the symptoms is unknown and because there are few objective findings, diagnosis and treatment is difficult. Some have even questioned whether complex regional pain syndrome has a real biologic basis or is a psychosomatic illness.
Loud music prolongs the effects of taking ecstasy
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Loud music prolongs the effects of taking ecstasy for up to five days.
A study published in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience shows that the reduction in rats’ brain activity induced by 3,4 -Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) lasts long after administration of the drug - up to five days - if loud music is played to them simultaneously. The effects wear off within a day when no music is played.
Rifaximin effective in treating flatulence and irritable bowel syndrome
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In the first study of its kind, researchers discovered that rifaximin, an antibiotic used to treat diarrhea, is an effective treatment for abdominal bloating and flatulence, including in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients.
This research is published in the February issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Some women need more than calcium for bone health
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Calcium and vitamin D may help maintain bone health in healthy postmenopausal women under 65, a large new study shows. But the supplements probably aren’t enough by themselves to prevent falls and fractures in women who have osteoporosis, or face a heightened risk of the bone-thinning disease, the researchers agree.
“This is the foundation for helping to ensure bone health,” Dr. Rebecca D. Jackson of Ohio State University in Columbus, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health.
Nonlatex Condoms Have Higher Breakage Rates, Review Finds
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While nonlatex polyurethane condoms have higher breakage rates than latex condoms, they provide an “acceptable alternative” for persons who cannot or will not use latex condoms, researchers conclude in a review of clinical studies.
“Even though the eZ.on condom did not perform as well as its comparison latex condom in terms of preventing pregnancy, the Avanti and the Standard Tactylon had pregnancy rates similar to their latex comparisons (and) substantial proportions of study participants reported preferences for the nonlatex condoms,” said Maria F. Gallo, Ph.D., lead study author.
Glaucoma eye pressure higher in sleep: study
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Some patients with glaucoma may have greater pressure in their eyes during sleep, meaning that the severity of the disease can go unrecognized during exams that only involve daytime office visits, a study said on Monday.
Higher intraocular pressure, the force within the eyeball, and greater daily fluctuation in pressure may increase the risk that glaucoma will develop or worsen, according to the report in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
WHO urges international action against fake drugs
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The World Health Organization (WHO) appealed on Tuesday for international action against fake and mislabelled medicines, estimated to account for 10 percent of drugs sold worldwide.
In a statement issued ahead of a high-level meeting of regulatory, pharmaceutical industry and consumer representatives in Rome, the United Nations health agency said that a global task force ought to be set up to fight drug counterfeits.
Fit teens less apt to have chronic pain later on
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Good flexibility in the teen years for boys can lower the risk of tension neck in adulthood, while good endurance strength may do the same for girls, Finnish researchers report.
Little is known about how physical fitness in adolescence contributes to the likelihood of common muscle and bone problems later on, such as lower back pain and knee injuries, Dr. Lasse O. Mikkelsson of the Pajulahti Sports Centre in Nastola and colleagues note.
UK cancer sufferer to appeal in Herceptin case
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A British woman with early-stage breast cancer lost a test case legal bid on Wednesday to force her health authority to pay for the potentially life-saving drug Herceptin, but vowed on Wednesday to continue her battle.
High Court judge Justice Bean ruled that Swindon Primary Care Trust in Wiltshire, which had refused Ann Marie Rogers, 54, the costly drug treatment, need not pay for Herceptin, made by Switzerland’s Roche.
New Compound May Protect Against Liver Cancer
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Researchers have identified a new compound called CDDO-Im that protects against the development of liver cancer in laboratory animals. The compound appears to stimulate the enzymes that remove toxic substances from the cells, thereby increasing the cells’ resistance to cancer-causing toxins. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute, agencies of the federal National Institutes of Health, provided funding to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for the two-year study.
The compound’s effectiveness at very low doses suggests it may have similar cancer-fighting properties in humans. Researchers believe it may be particularly effective in preventing cancers with a strong inflammatory component, such as liver, colon, prostate and gastric cancers. The compound could eventually play a preventive role in a wide range of other illnesses such as neurodegenerative disease, asthma and emphysema.
