Sickle cell kids at greater risk of ‘Swine Flu’ complications
Children with sickle cell disease experience more life-threatening complications from the H1N1 swine flu than from seasonal flu, a new study has found. This means that doctors and parents need to be aware that children with sickle cell disease are more likely to need emergency treatment and to be hospitalized, Dr. John Strouse of Johns [...]
Health Care gap may raise rates of colorectal cancer death in Blacks
Unequal health care may explain why black colorectal cancer patients have a much higher death rate than white patients, a new U.S. study suggests. Researchers analyzed national colorectal cancer death rates between 1960 and 2005. During that time, there was a 54 percent reduction in deaths among white women and only a 14 percent reduction [...]
Study suggests link between diet sodas and premature delivery
Could drinking one or more artificially sweetened, carbonated diet sodas a day boost a woman’s odds of premature delivery? A new study from Denmark suggests such a link. The researchers looked at the soft drink habits of nearly 60,000 Danish women enrolled in a national study there from 1996 to 2002. The investigators found a [...]
Some minority groups hit hard by childhood obesity
While some research suggests that the incidence of childhood obesity may be leveling off, a new study finds that for certain racial groups the rates may actually be getting higher. The study, to be published in the September issue of Pediatrics, finds that black, Hispanic and American Indian girls have two to three times higher [...]
Sorting when early memory loss signals big threat
WASHINGTON – Doctors can’t tell if Leif Utoft Bollesen’s mild memory loss will remain an annoyance or worsen, but experimental checks of the Minnesota man’s aging brain may offer clues. About 1 million people a year begin a mental slide called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, with forgetfulness that’s somewhere between healthy aging and Alzheimer’s [...]
Mental health experts ask: Will anyone be normal?
An updated edition of a mental health bible for doctors may include diagnoses for “disorders” such as toddler tantrums and binge eating, experts say, and could mean that soon no-one will be classed as normal. Leading mental health experts gave a briefing on Tuesday to warn that a new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical [...]
Life extending drug may also combat obesity
By Rachael Rettner The compound resveratrol, which is present in red wine and gained fame for its supposed life-extending properties, might also help combat obesity. The results show lemurs, members of the primate family, gained less weight during their seasonal fattening period when they consumed daily resveratrol supplements. The drug also boosted the primates’ metabolism [...]
Race may affect type 2 diabetes screening results
Despite its endorsement last year by the American Diabetes Association as an effective way to diagnose type 2 diabetes, new research out of Singapore suggests that the hemoglobin A1c blood test may not accurately identify the disease among elderly Asians. The American Diabetes Association’s current recommendation is that this particular test — not previously considered [...]
Female Viagra doesn’t improve sexual desire
Austin Times Wire Services After much review and public controversy, the FDA met this week and determined that flibanserin, a new medication that was hoped to be an effective treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, did not significantly improve symptoms of the disorder, and ruled against approving the medication. Female sexual arousal disorder, also known [...]
Childhood obesity linked to family violence
The young children of moms abused by their partners are at increased risk of being obese, a new study from Massachusetts finds. The more often the abuse occurs, the higher the risk that pre-school children, especially girls, will be obese and, as a result, at increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other [...]
