Previous Medical News
2009/03/14
1. Obama to lift stem cell restrictions (Washington, 3/09/09)
Obama will not dictate details about how stem cell research should be overseen but would give the National Institutes of Health 120 days to come up with guidelines. Bush and others argued that it is immoral and unethical to experiment on human embryos because it involves destroying cells that could give rise to human life. But supporters say it is unethical not to advance medical research, especially using embryos from fertility clinics that were destined for destruction anyway.
2. New Test for Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer (The Lancet Oncology, 4/09)
Ovarian cancer is highly treatable when detected early, with a survival rate of 92% at least five years after being diagnosed. But more than two out of three patients are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease, when the five-year survival rate is only 20% to 30%. A blood test to detect elevated levels of the protein CA125 -- combined with ultrasound -- may prove to be an effective screening strategy for ovarian cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages.
3. Drugs Before Stents for Stable Heart Disease (The Lancet, 3/14/09)
Treating people with non-acute heart problems should start with drug therapy, not invasive techniques such as angioplasty or implanting stents, because there is no difference between the two approaches in outcomes.
4. Hot air linked to headaches, but how? (Neurology, 3/09)
Headaches, big and small, are among the most common health complaints. Almost 90 percent of women and about 70 percent of men get tension headaches. Higher temperatures and, to a lesser extent, low air pressure, influence severe headaches. But researchers aren't sure how temperature influences headaches.
5. Second-Generation Female Condom Approved: FC2 Female Condom (FDA, 3/11/09)
The Female Health Co.'s FC2 Female Condom has been approved by the FDA. The product helps protect women against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
6. Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics (European Heart Journal, 3/12/09)
In people with diabetes, there's a strong association between abnormal heart rhythm, or atrial fibrillation, and increased risk of other heart-related problems and death.
7. Discussing end-of-life care lowers cost (Archives of Internal Medicine, 3/09)
Terminally ill patients who talk over end-of-life treatments with their doctors spend less money and do not die any sooner but die more peacefully than those receiving aggressive care.
8. Vitamin C wards off gout in men (Archives of Internal Medicine, 3/09)
Men with a higher intake of vitamin C from food or supplements have a lower risk of developing gout, a form of arthritis from uric acid build-up that causes inflamed joints.
9. Mental decline faster for fatter men, not women (Archives of Neurology, 3/09)
Men in their 70s who are carrying more fat on their frames have a sharper decline in mental function over time than their slimmer peers.
10. Too little sleep may raise diabetes risk (Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, 3/12/09)
People who get fewer than six hours of sleep at night are prone to abnormal blood sugar levels, possibly putting them at risk for diabetes.
11. Traffic Triples Heart Attack Risk (American Heart Association meeting, 3/13/09)
Whether you drive, take the bus, or bicycle, being in heavy traffic triples your risk of heart attack within one hour. Air pollution from car fumes is the likely culprit.
12. 'Male Lumpectomy' for Prostate Cancer (Society of Interventional Radiology, 3/10/09)
A new procedure for prostate cancer that destroys only the part of the gland that is cancerous results in fewer side effects than surgery or radiation therapy, a new study finds. The so-called "male lumpectomy" is a minimally invasive procedure that freezes part of the prostate. The study suggests that it might prove especially beneficial for men who have local prostate cancer or those for whom radiation has not worked.
13. Red and white wine both raise breast cancer risk (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 3/09)
Both red and white wine are "equal offenders" when it comes to increasing the risk of breast cancer.
14. Insomnia often persists (Archives of Internal Medicine, 3/09)
Insomnia is often a chronic problem and does not necessarily remit by itself. Treatment for insomnia does not necessarily need to involve medications; it may simply require behavioral recommendations about sleep schedules and better sleep hygiene.
15. Broccoli sprouts may soothe airway inflammation (Clinical Immunology, 3/09)
People with nasal allergies or asthma may want to add broccoli sprouts to their diets. An oral preparation made from broccoli sprouts trigger an increase in inflammation-fighting enzymes in the upper airways. The credit appears to go to a compound called sulforaphane, which is found naturally in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. Sulforaphane triggers an increase in antioxidant enzymes that help counter cell damage and inflammation brought on by oxidative stress -- from sources like air pollution and environmental allergens.
16. Neck Size Linked to Heart Risk: Neck Fat Increases Risk of Heart Disease (American Heart Association, 3/11/09)
As your collar size grows, so does your risk of heart disease. Neck fat adds to your risk of heart disease, over and above the known heart risk from belly fat.
17. Preemie Delivery Tied to Later Heart Woes for Women (American Heart Association meeting, 3/13/09)
The things that affect a woman's reproductive health can also have an effect on her heart. Giving birth prematurely or delivering a small-for-gestational-age baby are both associated with a later risk of cardiovascular disease in the mother.
18. Heart Disease Tied to Depression, Anger
Doctors have long known that depression is common after a heart attack or stroke, and worsens those people's outcomes. New evidence indicates that depression can lead to heart disease in the first place.
19. Studies link heart, diabetes risks with dementia (Archives of Neurology, 3/09)
Taking steps to stave off diabetes and heart disease may improve a person's chances of staying mentally sharp later in life.
20. Folic Acid Supplements Raise Prostate Cancer Risk (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 3/10/09)
Men who take folic acid supplements face more than twice the risk of prostate cancer as those who don’t take the supplements. But the incidence of prostate cancer in the study was slightly lower in men who simply got adequate amounts of folate in their diet.
21. Migraines in pregnancy linked to stroke risk (British Medical Journal, 3/09)
Migraines in pregnancy could be a clue that a woman is at risk of a stroke, heart disease and blood clots.
22. Genes May Decide Which Smokers Get Lung Disease (Respiratory Research, 3/09)
Genes may be the reason why one-quarter of smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while the rest aren't afflicted with the serious breathing problem. Scientists studied a gene called ADAM33 in 880 long-term heavy smokers with and without COPD. Previous research has linked ADAM33, which is located on chromosome 20, with asthma.
23. Low Vitamin D Hurts Teens' Hearts (American Heart Association, 3/11/09)
Low vitamin D levels greatly increase a teenager’s risk of diabetes and heart disease:
- Fourfold greater risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors for diabetes
- 2.54 times greater risk of high blood sugar
- 2.36 times greater risk of high blood pressure
24. FDA Warns Consumers About Potentially Contaminated Cheese: Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese and Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese. (FDA, 3/09/09)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese (two specific lots) or any Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese manufactured and distributed by Peregrina Cheese Corp. of New York City. These products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
