World / Health & Beauty
Omega-3 fatty acid may stop repeat stroke
03.07.2008 15:01
reuters.com
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA -- the essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid abundant in oily fish -- may help protect stroke patients from suffering a second stroke, a Japanese study shows.
World
Health & Beauty
Study Looks At Risks Associated With Oral Contraceptives For Black Women
03.07.2008 14:16
medicalnewstoday.com
Black women taking low-dose oral contraceptives have a risk of side effects that can lead to heart disease and diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology, Reuters Health reports. For the study,
World
Sexology
North Carolina Mental Health Parity Law Takes Effect
03.07.2008 14:15
medicalnewstoday.com
North Carolina health care insurers must provide the same amount of coverage for certain mental conditions as they do for physical ailments under a state law that took effect on Tuesday, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.
World
Mental Disorders
Many Suncreens Don't Work Or Are Hazardous To Health Says Group
03.07.2008 13:17
medicalnewstoday.com
A non-profit group in the US claims that most sunscreens either don't work or are hazardous to health, but the sunscreen industry rejects the charge. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) said their investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreens showed that 4 out of 5 of them either don't adequately protect against damaging UV radiation or contain potentially hazardous chemicals.
World
Pharmaceutics
People Caught Up In Terrorist Attacks More Resilient Than Previously Thought
03.07.2008 13:17
medicalnewstoday.com
People caught up in terrorist attacks or natural disasters are more resilient, both as individuals and in groups, than previously thought. Far from being passive "victims" they can be highly organised survivors, so much so that they should be involved in drafting mental health guidelines to deal with major disasters.
World
Mental Disorders
Editorials, Opinion Piece Respond To Senate Republican Block Of PEPFAR Reauthorization Legislation
03.07.2008 13:17
medicalnewstoday.com
Several newspapers recently responded to the decision last week by some Senate Republicans to block consideration of legislation that would reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Summaries appear below.
World
HIV/AIDS
Newspapers Examine Developments In Breast Cancer Detection, Surgery
03.07.2008 13:16
medicalnewstoday.com
Two newspapers on Tuesday published articles related to breast cancer detection and surgery. Summaries appear below.~ AP/Washington Post: The AP/Post examined two experimental technologies that aim to improve breast cancer detection among women with dense breasts.
World
Cancer
Fountain of youth? Red wine gives up secrets
03.07.2008 13:01
reuters.com
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A compound in red wine may ward off a variety of medical conditions related to aging, providing heart benefits, stronger bones and preventing eye cataracts, researchers said on Thursday.
World
Health & Beauty
ABC Family Launches 'Cautionary' Television Series That Addresses Teen Pregnancy
03.07.2008 12:15
medicalnewstoday.com
ABC Family on Tuesday premiered a "cautionary" television series that plans to address issues including teenage pregnancy, and abstinence, the New York Times reports. The series was made in collaboration with the
World
Children Diseases
WHO, Stop TB Partnership, UNITAID Announce New TB Test That Quickly Diagnoses MDR-TB
03.07.2008 12:14
medicalnewstoday.com
The World Health Organization, Stop TB Partnership, UNITAID and the
World
HIV/AIDS
India Reduces Rate Of HIV Transmission In Some States, UNAIDS Report Says
03.07.2008 11:15
medicalnewstoday.com
India has managed to reduce the rate of HIV transmission in some states through increased awareness, resources and legislation, according to a report released Monday by India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Reuters reports.
World
HIV/AIDS
Number Of Abortions In Wisconsin Lowest On Record In 2007
03.07.2008 11:14
medicalnewstoday.com
The number of abortions in Wisconsin declined for the fourth year in a row in 2007, marking the lowest recorded number since the state began tracking abortions in 1974, according to a report by the state Department of Health and Family Services, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
World
Gynecology
Indian Generic Drug Company Cipla Receives FDA Approval For U.S. Sale Of Antiretroviral Zidovudine
03.07.2008 10:15
medicalnewstoday.com
Indian generic pharmaceutical company Cipla recently received full FDA approval to sell and market in the U.S. an oral generic version of the antiretroviral drug zidovudine, the Drug Industry Daily reports. Cipla's application for zidovudine was considered under the expedited review provisions of the
World
HIV/AIDS
Coronary arterial calcium scans may predict death risk in elderly
03.07.2008 09:35
b4uindia.com
Assessing the calcium deposits in the heart's arteries can help predict overall death risk in older people, says a new study. Lead researcher Matthew J. Budoff at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre (LA BioMed), said that previous studies had found measuring coronary arterial calcium with computed tomography (CT) heart scans could predict overall death risks in most American adults. The new study shows that extensive examination of coronary arterial scans can also help predict death risk in elderly also. "This study indicates calcium scans can be the best predictor currently available to detect who is likely to suffer a heart attack and who is not," said Dr. Budoff. "Previous studies found coronary arterial calcium scans were effective tools for determining the overall death risk in young adults, diabetics, smokers and those suffering from renal failure. “This study indicates coronary arterial scans are effective in measuring overall death risk in the elderly," he added. A calcium scan looks for calcification – or a hardening of the arteries caused by high blood fats and calcium deposits – in the arteries leading to and from the heart. These calcifications can block blood vessels and cause heart attacks, strokes or other health issues. During the study, the researchers analysed 35,383 adults, aged 40 to 80, in for an average of 5.8 years after having a coronary artery calcium scan. Among these research volunteers, 3,570 were age 70 or older. In total, 838 deaths were recorded, 320 in women and 518 in men. The study found the overall death risk was higher among those with higher coronary arterial calcium scores. "This study provides additional validation of coronary calcium studies," said Dr. Budoff. "Coronary arterial calcium scans can be very useful tools in assessing a patient's overall death risk. With this information, physicians can advise patients on diet, medications, exercise and other lifestyle changes that will help them avoid the risk of heart attack, strokes and other health problems," he added. The new study is published in the July issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
WHO report says sanitation ‘crucial’ for tackling water-borne disease
03.07.2008 09:35
b4uindia.com
A WHO (World Health Organization) report has determined that effective and affordable interventions that provide the global population with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are needed if water-borne diseases are ever to be controlled. According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), the WHO report is entitled ‘Safe Water, Better Health’. The report provides for the first time country-by-country estimates of disease caused by poor water quality, sanitation and hygiene. It finds that children, particularly in developing countries, suffer a disproportionate share of the disease burden caused by unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. The WHO estimates that almost ten per cent of the global disease burden is caused by unsafe water and sanitation and that the economic return of investing in improved access to safe drinking water was ten-fold. The WHO’s findings are similar to a study by researchers from the University of Michigan, who published a paper on the challenges of achieving global sanitation coverage in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. They analyzed barriers to global sanitation coverage such as inadequate investment, water availability, poor or nonexistent policies, governance, poor resources and gender disparities, and looked at the impact on water resources of various sanitation technology choices. The researchers found that water availability was not a huge barrier at a global scale. Appropriate technological innovation is most needed to provide adequate toilets for the world’s population, especially in water-scarce areas. According to Dave Watkins, a researcher at the University of Michigan and one of the authors of the report, while universal safe drinking water and sanitation access seems achievable, their study shows that lack of financial resources is the greatest impediment to sanitation coverage. “Just a fraction of a per cent of wealthy countries’ gross domestic product would be sufficient to meet global funding needs,” he said. “Use of appropriate technology, and local capacity building to ensure project sustainability are also necessary. Missing one or more of these key ingredients can easily lead to failed projects, which discourages investment,” he said. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
English