July 2008
Monthly Archive
Do Antidepressants Make Bones Brittle?
Posted by admin on 12 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Older adults may get a needed mood boost from a prescribed antidepressant, but they’re also at increased risk for bone fractures, a growing number of studies suggest.In one of the latest reports, Leslie Spangler, a researcher at Group Health, a Seattle-based health plan, found that antidepressant use in postmenopausal women, who averaged 64 years of age, was linked to an increased risk of fractures of the spine and other sites. Continue Reading »
Protein Thought to Promote Cancer Does Opposite
Posted by admin on 11 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
A protein that appears to suppress the growth of human cancer cells in lab cultures was, until recently, thought to promote colorectal cancer.Previous animal studies have found that a gene called TCF7L2 is active in about 90 percent of colorectal cancers because of a biochemical malfunction in a gene. Continue Reading »
Thousands of Reactions to Cervical Cancer Vaccine Reported
Posted by admin on 09 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Nearly 8,000 reports of adverse reactions to Merck & Co.’s Gardasil vaccine have been filed with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since June 2006, news reports said Tuesday.
Reaction totals for the vaccine — used to prevent the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) that’s been linked to cervical cancer in girls and women — include 15 reports of death and 10 confirmed deaths, but none of the deaths has been tied to the vaccine, CNN said. Continue Reading »
Secondary Schools Serve Unhealthy Foods
Posted by admin on 08 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
The kinds of foods that students can purchase at their public middle schools or high schools are far less healthy than the food available to children attending elementary schools, a new study suggests.
The researchers based their conclusion on a tally of the number of vending machines installed at 395 schools spread across 129 school districts in 38 states, as well as on a nutritional analysis of the kinds of foods stocked in the machines or offered up a la carte in school cafeterias and snack bars. Continue Reading »
Pediatricians Recommend Cholesterol Drugs for Some Kids
Posted by admin on 07 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
In a further concession to the impact of the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States, a leading group of pediatricians is recommending that kids as young as 8 years old be given cholesterol-lowering drugs in hopes of preventing heart problems later in life.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children as young as 2 years old start having their cholesterol levels screened if they have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. Screening should start no later than 10, the academy said. Continue Reading »
Get Healthy: Your Middle-Aged Heart is Going to Thank You
Posted by admin on 06 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Your diet isn’t all that healthy, and you haven’t been to the gym since who knows when. You can’t shed those pesky 20 extra pounds, but what’s the use, you may ask — after all, you’re well into middle age.
To all that whining, Dr. Dana King would say: “It’s not too late. If you make [healthy] changes now, it has a tremendous impact.” Particularly on your heart. Even in middle age. Continue Reading »
Mom’s Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby’s Dental Health
Posted by admin on 05 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Babies born to women with low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy may be at increased risk for tooth enamel defects and early childhood tooth decay, a Canadian study finds. Continue Reading »
Scientists ID New Genes Tied to Crohn’s Disease
Posted by admin on 01 Jul 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Researchers have identified 21 new genetic regions implicated in Crohn’s disease, bringing to 32 the total number of genes and loci — regions of the genome typically including one or more genes that are known to increase susceptibility to the disease. Continue Reading »