Unknown Bacteria Found in Women With Vaginosis
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Women with bacterial vaginosis appear to play host to about twice as many species of bacteria as previously suspected, reported researchers here.
In addition, 19 of 35 species of bacteria detected in the vaginal fluid of women with bacterial vaginosis appear to be newly identified, reported David N. Fredericks, M.D., and colleagues of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, both in Seattle.
Smokeless tobacco products are not necessarily a safe alternative to smoking
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one-fourth of Americans are smokers. That’s more than 60 million people who are at increased for lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths nationwide.
Despite the risks, many people have trouble kicking this addictive habit. As a result, health officials and doctors are trying to find less harmful alternatives to cigarette smoking. But some products, like smokeless tobacco, may not be effective replacements, according to research presented today during the American Association for Cancer Research’s 4th annual Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Baltimore.
Older Adults Worry About Safety of Prescription Sleep Drugs
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Worries over the safety of prescription sleep drugs may be leading many older adults to self-medicate with such homespun remedies as alcohol or soothing music, according to results of a survey released today.
In all, one in four Americans reported having a sleep problem in the national telephone survey that included 1,003 adults ages 50 or older. The results were statistically adjusted to be nationally representative.
Russia warns of risk of bird flu passing to humans
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The risk of humans becoming infected with the deadly bird flu virus will remain high over coming weeks due to bird migration patterns, Russia’s emergencies ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry said that new outbreaks of the H5N1 virus were possible in November, particularly in southern Russia as wild birds continued to migrate towards milder parts of Europe and the Middle East and into Africa.
Surgery less likely in older bladder cancer patients
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A new population-based study has found that patients 75 years of age or older with invasive bladder cancer are less likely to receive the recommended surgical treatment for the disease.
The findings “suggest in a sense some undertreatment of our older patients,” Dr. Brenda K. Edwards of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, told Reuters Health. However, she noted, the study was unable to gauge the influence of factors such as patient choice, which also could have made surgery less common among older patients.
Britain streamlines fertility treatment checks
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Couples seeking fertility treatment will undergo fewer, fairer and faster checks under new guidelines to see whether they will be suitable parents, Britain’s fertility watchdog said on Thursday.
British law requires all clinics to make an assessment of the welfare of any child born using fertility services before a woman can receive IVF treatment.
Shortness of Breath without Chest Pain Can Signify High Risk Heart Disease
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While most people know that chest pain can signify the presence of heart disease, it is less well known that shortness of breath can also be a serious cardiac symptom.
Now, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found that patients with shortness of breath can have a higher risk of dying from cardiac disease than patients without symptoms, and even than patients with typical cardiac pain.
Roche looking to step up Tamiflu output
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Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG has given assurances it is talking to other firms to raise output of its Tamiflu, seen as the most effective anti-viral drug currently available for bird flu, an EU spokesman said on Thursday.
However Roche Chief Executive Franz Humer and EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou agreed during talks that the process of ensuring that all EU states had sufficient quantities of the treatment was a gradual one, he added.
Diabetic black men have lower amounts of atherosclerosis than diabetic white men
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In a surprising outcome, investigators at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that diabetic black men have dramatically lower amounts of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, than diabetic white men.
Barry I. Freedman, M.D., and colleagues report in the December issue (Volume 48, No. 12) of Diabetologia that African-American men had significantly lower levels of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary (heart) arteries and the carotid arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
When Hearing Is Lost, Surgery May Be Treatment of Choice
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Special education, loss of productivity, and the need for medical treatments associated with hearing loss cost an estimated $30 billion a year, yet hearing loss seems well outside the embrace of mainstream medicine.
For example, when Donna R. Halloran, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, analyzed results of hearing screenings done in pediatricians’ offices she found that 59% of children who failed the hearing test had no further evaluation.
Alcohol may help preserve brain health
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Elderly men and women with a history of mild-to-moderate drinking may experience less mental decline over time than seniors who do not consume alcoholic drinks, study findings suggest. The findings imply that mild-to-moderate alcohol consumption may play a role in helping preserve cognitive function.
“Health professionals have generally paid more attention to alcohol abuse and dependence and their adverse consequences,” said study author Dr. Mary Ganguli, of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Diabetics at higher risk of colon cancer
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A new study confirms that individuals with diabetes are much more likely to develop colon cancer than individuals without diabetes. This makes abiding by colorectal cancer screening guidelines especially important for diabetics.
Investigators reported the study findings this week at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Honolulu.
Drug company proposes FDA check all drug advertising prior to marketing
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Drug company AstraZeneca has proposed that it should be a mandatory requirement for pharmaceutical companies to submit all direct-to-consumer advertising to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review prior to its use.
Apparently the Anglo-Swedish company has made the recommendation in letter submitted to the FDA’s public hearing on consumer-directed promotion of regulated medical products.
New treatments improve lymphoma survival
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New treatments incorporating immunotherapy - strategies that boost the immune system—have significantly improved overall survival of patients with a blood cancer called follicular lymphoma, according to a new report.
Emerging data suggest that for patients with follicular lymphoma “initial treatment choices may matter,” Dr. Richard I. Fisher from University of Rochester in New York told Reuters Health.
School program helps kids control asthma
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Asthmatic children who learn about their condition at school seem to have a better handle on their symptoms, according to a new study.
The study of 26 Canadian elementary schools found that children in schools with an asthma education program were more confident in their ability to manage their symptoms. They also reported a better quality of life than asthmatic children in schools without an education program.
