Study links bad asthma with bad behavior
Preschoolers with persistent asthma symptoms may be more likely to get into fights with their peers or otherwise have more behavior problems than children with less severe asthma, a study finds.
“These findings suggest a clear need for an early biopsychosocial approach to care for vulnerable children with asthma,” according to study author Dr. Jill S. Halterman, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York, and colleagues.
New Nigerian bird flu cases, panic selling blamed
Panic selling of birds infected with bird flu has helped spread the H5N1 virus in Nigeria, but compensation could persuade farmers to abide by quarantine rules, a top veterinary expert said on Wednesday.
The deadly H5N1 strain was confirmed last week in four farms in three northern Nigerian states, but there have been suspected outbreaks in at least five other states in Africa’s most populous country.
FDA proposes definition for whole grains
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it has formulated a new definition of whole grain that will make it easier for consumers to follow a healthy diet.
It is the first time the FDA has issued a specific definition for consumers and the food industry of what it considers to be whole grain.
Testosterone ups quality of life in men with AD
A testosterone gel can improve the quality of life for men with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but it seems to have little effect on cognition, according to the results of a study.
Previous reports have suggested that testosterone levels are lower in men with Alzheimer’s than in their counterparts without the neurologic disorder. Testosterone use has been shown to improve cognition in older men without Alzheimer’s disease and, in animal models, treatment with the male hormone has been linked to reduced formation of beta-amyloid, the protein that forms the plaques that clog the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Calcium + vitamin D doesn’t curb colorectal cancer risk
In a large study of postmenopausal women, daily supplementation of calcium with vitamin D for 7 years did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, doctors report in The New England Journal of Medicine this week. However, a beneficial effect may be become apparent with longer follow-up, the authors note.
Past studies have linked calcium and vitamin D use with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and, in polyp-prevention trials, this combination seemed to help prevent polyp recurrence. Whether this dietary intervention could actually help prevent colorectal cancer, however, was unclear.
Nerve damage may underlie mystery pain syndrome
The findings from a new study lend support to the hypothesis that the so-called “complex regional pain syndrome” is a bona fide neurologic disorder caused by persistent nerve injury affecting small fibers that can feel pain.
Complex regional pain syndrome involves post-traumatic limb pain and other disturbances that continue even though the inciting injury seems to have healed. The cause of the symptoms is unknown and because there are few objective findings, diagnosis and treatment is difficult. Some have even questioned whether complex regional pain syndrome has a real biologic basis or is a psychosomatic illness.
Loud music prolongs the effects of taking ecstasy
Loud music prolongs the effects of taking ecstasy for up to five days.
A study published in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience shows that the reduction in rats’ brain activity induced by 3,4 -Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) lasts long after administration of the drug - up to five days - if loud music is played to them simultaneously. The effects wear off within a day when no music is played.
Rifaximin effective in treating flatulence and irritable bowel syndrome
In the first study of its kind, researchers discovered that rifaximin, an antibiotic used to treat diarrhea, is an effective treatment for abdominal bloating and flatulence, including in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients.
This research is published in the February issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Some women need more than calcium for bone health
Calcium and vitamin D may help maintain bone health in healthy postmenopausal women under 65, a large new study shows. But the supplements probably aren’t enough by themselves to prevent falls and fractures in women who have osteoporosis, or face a heightened risk of the bone-thinning disease, the researchers agree.
“This is the foundation for helping to ensure bone health,” Dr. Rebecca D. Jackson of Ohio State University in Columbus, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health.
