Bereavement, Marital Status Affect Response to Flu Shot in Elderly
Flu shots do not work as well in older adults who have recently experienced the death of a family member or close friend, a new study shows.
On the other hand, older adults who are happily married show stronger responses after flu shots than those who are unmarried, especially those who are widowed.
Bereavement and marriage “are the most key factors for older adults, rather than general life-events stress and social support, which have been related to immune response in previous studies of young adults,” said lead researcher Anna C. Phillips, Ph.D., of the University of Birmingham in England.
Dietary folate may lower pancreatic cancer risk
Increased levels of dietary folate from food, but not from supplements, appears to reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to results of a large population-based study of Swedish men and women.
Folate, also known as folic acid, is a B vitamin that is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. The US government recently mandated that manufacturers fortify grain products with folic acid, adding it to flour, rice, pasta and cornmeal.
Previous studies have suggested that folate may protect against colorectal and breast cancer, Dr. Susanna C. Larsson and colleagues note in their report, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Protein differences may explain drug reaction
Differences between a cell signaling protein in humans and animals may explain the unexpected severe reaction in six young men given a new drug in a clinical trial in Britain, an expert said on Sunday.
The previously healthy men were the first humans to receive the drug, designed to treat leukemia and chronic inflammation disorders. Shortly after receiving the treatment last week, they suffered massive inflammation and excruciating pain.
Two are still critically ill, one is on organ support, and the other three are recovering.
White House wants more drug tests in students
Student athletes, musicians and others who participate in after school activities could increasingly be subject to random drug testing under a program promoted by the Bush administration.
White House officials say drug testing is an effective way to keep students away from harmful substances like marijuana and crystal methamphetamine, and have held seminars across the country to promote the practice to local school officials.
Parkinson’s drug link to gambling probed-newspaper
Medical researchers are investigating suspicions that drugs prescribed to treat Parkinson’s disease could turn patients into compulsive gamblers, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration have found a strong association between pathological gambling and the drugs, which boost the level of dopamine in the brain, according to the newspaper.
