Link Between Obesity and Inflammation Could Lead to New Therapies
Research conducted at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston identifies a molecular link between obesity and inflammation that could lead to new therapies to prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Research presented this week at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions shows that a high fat diet draws inflammatory cells into fat tissue, which prevents the tissue from storing the fats we eat. When the tissue can not store these fats, they end up in the liver and muscle, which in turn causes diabetes and heart disease.
Doctors say antibiotics pointless for acute bronchitis
Researchers say they have found no evidence in current literature that antibiotics are effective in treating the vast majority of patients with acute bronchitis and say doctors should stop routinely prescribing them.
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the main airways to the lungs characterised by an irritating cough, and is one of the most common conditions treated by doctors.
Americans say smokers should pay more for health cover
According to a survey in the United States most people believe the health insurance system is in dire need of a fix; it is estimated that as many as 46.6 million Americans are uninsured.
The poll of around 1,500 people has found that about 60 percent are in favour of higher premiums for smokers and 30 percent believe the obese should also pay more.
Religious observance may keep older people healthy
A new study adds to mounting evidence that older people who regularly attend religious services are healthier than those who don’t.
Among 1,174 highly functioning men and women in their 70s, those who went to a church, synagogue or mosque at least once a week had a significantly slower decline in their lung function over the following years than their peers who didn’t go to services regularly, Dr. Joanna Maselko, now at Temple University in Philadelphia, and her colleagues report.
