Boric acid works for yeast infections in diabetics
Among women with diabetes, boric acid vaginal suppositories clear up yeast infections better than the prescription anti-fungal pill fluconazole, Indian researchers report in the medical journal Diabetes Care.
Dr. Ravinder Goswami, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and associates note that vaginal yeast infections in diabetic women are often caused by a fungal type known as Candida glabrata, and this tends to respond poorly to treatment with oral anti-fungal drugs like fluconazole.
Memory loss from shock therapy tied to technique
Memory loss due to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), commonly known as electroshock therapy, may to a large extent be associated with how the treatment is administered, according to a study of patients referred to one of seven hospitals in the New York metropolitan area for ECT.
Despite ongoing controversy, there has never been a large-scale study of the cognitive effects of ECT, Dr. Harold A. Sackeim of New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, and colleagues point out in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
When pregnant mom eats fish, kids do better
Children of mothers who ate more fish and other seafood while pregnant are smarter and have better developmental skills than kids of women who ate less or none, researchers said on Thursday in findings they called surprising.
The study, sure to be controversial, sought to assess whether it is wise, as some experts and the U.S. government have recommended, for pregnant women to limit their seafood intake to avoid mercury, a toxin that can harm the nervous system of developing fetuses.
Chronic distress linked to higher dementia risk
Older adults who are prone to emotional distress may have an increased risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that older men and women with chronic distress were more likely than their peers with low distress levels to develop dementia before they died. However, distress was not related to the plaques, tangles and other brain changes that mark Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
“Female” knee implants sell, but draw skepticism
Debate about whether an artificial knee implant designed specifically for women has scientific merit continues a year after the device was launched, even as the orthopedics manufacturer racks up better-than-expected sales.
Many orthopedic surgeons say Zimmer Holdings’ female knee is a marketing gimmick, but admit that they will implant them on request.
