Obesity screening for schoolchildren questioned
Though routinely weighing schoolchildren may seem like a good way to fight childhood obesity, there’s no evidence that it actually works, according to British researchers.
Right now, many children periodically have their weight taken at school. In the UK, 4- to 5-year-olds and 10- to 11-year-olds are routinely weighed so that health officials can keep track of the nation’s obesity problem.
Why alcohol boosts breast cancer risk
A study in mice shows that moderate alcohol consumption stimulates the growth and progression of breast cancer by fueling the development of new blood vessels—a process called “angiogenesis.” It does this by boosting expression of a key growth factor known as vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF.
Drinking alcohol—even moderate amounts - is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer in women. A recent study found that 60 percent of breast cancer cases in women worldwide were attributable to alcohol consumption. But the mechanism(s) of alcohol-induced breast cancer are poorly understood.
Statin treatment improves spatial memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s
Treatment with Simvastatin, one of the statin drugs widely used for lowering cholesterol in humans, significantly improved spatial memory - how to navigate a water maze - in mice genetically bred to have an Alzheimer’s like disease. Although statin improved memory in both males and females, the results were more pronounced in males.
Dr. H. A. Morcos, chair of Pharmacology at the American University of Antigua, and colleagues at Florida A & M University presented the study April 30 at Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, DC. His presentation is part of the scientific program of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
Significant Rise in Proportion of Chronically Ill Children Dying in Intensive Care
The proportion of chronically ill young children dying in intensive care after being admitted to other hospital wards has steadily risen year on year since the end of the 1990s, reveals a study in the Journal of Medical Ethics .
The researchers analysed the records of one large children’s hospital, to find out where children had died, and of what causes.
One in Three HIV Positive Gay Men Report Unprotected Sex
More than one in three HIV positive gay men say they have unprotected sex, reveals a community survey, published ahead of print in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.
And almost one in five HIV negative men said that they do the same, the figures show.
The findings are based on a survey of men at gay bars, clubs, and saunas in London, Manchester, and Brighton between 2003 and 2004.
University In Pilot Project To Improve Depression Screening
Fifteen percent of college students suffered from depression last year, up from 10 percent in 2000, according to The American College Health Association. Mental health professionals on college campuses expect the percentage to rise again this year.
St. Lawrence University (Canton, New York) is addressing the problem on its campus by participating in a national pilot project to improve screening and care for students with depression.
