Study finds unexpected bacterial diversity on human skin – Genomic research lays groundwork for new approaches for treating, preventing skin diseases. – The health of our skin – one of the body’s first lines of defense against illness and injury – depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface.
Low levels of vitamin D linked to common vaginal infection in pregnant women – Findings may explain higher rates of infection among African-Americans. – Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from bacterial vaginosis (BV) ? a common vaginal infection that increases a woman’s risk for preterm delivery, according to a University of Pittsburgh study.
Acid-suppressive medication use was associated with 30% increased odds of hospital-acquired pneumonia. – Hospitalized patients who receive acid-suppressive medications such as a proton-pump inhibitor have a 30 percent increased odds of developing pneumonia while in the hospital, according to a study in the May 27 issue of JAMA.
Scientists find shared genetic link between the dental disease periodontitis and heart attack – The relationship between the dental disease periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been known for several years. Although a genetic link seemed likely, until now its existence was uncertain.
New lead on malaria treatment – Variation of natural compound cures malaria in mice. – Approximately 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria are diagnosed each year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. While medications to prevent and treat malaria do exist, the demand for new treatments is on the rise, in part, because malaria parasites have developed a resistance to existing medications.
AIDS patients with serious complications benefit from early retroviral use, Stanford study shows – HIV-positive patients who don’t seek medical attention until they have a serious AIDS-related condition can reduce their risk of death or other complications by half if they get antiretroviral treatment early on, according to a new multicenter trial led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
UCI awarded $45 million for infectious disease research. Facility seeks to improve detection, treatment and vaccine development. – The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded UC Irvine $45 million over five years for infectious disease research.
Study in pregnant women suggests probiotics may help ward off obesity – One year after giving birth, women were less likely to have the most dangerous kind of obesity if they had been given probiotics from the first trimester of pregnancy, found new research that suggests manipulating the balance of bacteria in the gut may help fight obesity.
Whiter laundry and a surprising new treatment for kids’ eczema. Bleach baths clear the rash and banish flare-ups of miserable skin disease. – It’s best known for whitening a load of laundry. But now simple household bleach has a surprising new role: an effective treatment for kids’ chronic eczema.
Benfotiamene – type of vitamin B1 could treat common cause of blindness – uveitis. – University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered that a form of vitamin B1 could become a new and effective treatment for one of the world’s leading causes of blindness.
