Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by an RNA virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. In people, common symptoms of influenza are fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, and weakness and fatigue.
More than half of all cancer is preventable — Public health researchers outline obstacles standing in the way of prevention – More than half of all cancer is preventable, and society has the knowledge to act on this information today. Researchers outline obstacles they say stand in the way of making a huge dent in the cancer burden in the United States and around the world.
Genetics of flu susceptibility — Researchers find gene that can transform mild influenza to a life-threatening disease – Genetic variations in human body make it more susceptible to diseases. A genetic finding explains why influenza becomes a life-threating disease to some people while it has only mild effects in others.
Clinical trial examines antioxidant effects for Alzheimer’s disease on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers – An antioxidant combination of vitamin E, vitamin C and a-lipoic acid (E/C/ALA) was not associated with changes in some cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers related to Alzheimer disease in a randomized controlled trial, revealed by researchers.
FDA Announces Safety Changes in Labeling for Some Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs – Important safety changes to the labeling for some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products, when used with diet and exercise, help to lower a person’s “bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol).
Family preferences strongly influence decision making in very premature deliveries — Wide variation in practices and counseling reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology – When making decisions and counseling about risk and management options for deliveries between 22 and 26 weeks (periviable deliveries), obstetricians are heavily influenced by family preferences, particularly by the impression that parents consistently prefer to have everything possible done to prolong a pregnancy or “save the baby” through interventions such as cesarean section.
Expectant mothers on antidepressants risk newborns with high blood pressure – Use of anti-depressants during pregnancy is risky for new borns to have persistent pulmonary hypertension – high blood pressure in the lungs, revealed by researchers.
Cognitive decline can begin as early as age 45, warn experts — Research: Timing of onset of cognitive decline: Results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study – The brain’s capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension skills (cognitive function) can start to deteriorate from age 45. But, previous research suggests that cognitive decline does not begin before the age of 60, but this view is not universally accepted.
FDA expands use of Prevnar 13 vaccine for people ages 50 and older – Prevnar 13, a pneumonia vaccine, is approved for people ages 50 years and older to prevent pneumonia and invasive disease caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Study links quality of mother-toddler relationship to teen obesity – Obesity linked to poor mother-toddler bond – The quality of the emotional relationship between a mother and her young child could affect the potential for that child to be obese during adolescence, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed national data detailing relationship characteristics between mothers and their children during their toddler years. The lower the quality of the relationship in terms of the child’s emotional security and the mother’s sensitivity, the higher the risk that a child would be obese at age 15 years, according to the analysis.
American Cancer Society revises cancer screening guideline process — New effort prioritizes transparency, consistency and rigor – The American Cancer Society has revised its guideline formation process to achieve greater transparency, consistency, and rigor in creating guidance about cancer screening. The new methods align with new principles from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM).
Statins may reduce mortality in patients hospitalized with influenza – Taking Statins May Help Flu patients – The two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunization and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza.
New gene study of ADHD points to defects in brain signaling pathways — Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia research suggests that interventions at the glutamate transmission level might treat ADHD disorder – Pediatric researchers analyzing genetic influences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found alterations in specific genes involved in important brain signaling pathways.
