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.
A new testing device may give doctors early warning of eye disease, especially vision trouble linked to diabetes. – A new vision screening device, already shown to give an early warning of eye disease, could give doctors and patients a head start on treating diabetes and its vision complications, a new study shows.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified manufacturers of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs that a Boxed Warning in the product labeling concerning the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture is necessary. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requests boxed warnings on fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs. FDA seeks this to strengthen warnings concerning increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves new genetic test for patients with breast cancer. – SPOT-Light HER2 CISH kit – a novel genetic test for determining whether patients with breast cancer are good candidates for treatment with the drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Couples with fertility problems where the man is over 35 have increased difficulty in conceiving – Pregnancy rates decrease and miscarriages increase when a father is over 35 years of age, a scientist will tell the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday 7 July.
The US nonprofit nutrition watchdog urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on that and other deceptive ?structure/function? claims increasingly appearing on food labels. – US Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) urges FDA to crack down on food frauds saying that Kraft, General Mills, Dole, & others ripping off consumers with bogus immunity claims.
Mother’s vitamin D status during pregnancy will affect her baby’s dental health, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay. – Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay.
Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol slows age-related deterioration and functional decline, but does not increase longevity. – Large doses of a red wine ingredient can ward off many of the vagaries of aging in mice who begin taking it at midlife, according to a new report published online on July 3rd in Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication. Those health improvements of the chemical known as resveratrol-including cardiovascular benefits, greater motor coordination, reduced cataracts and better bone density-come without necessarily extending the animals’ lifespan.
Pupils who experience positive and inclusive social environments in school are less likely to take up smoking, according to new research. – A survey of high-school children in Scotland has shown that pupils who experience positive and inclusive social environments in schools are less likely to take up smoking. The teachers who succeed in creating a positive environment in school may be responsible for their pupils staying smoke-free.
Putting down cigarettes for good can have unexpected social benefits, according to new research from Harvard and the University of California, San Diego. – The decision to quit smoking appears to be taken up almost communally, with whole clusters of spouses, friends, siblings and co-workers giving up the habit at about the same time, revealed by researchers.
Results published today from a study led by researchers from The Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona and The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), Queensland, Australia, however, may yet change these statistics. The team is close to discovering a new gene that could help explain variation in melanoma risk. – The researchers are close to discovering a new gene that could help explain variation in melanoma risk. They have identified a region on chromosome 20 (20q11.22) that influences a person’s risk of developing melanoma.
New genetic variants found that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity, revealed by UK reasearchers. – A study of 90,000 people has uncovered new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. The variants act in addition to the recently described variants of the FTO gene: on average, adults carrying variants in both genes are 3.8 kg (or 8.5 lb) heavier.
A new vaccine that apparently can provide long-lasting protection for pathogenic bird flu, H5N1, and its mutations, has been developed by Purdue researchers in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. – A new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.
