Grapefruit and medication interactions increasing

Grapefruit?medication interactions increasing — Grapefruit juice can be dangerous for people on certain medications – Grapefruit juice can be dangerous for people on certain medications. The potential of drug interactions with grapefruit juice has been out there a long time, but most people just aren’t aware of it.

Fasting before blood lipid tests may be unnecessary

Fasting Time Prior to Blood Lipid Tests Appears to Have Limited Association With Lipid Levels – Fasting prior to blood lipid tests appears to have limited association with lipid subclass levels, suggesting that fasting for routine lipid level determinations may be unnecessary.

Fungal meningitis outbreak in US – 404 cases

CDC Responds to Multistate Outbreak of Fungal Meningitis and Other Infections — Fungal meningitis outbreak in US – 404 cases – Nine more people have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis in an outbreak linked to tainted steroid injections, health officials reported today. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has increased the tally of cases to 404 in 19 states.

Hurricane Sandy and food storage and food safety

Hurricane Sandy and Power Outage — Food Storage And Food Safety Tips For Hurricane Preparedness — What To Do And When To Do It – Hurricane Sandy is already making an impact on the North Eastern coast, and being prepared for a storm as large as this is crucial. Hurricane Sandy could bring wind, flooding, heavy rain and possibly snow to the East Coast, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) urges people to take steps now to ensure they have access to safe food.

Fungal meningitis outbreak grows worse in US

Fungal meningitis outbreak grows worse in US — Mold seen in 83 vials of the steroid linked to fungal meningitis outbreak — Compounding pharmacy linked to meningitis outbreak knew of mold, bacteria contamination – More than 300 people who received a tainted steroid sold by NECC that was used to treat back pain have been infected with fungal meningitis and 25 have died.

Healthy diets have long lasting positive effects

Healthy diets have long-lasting positive effects even with partial weight regain – Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets have lasting, healthy effects, even with partial weight regain. The study is published in a peer-reviewed letter in the current New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) as an update to the landmark study, the workplace-based Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT), a tightly controlled 24-month dietary intervention.

Fungal meningitis outbreak in US due to NECC epidural steroid injection

Fungal meningitis outbreak in US due to NECC contaminated epidural steroid injection – A multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis among patients who received an epidural steroid injection with a potentially contaminated product has been notified in USA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently coordinating the investigation of this outbreak of fungal meningitis.

Electronic health records improve patient care quality

Electronic health records shown to improve the quality of patient care — New Weill Cornell study provides compelling evidence that commercially available electronic health records are associated with better physician performance – A new study provides compelling evidence that electronic health records (EHRs) enhance the quality of patient care in a community-based setting with multiple payers, which is representative of how medicine is generally practiced across the United States.

Rare genetic disorder linked to schizophrenia

Rare genetic disorder points to molecules that may play role in schizophrenia — Finding may suggest novel therapeutic target for treating disease – Scientists studying a rare genetic disorder have identified a molecular pathway that may play a role in schizophrenia. The findings may one day guide researchers to new treatment options for people with schizophrenia ? a devastating disease that affects approximately 1 percent of the world’s population.

Caffeine may reduce mild cognitive impairment

Caffeine may block inflammation linked to mild cognitive impairment – Recent studies have linked caffeine consumption to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and a new University of Illinois study may be able to explain how this happens. Researchers have discovered a novel signal that activates the brain-based inflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases, and caffeine appears to block its activity.

Health Newstrack