Health Newstrack

Kids food still full of salt, says CASH

Parents are risking the health of their kids by inadvertently feeding them with foods containing high salt content, a new study has found. – Many foods eaten by UK children still contain large amounts of salt, in some cases more than half the daily maximum limit for a 6 year old in a single serving, revealed by researchers. Research carried out with Netmums, a leading parenting website, also shows that many parents are confused about which foods contain salt.

Culling of birds in West Bengal, India – update

Culling was over in Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura and South Dinajpur districts. Culling of birds in other parts of West Bengal, India is delayed due to unseasonal rains. – Unseasonal rains hampered culling in Indian state West Bengal with the operations yet to begin in Purulia and Howrah districts where outbreak of avian influenza has been confirmed. Culling operations delayed by a few hours in Purulia due to bad weather.

Camera in a pill finds early signs of esophageal cancer

Camera in a pill offers cheaper device that could find warning signs of esophageal cancer, the fastest growing cancer in the United States. – What if swallowing a pill with a camera could detect the earliest signs of cancer? The tiny camera is designed to take high-quality, color pictures in confined spaces. Such a device could find warning signs of esophageal cancer, the fastest growing cancer in the United States.

Manuka honey with natural antibacterial methylglyoxal

Manuka Health New Zealand Ltd announced the launch of the first manuka honey products certified to contain levels of the antibacterial ingredient. – The natural compound methylglyoxal is responsible for Manuka Health New Zealand’s manuka honey’s unique health-giving properties, revealed in a publication by a German university scientist, reported the company.

Ongoing review of cholesterol drug Vytorin

FDA issues early communication about an ongoing review of vytorin, and advises patients to talk with their health care providers if they have questions about the ENHANCE study. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that the agency will conduct a review of Merck and Schering Plough’s recent trial once the FDA receives the final study results.

Middle class women earning more, drinking more

Middle class women are earning more and drinking more, and because of larger wine glasses. The gap between men and women is reducing. – Middle-class women are drinking more alcohol than they realise because of larger wine glasses, and the more you earn, the more you drink – with those in higher income groups consuming 30 per cent more alcohol than the working classes.

Eating broccoli may help fight heart disease

Eating broccoli may help fight heart disease, according to a new study. Eating steamed broccoli reduces the risk of a heart attack by boosting the body?s ability to fight off cell damage. – Wishing your Valentine good heart health on February 14 – and throughout 2008″ Then consider the food some people love to hate, and hand over a gift bag of broccoli along with that heart-shaped box of chocolates. Researchers in Connecticut are reporting impressive new evidence that eating broccoli may protect against heart disease.

Maternity care in UK varies – Healthcare Commission review

The Healthcare Commission assessed NHS’ maternity services in three areas – clinical focus, women-centred care, and efficiency and capability – using 25 indicators of performance. – The Healthcare Commission has ranked one in four NHS maternity services as “best performing” in a national review published today, but the comparative review, the most comprehensive assessment ever of maternity services in England, also found significant variations in the quality of care across the country.

Oral contraceptive pills can protect against ovarian cancer

The longer a woman uses the oral contraceptive pill, the lower her risk of getting ovarian cancer later in life. Oral contraceptives give substantial long-term protection against ovarian cancer. – Use of oral contraceptives during a woman’s life-time gives substantial long-term protection against ovarian cancer and the longer they are used, the greater the reduction in risk. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article in this week’s edition of The Lancet – a medical journal in the United Kingdom.

Pancreatic stem cells may cure diabetes

An international team of scientists has isolated pancreatic stem cells in adult mice, a breakthrough that could lead to treatment for juvenile or Type 1 diabetes. – Just as many scientists had given up the search, researchers have discovered that the pancreas does indeed harbor stem cells with the capacity to generate new insulin-producing beta cells. If the finding made in adult mice holds for humans, the newfound progenitor cells will represent “an obvious target for therapeutic regeneration of beta cells in diabetes,” the researchers report in the Jan. 25 issue of Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

Stricter warnings for botox, myobloc botulinum injections

Botox and a similar injection Myobloc should come with stronger warnings following reports of 16 deaths after the botulinum toxin spread inside the body, a U.S. consumer group Public Citizen said.
– The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should immediately increase its warnings and directly warn patients and doctors about the use of botulinum toxin ? available as Botox and Myobloc ? because of serious adverse reactions, including deaths, linked to the drug, Public Citizen said in a petition filed with the FDA.

Climate change a threat to human health

Climate change will have potentially devastating consequences for human health, outweighing global economic impacts, researchers calling for urgent action to protect the world’s population. – Climate change will have a huge impact on human health and bold environmental policy decisions are needed now to protect the world’s population, according to the author of an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).