Chinese agriculture officials have issued an alert against bird flu after a 19-year-old woman died of the disease in Beijing. – New human cases of H5N1 avian influenza, involving a 19-year-old Chinese woman who died of her infection and an 8-year-old Vietnamese girl who is recovering, reported by public health officials in two countries – China and Vietnam.
Adult-onset diabetes slows mental functioning in several ways, with deficits appearing early – Adults with diabetes experience a slowdown in several types of mental processing, which appears early in the disease and persists into old age, according to new research.
Study links obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women of normal weight. – A new epidemiological study has found that among women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy, obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women of normal weight.
Department of Public Health Urges Residents to Consider Their Health When Choosing a New Year?s Resolution – The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging people to consider resolutions for a healthy lifestyle for the New Year. Whether your resolution is to take better care of your general health, lose weight, or quit using tobacco, the DPH offers tips and resources to help you succeed in leading a healthier lifestyle.
FixNixer Gives You Five Reasons to Be Tobacco-Free this New Year. Free, anonymous tool helps you quit via online and text messaging support. – For those resolving to become tobacco-free, FixNixer is a new quitting tool that helps people to overcome their tobacco addiction anonymously, with effective methods and motivational support.
Circumcision Reduces the Risk of HIV Infection in Heterosexual US Men – A new U.S. study has found that being circumcised significantly reduced the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual African American men known to have been exposed to the virus.
Few DNA repair genes maintain association with cancer in field synopsis – Variants of numerous DNA repair genes initially appeared to be statistically significantly associated with cancer risk in epidemiological studies.
Early and accurate diagnosis of pediatric weight issues is an essential first step in identifying the obesity problem. – Despite recent widespread media attention given to studies that have indicated one-third of American children have a weight problem, a new study shows just one-third of children who are overweight or obese actually receive that diagnosis by a pediatrician.
University of Maryland researchers identify common gene variant linked to high blood pressure. STK39 gene produces protein involved in regulating how kidneys process salt. – Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people’s risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online Dec. 29, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
FDA warns consumers about tainted weight loss pills. US Health Agency seeks recall of products that pose serious health risks. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers nationwide not to purchase or consume more than 25 different products marketed for weight loss because they contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers’ health at risk.
US researchers watched genetic diseases unfolding in the laboratory after finding a way to make large numbers of affected cells. – When neurons started dying in Clive Svendsen’s lab dishes, he couldn’t have been more pleased. The dying cells ? the same type lost in patients with the devastating neurological disease spinal muscular atrophy ? confirmed that the University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell biologist had recreated the hallmarks of a genetic disorder in the lab, using stem cells derived from a patient.
Preventing a broken heart: Research aims to reduce scarring from heart attacks – A heart damaged by heart attack is usually broken, at least partially, for good. The injury causes excessive scar tissue to form, and this plays a role in permanently keeping heart muscle from working at full capacity.
