White House

BRAIN – $100m to find new ways to treat, cure, and prevent brain disorders

Barack Obama launched a plan to map the human brain, in an attempt to find vital clues for treating diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders. – US President Barack Obama unveiled a bold new research initiative designed to revolutionize understanding of the human brain. Launched with approximately $100 million in the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative ultimately aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

Former US President Bill Clinton turns to vegan diet

Former US President Bill Clinton says he has gone totally vegan – no meat, no dairy, no eggs or even oil. – Former US President Bill Clinton is speaking out about his plant based, heart healthy diet, saying that he believes the vegan regimen or vegan diet is helping to reverse the damage to his heart and blood vessels caused by cardiovascular heart disease.

Niacin and statin treatment did not protect heart

NIH stops clinical trial on combination cholesterol treatment — Lack of efficacy in reducing cardiovascular events prompts decision – The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial studying a blood lipid treatment 18 months earlier than planned.

Turning bad fat into good – A future treatment for obesity

Turning ‘bad’ fat into ‘good’: A future treatment for obesity? — Johns Hopkins researchers transform inert white fat into brown fat to burn off calories and weight – By knocking down the expression of a protein in rat brains known to stimulate eating, Johns Hopkins researchers say they not only reduced the animals’ calorie intake and weight, but also transformed their fat into a type that burns off more energy. The finding could lead to better obesity treatments for humans, the scientists report.

US plans to reduce harm from opioid drugs

FDA Acts to Reduce Harm from Opioid Drugs – The White House on Tuesday unveiled a multi-agency plan aimed at reducing the “epidemic” of prescription drug abuse in the U.S.-including an FDA-backed education program that zeros-in on reducing the misuse and misprescribing of opioids.

Obesity remains an economic issue in US

Obesity remains an economic issue, Seattle obesity study finds — UW researchers look at who buys what foods, why, where and at what cost – Ensuring access to healthy, affordable foods is a top priority in tackling the obesity epidemic in the United States. Over the course of the last six months, the Institute of Medicine, United States Department of Agriculture, The White House and First Lady Michelle Obama have taken an interest in improving access to affordable and nutritious foods.

Extreme obesity affecting more children at 10 – 12 years of age

Extreme obesity affecting more children at younger ages — Electronic health records used to study 711,000 children – Extreme obesity is affecting more children at younger ages, with 12 percent of black teenage girls, 11.2 percent of Hispanic teenage boys, 7.3 percent of boys and 5.5 percent of girls now classified as extremely obese.

US to improve monitoring for H1N1

President?s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) releases report assessing H1N1 preparations. Administration?s H1N1 efforts to date praised. Additional recommendations made to improve monitoring and strengthen medical response. – A Presidential advisory group of the US’ leading scientists and engineers released a new report assessing the Obama Administration’s preparations for this fall’s expected resurgence of 2009-H1N1 flu and outlining key steps officials can take in the coming weeks and months to minimize the disease’s impact on the nation.

US preparing for fall flu season and H1N1 virus

Obama Administration Calls on Nation to Begin Planning and Preparing for Fall Flu Season & the New H1N1 Virus – In US, the Obama Administration sent a strong message to the nation that it is time to start planning and preparing for the fall flu season and the ongoing H1N1 flu outbreak.

Race and short sleep increase obesity risk

Race and short sleep duration increase the risk for obesity – According to a research presented on Monday, June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, race significantly influences the risk of obesity conferred by short sleep duration, with blacks having a greater risk than whites.