HealthNewsBlog.com

Winter Means Increased Asthma Problems

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the connection between Winter and increased asthma. The onset of cold weather can increase asthma attacks and make people with asthma feel worse. Dr. Sanjay Gupta says "cold air can exacerbate the condition as can getting sick." There are more colds and other viruses around. These illnesses can be problematic for people with asthma. Take a look:

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60 Minutes Investigates Growing Body Parts

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Morley Safer reports for CBS News on the emerging technology of growing body parts from human cells. Morley Safer says researchers have created beating hearts, ears and bladders by manipulating cells in the human body. The goal is to provide new hope for amputees and patients on organ-transplant lists by growing replacement organs in the lab. Take a look:

You can see more segments from the series here.

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Replacement Tooth Grown For a Mouse

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

A team of Japanese scientists were able to grow a green replacement tooth for a mouse. Researchers say it is the first time a "fully functional and three-dimensional organ" has been regenerated. The tooth works just like any other tooth. This sounds promoising. Hopefully, we will be able to grow human tetth before too long.

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CDC Triples H1N1 Death Estimates

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

The CDC has greatly increased its estimate of the number of U.S. residents who have died from the H1N1 swine flu virus. The number of deaths have increased from 1,200 to 3,900. The CDC claims it is really an accounting issue and not a situation where the virus is getting more deadly. The H1N1 numbers are clearly showing the youngest are hardest hit. With H1N1 90% of the deaths have been in people 65 and under. That is very different from seasonal flu when 90% of the deaths are in people 65 and older. 38,000 children under 18 have been hospitalized and 540 have died. Take a look:

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H1N1 Inundates Hospitals As Vaccine Very Slowly Trickles In

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

The White House residently declared the H1N1 swine flu pandemic a national emergency and a USA Today article explains why. The article describes a few hospitals that are already being overwhelmed by patients.

Connie Price, chief of infectious diseases at Denver Health, the city's public hospital, says, "I've been living this" since Aug. 28, when the hospital's lab reported 12 positive tests for swine flu.

"Since then we've been inundated," she says. "In a typical flu season, we may hospitalize 15 patients. With H1N1, we've hospitalized 10 times that many. We're not even in flu season yet."

In Rio Grande County, a rural community in the Rockies about 200 miles south of Denver near the New Mexico border, clinics were so overwhelmed with patients that they began turning away those who didn't have flu. With absentee rates of 40%, schools closed. Many of those children turned up in local clinics and emergency rooms.

Some local hospitals probably could have managed if the 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine had arrived by the end of October as the U.S. government promised back in June. The actual number is far short of the June estimate. We will now be lucky to get 50 million doses by the end of November. In fact, it will be a huge surprise if we get anywhere near that amount. As the New York Times reports, "federal projections have been consistently and wildly overoptimistic and have had to be ratcheted down several times."

If the vaccine projections had been met the vaccine might have been able to prevent some of these cases that are now likely to inundate hospitals in November, December and on into 2010.

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Flu Robot on Display at Tokyo Trade Fair

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

This poor robot is always suffering from the swine flu. The robot is meant to be a diagnostic tool for physicians. The robot shows symptoms of someone having a severe outbreak of the flu including moaning, sweating and difficulty breathing. If the robot is not treated properly it will eventually stop breathing. Take a look:

Posted in Tech

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Exercise Benefits Found in the Oldest Old

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Health Day News reports that a recent study of seniors found that exercise can boost the longevity and quality of life for the "oldest old." Those who exercised four hours or week or more tended to live longer and experienced fewer declines in their ability to perform tasks.

The research included almost 1,900 people born in 1920 and 1921 who were assessed at ages 70, 78 and 85. Those who did less than four hours of physical activity per week were considered sedentary, while those who exercised about four hours a week, did vigorous activities such as swimming or jogging at least twice a week, or those who got regular physical activity (such as walking at least an hour a day) were considered physically active.

The researchers found that 53.4% of participants were physically active at age 70, 76.9% at age 77, and 64% at age 85. Compared to those who were sedentary, physically active people were 12% less likely to die between ages 70 and 78, 15% less likely to die between ages 78 and 85, and 17% less likely to die between ages 85 and 88.

Dr. Jochanan Stessman and colleagues at Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem said, "Despite the increasing likelihood of comorbidity, frailty, dependence and ever-shortening life expectancy, remaining and even starting to be physically active increases the likelihood of living longer and staying functionally independent."

The results of the study were published in the September 14 issue of the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Worldwide Death Toll From H1N1 Swine Flu Passes 5,000

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 14:22:00 EST

The Flucount.org website, which is trying to count flu cases and deaths, reports that the number of worldwide deaths from H1N1 swine flu has passed the 5,000 mark.

The worldwide total is likely higher than this because there are nations that are probably not reporting deaths with accuracy and some that are not reporting them at all.

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FluCount Website Tracks H1N1 Swine Flu Cases and Deaths

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

A website called Flucount.org is attempting to track the cases and deaths of H1N1 swine flu around the world. Tracking is not easy because testing is different in different pats of the world. Many cases are also never tested and some deaths are likely missed. Even in the U.S. there is a lack of confirming whether each case is H1N1 related because test kits aren't always accurate and it takes too long to get results back from the CDC. There are also people who get the flu and never tell anyone and there also people who never have symptoms.

The CDC itself has gone back to reporting overall flu cases instead of trying to track individual H1N1 cases. This works for now because the bulk of the flu cases are currently suspected to be H1N1. When the regular flu season hits this winter it may be unclear whether a flu case is H1N1 or a seasonal strain.

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Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer is Difficult

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Actor Patrick Swayze recently died from pancreatic cancer, which has increased the public's curiosity about the deadly disease. You can find some resources here, here and here. One reason cancer is difficult to stop is it usually is not detected until it is too late. Dr. Jennifer Ashton explains in the clip below that early detection is difficult due to a lack of efficient screening for pancreatic cancer. A family history of pancreatic cancer can help encourage someone to watch for it. Smoking is also linked to pancreatic cancer.

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White House: Swine Flu Could Kill 90,000 People This Year

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Bloomberg reports that White House advisers say the H1N1 swine flu virus could kill 90,000 and hospitalize 1.8 million people this year. Swine flu has hospitalized about 8,000 and killed over 500 so far this year so the bulk of the deaths and hospitalizations would come in the last four months of the year. That would be around 22,000 deaths per month and 450,000 hospitilizations per month if this does indeed occur.

Swine flu may infect half the U.S. population this year, hospitalize 1.8 million patients and lead to as many as 90,000 deaths, more than twice the number killed in a typical seasonal flu, White House advisers said.

In a report by the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, President Barack Obama today was urged to speed vaccine production and name a senior member of the White House staff, preferably the homeland security adviser, to take responsibility for decision-making on the pandemic. Initial doses should be accelerated to mid-September to vaccinate as many as 40 million people, the advisory group said.

If that many people get sick there are going to be lots of people out of work and possibly a lot of confusion. If hospitals get overwhelmed then we will run into extra problems. The HHS has said that even the high priority groups will not be fully immunized until Thanksgiving. If the vaccine had been made available by August 1st and immunizations were already underway then you probably wouldn't have this concern about 90,000 potential deaths. Unfortunately, that is not what happened. The vaccine is not coming in time to beat the return of students to schools and cooler fall temperatures. This means a lot of people will probably be exposed to the virus before they receive their first of two immunizations.

You can find a list of H1N1 swine flu resources here.

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WHO: Global Swine Flu Deaths at 1154

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST

The WHO reports that global death toll from H1N1 swine flu is 1154.

As of 31 of July 2009, 168 countries and overseas territories/communities have reported at least one laboratory confirmed case of pandemic (H1N1) 09. All continents are affected by the pandemic.

The countries and overseas territories/communities that have newly reported their first pandemic (H1N1) 2009 confirmed case(s) since the last web update (27 July 2009) as of 31 July 2009 are:

Azerbaijan, Gabon, Grenada, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Monaco, Nauru, Swaziland, Suriname

The report also says there have been 162,380 cases but the actual total is supected to be much higher.

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Global H1N1 Swine Flu Death Toll at 816

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST

The World Health Organization has a new update today that puts the total death toll from the H1N1 swine flu virus at 816. So far, most of the cases and deaths have occurred in the Americas.

The WHO has stopped asking countries to supply individual case counts but it appears they are still tracking deaths from the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Chart source: WHO

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California H1N1 Deaths Climb to 55

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST

The Contra Costa Times reports that the number of H1N1 swine flu deaths has climb to 55. 23 additional new deaths have come in a single week.

"We expect to continue to see more cases of swine flu, more serious cases and, unfortunately, more deaths," said Ken August, spokesman for the California Department of Public Health.

Though health officials expected the spread of swine flu to slow in the hot summer months, as influenza viruses often do, the virus hasn't gone away, August said.

"While the majority of cases have been mild so far, public health officials remain very concerned that the virus could evolve into a more serious strain of influenza," he said.

The California Department of Health's website has a helpful chart here that shows the case distribution by country in California. The chart also indicates there have been 441 hospitalizations in the state from H1N1 swine flu.

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47 Deaths From H1N1 Swine Flu in New York City

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Deaths from H1N1 swine flu climbed to 47 in New York City as of July 7th. The number of deaths increased by 9 since July 1st. There have been over 900 people hospitalized in New York City because of the swine flu. Even though the numbers are increasing the cases and deaths do not garner nearly as much attention as they did when they outbreak first began. Instead of giving press conferences the data is now updated on the NYC Health Department website. New York City Health Department's website can be found here.

Graphic: New York City Health Department

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H1N1 Swine Flu Update 7-6-09

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

The latest swine flu update (#58) from the World Health Organization (WHO) has the case total approaching 100,000 confirmed cases. Officially there have been 94,512 confirmed cases and 429 deaths. Here's a list of the countries reporting the most swine flu deaths.

United States - 170
Mexico - 119
Argentina - 60
Canada - 25
Chile - 14
Australia -10

Some reports recently have indicated potentially high death tolls from h1n1 swine flu. The CDC has mentioned the possibility of 90,000 to 450,000. The British government mentioned the possibility of 40 deaths per day by late August. The death toll will depend on what percentage of the population becomes ill. If a large percentage (like 30-40%) of the population falls ill then it is reasonable to expect large death tolls even if the death rate is quite low. The lack of immunity or a vaccine makes it likely that many people will get sick from the h1n1 swine flu virus.

There was also a high-profile celebrity swine flu case - Rupert Grint from the Harry Potter films was infected and recovered. Hopefully, his illness will help raise awareness about the swine flu pandemic.

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Experts Find First Swine Flu Case Resitant to Tamiflu

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

The BBC reports that experts have discovered the first case of swine flu that is resistant to tamiflu, an antiviral drug being used to fight h1n1.

Roche Holding AG confirmed a patient with H1N1 influenza in Denmark showed resistance to the antiviral drug.

David Reddy, company executive, said it was not unexpected given that common seasonal flu could do the same.

The news comes as a nine-year-old girl has become the third to die in the UK with swine flu.

Virologist Professor John Oxford told the BBC, "I'm not surprised about this finding. The question is whether it is going to spread. We will soon know the answer."

The CDC has categorized swine flu as a Category 2 outbreak, with the possibility of 90,000 to 450,000 deaths in the U.S. There were are record 6,300 new cases in the U.S. last week.

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Michael Jackson Has Cardiac Arrest

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST

Michael Jackson suffered from a cardiac arrest and died. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen explains what a cardiac arrest is and how it is different than a heart attack. A cardiac arrest is when a heart stops functioning. Rescu usually only works when someone gets it within ten minutes but the outcome is usually not good if the person is not helped within three to five minutes.

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Heart Hospital and Glassworks Create Virtual Heart

Sun, 31 May 2009 17:00:00 EST

This detailed animated heart was created by a team of doctors from the Heart Hospital in London and computer animation experts from Glassworks. The virtual heart can be manipulated using a computer mouse or keyboard. New Scientist says the computer simulated heart is the most realistic to date. Take a look:

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CDC: Fatality Rate for H1N1 Slightly Higher Than Seasonal Flu

Tue, 19 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

An MSNBC.com article quotes Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC as saying the fatality rate for H1N1 swine flu appears to be slightly higher than that of seasonal flu. These contradicts what many health officials have been saying - that the H1N1 virus is no more severe than seasonal flu. Dr. Anne Schucat also says there are 200 people hospitalized with swine flu and more deaths are expected.

"We wonder whether this strain will continue during the summer and give us more of a summer influenza pattern," said Schuchat, interim deputy director for science and public health program. "Unfortunately, we don't know whether we're going to get a break this summer with this virus."

So far, the fatality rate for the novel virus appears to be slightly higher than for seasonal influenza, which contributes to an estimated 36,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, Schuchat said. More than 200 people have been hospitalized, mostly children and teens, which is also very different from seasonal infections.

Schuchat warned that the virus likely will continue to spread and to cause more hospitalizations and more deaths.

Hopefully, we will get a break this summer but even we do people have to not let down their guard this fall. The virus spreads easily because most people do not appear to have immunity to it and there is no vaccine.

A list of H1N1 web resources can be found here.

Photo: CDC

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CDC: 50,000 People May Have Swine Flu

Fri, 15 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

WebMD reports that Daniel Jernigan, MD, PhD, deputy director of the CDC's influenza division says that more than 100,000 Americans probably have the flu and of these at least half probably have swine flu. This means there are probably 50,000 or more people with the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Jernigan noted that the 4,700 confirmed or probable cases of swine flu reported to CDC represent a gross underestimate. When asked how many actual cases there were, Jernigan noted that 7% to 10% of the U.S. population -- up to 30 million people -- get the seasonal flu each year.

"So with the amount of activity we are seeing now, it is a little hard to know what that means in terms of making an estimate now of the total number of people with flu out in the community," Jernigan said. "But if I had to make an estimate, I would say ... probably upwards of maybe 100,000."

The WebMD article also says that flu cases are going up at a time of year when they generally decrease.

At a time when flu season should be ending or over, the CDC's flu season indicators are going up instead of down. As of May 9, 22 states had widespread or regional flu.

WebMD says that flu/pneumonia deaths for the week ending May 9th were 7.2% of all deaths. This is just under the "epidemic threshold" of 7.4% of all deaths. WebMD also reports that 173 people been hospitalized with H1N1 so far and most of them have been very young, between 5-24 years old.

You can find links to H1N1 resources on our H1N1 resources page.

Swine flu image via CDC images

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WHO Update: 3440 Swine Flu Cases in 26 Countries

Sat, 9 May 2009 15:00:00 EST

The World Health Organization says in its latest update that 26 countries have officially reported 3440 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. The cases include 48 confirmed deaths - 45 in Mexico, 1 in Canada and 2 in the United States.

Mexico has reported 1364 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 45 deaths. The United States has reported 1639 laboratory confirmed human cases, including two deaths. Canada has reported 242 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (6), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (12), Germany (11), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (6), Japan (3), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (5), Panama (2), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (88), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (34).

The latest WHO update can be found here. WHO also has provided a map that shows the cases as of May 9th. More h1n1 resources can be found here.

WHO's influenza pandemic alert raised from phase 4 to 5 but they have not yet upgraded it to phase 6.

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WHO Update: 1124 Swine Flu Cases in 21 Countries

Tue, 5 May 2009 03:30:00 EST

The World Health Organization says in its latest update that 21 countries have officially reported 1124 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. The cases include 26 confirmed deaths - 25 in Mexico and 1 in the United States.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The United States has reported 286 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (140), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (54), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (18).

The latest WHO update can be found here. WHO also has provided a map that shows the cases as of May 4th. More h1n1 resources can be found here.

WHO's influenza pandemic alert raised from phase 4 to 5 but they have not yet upgraded it to phase 6.

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WHO Update: 985 Swine Flu Cases in 20 Countries

Mon, 4 May 2009 03:00:00 EST

The World Health Organization says in its latest update that 20 countries have officially reported 985 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. The cases include 26 confirmed deaths - 25 in Mexico and 1 in the United States.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States has reported 226 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (85), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (2), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (3), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (40), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15).

The latest WHO update can be found here. WHO also has provided a map that shows the cases as of May 3rd. More h1n1 resources can be found here.

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WHO Raises Phase of Pandemic Alert to Level 5

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:00:00 EST

The World Health Organization raised the alert for swine flu to level five. This is one level short of a full pandemic and suggests a pandemic is imminent. Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's director-general, said, "It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic."

There are at least 91 cases in the United States and one death. There are also a growing number of countries with mounting swine flu cases. Schools are closing in the United States in an attempt to stop the spread of the swine flu. A vaccine is in the works but won't be available until September, at the earliest. You can find links to some swine flu resources here.

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WHO Swine Flu Update for April 28th

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new swine flu update today. New countries confirming cases of A/H1N1 include Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Israel and Spain. There are suspected cases in several other countries.

The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 19:15 GMT, 28 April 2009, seven countries have officially reported cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 64 laboratory confirmed human cases, with no deaths. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Canada (6), New Zealand (3), the United Kingdom (2), Israel (2) and Spain (2).

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

The WHO update also noted that there is no risk of infection from swine flu from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.

The WHO's swine flu page is located here. You can find links to swine flu resources here.

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Swine Flu Emerges Suddenly as Next Possible Pandemic

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:00:00 EST

A serious outbreak of swine flu in Mexico that has killed 103 people could become the next pandemic according to experts at WHO and the CDC. A pandemic is not a certainty yet, just a possibility. There have been at least 20 cases in the U.S. with no deaths and just one person was hospitalized. Cases have also been reported in Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, Isreal, France and Spain. Planes with sick passengers from Mexico are currently the main way the virus is spreading.

The swine flu in Mexico has reportedly killed primarily young health people aged 25-45. This raises concern that people are dying not directly from the flu itself but possibly from what's called a cytokine storm. Tara C. Smith, writing at the Aetiology blog, explains more about the cytokine storm here. We still do not know for sure how exactly the flu outbreak is killing people in Mexico City.

A Guardian article says that health experts in Mexico suspect that "tens of thousands" may have been infected and recovered.

Across Mexico, more than 1,300 people were tested for suspected swine flu infection and 400 were taken to hospital for checks. Health officials believe that tens of thousands, and possibly more, have been infected but have since recovered.

If so, this would greatly reduce the percentage of those who die from the swine flu but it is still too early to ascertain what is going on.

You can find some resources here. We will be frequently updating this page with new resources and adding more local government health resources.

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Study Finds Vegetarians Get Less Cancer

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST

Marie Claire reports that a large study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of over 50,000 men and women found that vegetarians get far fewer cancers. However, the study found unexpectedly that vegetarians get more colorectal cancer.

However, the study of 52,700 men and women, which was published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, wasn't all good news for vegetarians. It was discovered, too, that vegetarians were more likely to have colorectal cancer.

This was surprising as it seems to contradict previous evidence that eating lots of red meat increases the risk of developing the disease.

The Telegraph is also reporting on the research. They note that fish-eaters also had a lower risk of cancer than meat eaters. There's also been news recently of a study that found that mushrooms may help ward off breast cancer.

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Study Finds Doodling Helps With Retention

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:40:00 EST

The BBC reports that a new study has found that doodling may help with memory recall. Doodlers performed 29% better in the study than non-doodlers. The scientists said the doodling may keep people from distracting daydreaming and help keep them focused on the tasks at hand.

Plymouth University researchers carried out memory tests on 40 volunteers, asking them to listen to a phone call and recall names and places.

Doodlers performed 29% better than non-doodlers, the team found. Experts said doodling stopped people from daydreaming, which was a more taxing diversion, and so was good at helping people focus on mundane tasks.

During the study, half of the volunteers were asked to colour in shapes on a piece of paper while they listened to a 2.5 minute telephone message.

It might help even more if your doodles are related to what you are trying to learn or remember.

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The Medpedia Project Launches Medpedia.com

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

The Medpedia Project has announced the public launch of the beta version of Medpedia.com, a health resource and technology platform for the worldwide health community. Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine, Berkeley School of Public Health, University of Michigan Medical School and other health organizations, are contributing in various ways to Medpedia. The goal of The Medpedia Project is to create a new model of how the world will assemble, maintain, critique and access medical knowledge. Since the announcement of The Medpedia Project in July 2008, over 110 organizations have contributed or pledged over 7,000 pages of content to the knowledge base, and thousands of people have become a part of the community.

For the general public, this page explains how to use Medpedia and this page list all the topics covered on medpedia.com.

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Scientists Map Genome of Common Cold Virus

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Scientists have mapped the entire genome of the common cold virus. It won't lead to an immediate cure but it could be the next step in finding a cure.

"We have the pieces all in place. They can't go in any other way. Now we have to understand what the pictures are telling us," said Dr. Stephen B. Liggett, professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of its Cardiopulmonary Genomics Program.

The research was published in the online edition of the journal Science on Thursday afternoon.

Technically known as the human rhinovirus infection, the common cold is responsible for half of all asthma attacks and is a factor in bronchitis, sinusitis, middle-ear infections and pneumonia. The coughs, sneezes and sniffles of colds impose a major health care burden in the United States -- including visits to health care providers, cost of over-the-counter drugs for symptom relief, often-inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and missed work days -- with direct and indirect costs of about $60 billion annually.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the genetic map of the rhinovirus. Take a look:

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Bill Gates Unleashes Mosquitoes on Unsuspecting Audience

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST

Bill Gates released a bunch of mosquitoes on the unsuspecting audience at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference. Gates was trying to demonstrate how easily malaria is spread. The mosquitoes Gates released did not carry the disease.

"Malaria is spread by mosquitoes," Gates said while opening a jar onstage at a gathering known to attract technology kings, politicians, and Hollywood stars.

"I brought some. Here I'll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected."

Gates waited a minute or so before assuring the audience the liberated insects were malaria-free.

TED curator Chris Anderson fired back at the legendary computer software maker, joking that the headline for the video of his talk to be posted online at Ted.com would be "Gates releases more bugs into the world."

It sounds like that it was an effective demonstration. Gates' mosquito release is getting a lot of media attention which helps focus on attention on the need to stop malaria.

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Dust Mites Trigger Asthma By Tricking the Immune System

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

The horrible looking creature above is a dust mite and it is known to trigger asthma attacks. Dean Smith, Executive Director of the American Asthma Foundation, says "although dust mites are known to trigger asthma attacks, until now we did not know why the allergic response to the mites was so strong." The mystery was solved as a result of research funded by the American Asthma Foundation's Strategic Program for Asthma Research (SPAR). The lead investigator, Dr. Christopher Karp, and his colleagues found that house dust mites trick the immune system into believing that it is facing a bacterial infection. Thus misinformed, the immune system mounts a strong allergic response to the mites, a response that can trigger asthma attacks.

They have the cause so maybe now they can come up with a cure. Maybe they can create a drug that can keep this allergic response to dust mites from happening in the first place.

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Diet and Catch the Flu?

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST

Dieting may not be wise if what MSU researchers found in mice translates to humans as well. BBC reports that the MSU researchers found that mice that were fed 40% less were more likely to catch the flu. Mice fed less also took longer to recover from the flu.

The team at Michigan State University found even though the mice on the lower calorie diet received adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, their bodies were still not able to produce the number of killer cells needed to fight an infection.

As well as being more likely to die from the virus, the mice - which were consuming around 40% of the calories given to their counterparts on a normal diet - took longer to recover, lost more weight and displayed other symptoms of poor health.

"Our research shows that having a body ready to fight a virus will lead to a faster recovery and less-severe effects than if it is calorically restricted," said study author Professor Elizabeth Gardner.

It would be interesting to see if the study gets the same results with other viruses such as the common cold virus. Flu activity has been pretty low so far this year but it is starting to pick up in the Northeast - you can see the latest graphic showing activity in the U.S. state here on the CDC's website.

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Colonoscopy Best at Finding Cancer on Left Side of Colon

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:40:00 EST

The Washington Post reports that the colonoscopy is much better at detecting colorectal cancer on the left side of the colon than the right.

The procedure does a good job of detecting early signs of disease on the left side of the colon, or large intestine, but is not as effective at spotting potential problems of the right side of the organ. This means a colonoscopy's success at preventing colorectal cancer deaths seems to lie with its ability to uncover so-called "left-sided" problems.

"We did find that colonoscopies are effective -- that's the good news. It's still one of the best screening tests for any cancer that we have," said study author Dr. Nancy Baxter, a colorectal surgeon with St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

"But it's not perfect," she added. "And it does not appear to be as effective in picking up growths on the right side of the colon as it is in detecting them on the left side."

The findings are published online Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

That's disturbing because colon cancer can often be a killer if it isn't diagnosed early. A doctor gave one reason for the discrepancy, explaining that polyps tend to grow flatter on the right side of the colon. Doctors say it is still a great test that saves lives but patients really need a colon cancer test that is both more thorough and less invasive. The ultimate solution might be miniature robots that examine your colon but that's still a solution for the future and not available today.

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Study Finds Sleep Might Help Clear Arteries

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST

The Washington Post reports that a new five-year study has found that more sleep can reduce calcium deposits in people's arteries. Specifically, the study found that people getting one extra hour of sleep each night were less likely to have "artery-stiffening calcium deposits." The researchers do not know why there is a link between more sleep reduced calcium deposits but they do have theories involving cortisol and reduced blood pressure.

After adjusting for lots of potential risk factors, such as sex, race, and smoking habits, the researchers found that one more hour of sleep a night decreased the risk of calcification by a third. That's about as much as a 16.5-point reduction in blood pressure, the researchers said.

"Nothing came out of the study as appearing to explain the association," Lauderdale said. But she believes that there are three possible explanations.

One is that another factor, such as socioeconomic status, was the connection here. A second is that a stress-related hormone, cortisol, which has been tied to decreased sleep and increased calcification, is the link.

"Finally, sleep is related to blood pressure, and that is a coronary artery disease risk factor," Lauderdale said. "It's possible that for people who were sleeping more, their 24-hour blood pressure was lower than their daytime blood pressure."

It's already been proven that being sleep deprived can be unhealthy so it is best to try to get a full night's sleep. It's disturbing news for those who are unable to get a full night's sleep because of work or health issues. It's also confusing because no one knows exactly what a full night's sleep is and the hours of sleep people need varies in individuals. For more on how much sleep you really need read this article from Time that talks about a study that tried to answer this question.

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Face Transplants Carry Psychological and Physical Risks

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

The first partial face transplant was conducted in France in 2005. The 38-year-old female patient named Isabelle Dinoire had lost her had nose, lips and chin after being attacked by a dog. The transplant was a success but the French woman says she is "still struggling to come to terms with what she sees in the mirror every day." CBS says the transplants are complex and they carry the risk of both physical and psychological effects. Wikipedia lists a few other face transplants done on patiented who had suffered severe face damage in thresher accidents. The first U.S. face transplant was recently done and the patient is said to be "very happy." Julie Chen talks to a plastic surgeon in the clip below about facial transplation.

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Is it a Cold or a Flu?

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

CBS News reporter Maggie Rodriguez talked to Dr. Holly Phillips about a commonly asked question by people feeling sick, "Do I have a Cold or a Flu?" Dr. Holly Phillips says most of the time its the common cold. She says adults get between 2 or 4 colds each year and children get as many as 6 to 10 cold each year. The flu tends to come with a high fever and the "run over by a truck" feeling. Doctors do have a rapid flu test available. The one thing this video does not discuss is allergies which can also be confused with a cold or a flu.

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Study Finds Web Health Searches Fuel Fears

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST

Everyone likes to search for information about their ailments online. There's always detailed information all kinds of diseases and conditions. There are also online communities filled with people dealing with similar ailments and illnesses. The BBC reports on a study that found some of this online research may feed health fears and breed a "generation of cyberchondriacs." The study surveyed 515 Microsoft employees about their health-related searching.

The researchers found Web searches for common symptoms such as headache and chest pain were just as likely or more likely to lead people to pages describing serious conditions as benign ones, even though the serious illnesses are much more rare.

Searching for "chest pain" or "muscle twitches" returned terrifying results with the same frequency as less serious ailments, even though the chances of having a heart attack or a fatal neurodegenerative condition is far lower than having simple indigestion or muscle strain, for example.

About a third of the 515 Microsoft employees who answered a survey on their medical search habits "escalated" their follow-up searches to explore serious, rarer illnesses.

It seems the study only found the obvious. Sure a search for "chest pain" or even "itchy rash" can send you toward some very serious conditions if you search hard enough. The study is missing the point as to how valuable all this information is that people could not easily get before the Internet. No one is suggesting the Internet replaces your physician. It's important that people have access to all this information so they can conduct their own research and so they can communicate with - and learn from - others suffering from similar conditions and diseases.

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Cold Cough Photo Using Schlieren Photography

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST

Above is a frightening photograph of someone with a cold coughing and a thick cloud of cold virus being released and widely dispersed. A technique called Schlieren photography was used by Professor Gary Settles to show how a cough can spread the cold virus through the air. Now you know why the common cold spreads so quickly. (via News.com)

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Google Uses Search Results to Estimate Flu Activity

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST

Google has launched a new service called Google Flu Trends that uses search activity to estimate flu activity in your state. They say it could act as an early warning system for a severe outbreak.

So why bother with estimates from aggregated search queries? It turns out that traditional flu surveillance systems take 1-2 weeks to collect and release surveillance data, but Google search queries can be automatically counted very quickly. By making our flu estimates available each day, Google Flu Trends may provide an early-warning system for outbreaks of influenza.

Reuters has a story here about Google's new service.

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Study: Women's Hands Have More Bacteria Than Men's

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

The BBC reports that a new study has found that women harbour more types of bacteria on their hands than men

Women have a greater range of different types of bacteria on the palms of their hands than men, US research suggests.

The study also found that human hands harbour far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously thought.

Using powerful gene sequencing techniques, researchers found a typical hand had roughly 150 different species of bacteria living on it.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study found bacteria types varied greatly between individuals.

The article says the research may eventually help scientists determine which bacteria species are linked to different diseases. One theory as to why women may carry more types of bacteria is that men tend to have more acidic skin. Here's CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta talking about the study.

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Treating Itchy Eyes With OTC Eye Drops

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

This video from Fox News discusses some of the OTC drugs that help with eye itching and irritation caused by allergies. In the video Dr. Manny says he likes a recent drug called Pataday that treats your eyes. It's a one drop once-a-day treatment as opposed to other eye allergy drops that need to applied twice daily. Dr. Manny says Paraday works just as well as the twice-a-day OTC allergy medications. Dr. Manny also warns against rubbing your eyes which is very difficult not to do if your eyes are itching.

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Virginia Drugstore Refusing to Sell Contraceptives

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:00:00 EST

CNN says a new drug store in a Virginia strip mall is refusing to sell any contraceptives of any kind. They are doing this because of religious beliefs. You can also read an here about the Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy (DMC Pharmacy) in Virginia.

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AOA Warns Halloween Eye Wear Can Damage Eyes

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:00:00 EST

The American Optometric Association (AOA) is warning consumers about the risks of wearing decorative contact lenses without a prescription from an eye doctor. These non-corrective lenses are especially popular around Halloween. According to the AOA, only a proper medical evaluation from an eye doctor can determine whether or not patients are viable candidates to wear contact lenses, if they are capable of wearing lenses without problems, and that the lenses fit properly.

"Purchasing contact lenses without a prescription can result in serious eye health and vision damage since consumers are not properly educated on cleaning and disinfecting, nor in proper removal and application of the contact lens," said Paul Klein, O.D., chair of the AOA's Contact Lens and Cornea Section. "Without a prescription and wearing instructions from an eye doctor, consumers who wear these contact lenses put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye's ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss."

The AOA says other risks associated with the use of decorative contact lenses include conjunctivitis, swelling, allergic reaction and corneal abrasion due to poor lens fit. Additional medical problems may result in a reduction of visual acuity (sight), contrast sensitivity and other general eye and vision impairments.

"Even though they carry no prescription, and may be worn for short periods of time, decorative contact lenses carry the same risks as corrective contact lenses," said Dr. Klein. "Because of this, it's important for consumers utilizing these lenses to familiarize themselves with the information available from an eye doctor, so as to reduce the risk of infection."

Recommendations for Decorative Contact Lens Wearers from the American Optometric Association

See an optometrist for a proper fitting and prescription
Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses.
Carefully and regularly clean contact lenses, as directed by your optometrist. Rub the contact lenses with fingers and rinse thoroughly before soaking lenses overnight in sufficient multi-purpose solution to completely cover the lens.
Store lenses in the proper lens storage case and replace the case at a minimum of every three months. Clean the case after each use, and keep it open and dry between cleanings.
Use only products recommended by your optometrist to clean and disinfect your lenses. Saline solution and rewetting drops are not designed to disinfect lenses.
Only fresh solution should be used to clean and store contact lenses. Never re-use old solution. Contact lens solution must be changed according to the manufacturer's recommendations, even if the lenses are not used daily.
Always follow the recommended contact lens replacement schedule prescribed by your optometrist.
Remove contact lenses before swimming or entering a hot tub.
See your optometrist for your regularly scheduled contact lens and eye examination.

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Super Lice Frustrate Parents and Leave Kids Itchy

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:40:00 EST

Super lice are real. The nasty little critters have developed immunity and cannot be killed easily with today's commercial lice killers. MSNBC has an article about super lice.

Researchers have been warning for years that head lice in the U.S. and around the world are developing immunity to the strong insecticides used in over-the-counter and prescription shampoos. It takes just three to five years for the bugs to adapt to a new product, despite claims to the contrary by the manufacturers, noted Shirley C. Gordon, an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University who studies persistent head lice.

Health officials have continued to recommend the products, however, because over-the-counter medications like the permethrin in Nix, the pyrethrin s in RID, the lindane in Kwell and the prescription malathion in Ovide still work in some people, some of the time.

But the nation's school nurses, often the first defense against the scourge, say it's clear to them that families confronted with the critters are increasingly frustrated by the product failures.

Fox News and New York Daily News also have super lice stories.

The super lice still look the same as regular lice - a louse is about the size of a sesame seed. In the video below lice expert Dr. Daniel Rauch recommends some smothering products including mayonnaise and olive oil. The regular lice-fighting shampoos are not as effective as killing super lice. These products have to stay on the head for two to four hours. It sounds gross putting this in your hair but it sure beats having super lice.

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Britain Adds Graphic Labels to Cigarette Packs

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

The image on the right is one of the new graphic images the UK is going to require on cigarette packs to deter people from smoking. You can see another image here which shows a man with what appears to be a horrible throat tumor.

The pictures, which show cancerous lungs and throats as well as rotting teeth, replace written warnings such as "Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes" or "Smoking can cause a slow and painful death" which currently greet going to light up.

The picture warnings will start appearing on cigarette packs from October 1 and will be compulsory from October next year. They will be printed on all tobacco products from October 2010.

One in six people in Britain smoke out of population of more than 60 million and the government has been stepping up measures to reduce that figure.

It's not something anyone wants to look at or see on a product they are using. It does make the message that smoking is unhealthy very clear. More discussion of the new labels can be found here, here, here and here.

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John McCain Takes Stricter Stance on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST

Wired reports tha Senator John McCain has taken a stronger stance against embryonic stem cell research lately. Wired says McCain would even "criminalize a promising branch of stem cell research."

In his statement, McCain at first claimed to support ESC research. However, he said "clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress" -- a qualification that disturbed many scientists and bioethicists with its ambiguity.

McCain also took a harder line than the Bush administration with somatic cell nuclear transfer, better known as therapeutic cloning -- a cutting-edge process that could some day provide personalized embryonic stem cell therapies. Though currently legal, McCain would outlaw the technique.

The new stance is an abrupt reversal for the Arizona senator. As recently as 2007, McCain appeared to favor embryonic stem cell research more strongly than most of the Republican party, especially its most religiously conservative members. "I believe that we need to fund this," he said during a presidential candidates' debate in May 2007.

Since then, he's become steadily cagier in his support, courting Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, an ardent opponent of all ESC research, and avoiding discussion of ESCs in favor of alternative cell types. Those familiar with the debate interpreted McCain's latest platform, which framed his support in the language of research opponents, as a signal that President Bush's research-limiting policies may continue.

Wired notes that McCain would make it a "federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes." They quote a Harvard researcher who says he would be arrested for research he peforms today on somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

"I am researching SCNT and so would be considered a criminal if McCain gets his way," said the Harvard researcher Daley. "It's a sad society that starts criminalizing legitimate science."

The article says that is an unlikely such a ban on SCNT would pas Congress. You can read another article about McCain's stem cell positions and about criminalizing SCNT here. A ban on human cloning and the creation of human embryos is part of the GOP's health platform. With this platform it seems they would also be against IVF.

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What Should You Keep In Your Medicine Cabinet?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

Dr. Mallika Marshall shows Chris Wragge on the CBS News HealthWatch segment what some of the essential over-the-counter medicine products are. This might be helpful to keep in your medicine cabinet. Some of the drugs Dr. Marshall mentions includes Sudafed, Bendadryl, Claritan, Acetominiphine, Ibuprofen, Tums, Mylanta, Maalox, Neosporin, Band-aids, Hydrocortison and Nasal Saline Drops.

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Study Finds No Measles Vaccine and Autism Link

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST

A new study has found that there is no link between the measles vaccine and Autism.

Lipkin and colleagues searched for traces of genetic material linked to the virus in intestinal tissue taken from 25 children with autism and gastrointestinal problems. They compared the samples to those from 13 children without autism but with intestinal problems.

In 24 of the group of 25 and in 12 of the 13, there was no evidence of viral persistence, leading researchers to conclude the vaccine did not cause autism or gastrointestinal problems.

During a news briefing yesterday, Lipkin said his research showed the sole benefit of Wakefield's study - it highlighted that children with autism often have disabling gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Researchers now believe such problems afflict 25 percent of children with autism-related conditions.

"We found no relationship between the timing of the MMR vaccine and the onset of either GI complaints or autism," Dr. Mady Hornig, also of Columbia, said.

There was a study in 1998 that raised the question of a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism but this new study found no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism. The CDC has a page about the MMR vaccine and the risks involved for those not getting the vaccine. Elizabeth Cohen discussed the findings on CNN. Cohen says that one autism group says the study "puts the issue to bed." However, critics argue the study was poorly done and raises more questions. Cohen also said fewer kids are getting vaccinated for MMR because of concerns about the vaccine.

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3-D Brain Surgery

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

3-D is no longer just a special effect tool for the movies. Brain surgeons are starting to use 3-D technology for brain surgery. The technology should help surgeons operate more easily on brain tumors. The video from CBS talks about a patient who had a brain tumor that was partially blocking his vision.

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