Medical | Page 441 of 472 | SpiritIndia.com

Tuberculosis :: Promising New TB Drug Enters Clinical Trial

A promising new drug candidate that may be effective against both actively dividing and slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) has begun testing in humans, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced today. The novel antibiotic, PA-824, may shorten the time needed to treat tuberculosis (TB), a contagious disease that claims approximately two million lives worldwide each year. In partnership with the non-profit New York-based Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), NIAID contributed to the drug candidate?s preclinical safety and efficacy testing in animal models. Now, a clinical trial to assess PA-824?s safety, sponsored by the TB Alliance, has opened at a medical clinic in Lincoln, NE.

Diabetes :: New diabetes drug aids blood fats as well as sugar

An experimental pill that controls blood fats as well as blood sugar could be a better treatment for diabetics with high cholesterol even though side effects may be worse than current drugs, researchers said.

Breast Cancer :: At-Home Breast Cancer Detector Effective

A hand-held imaging device designed for use at home appears effective in detecting breast cancer in its early stages, according to a University of Pennsylvania researcher who hopes the device might be available commercially to women in a year or two.

Pregnancy :: Yoga may help improve pregnancy outcome

The practice of yoga during pregnancy seems to improve birth weight and reduce prematurity and overall complications, Indian researchers report.

Bronchiolitis :: Chest physio doesn’t help infants with bronchiolitis

Chest physiotherapy using vibration and percussion techniques does not reduce length of hospital stay, oxygen requirements, or reduce symptoms in infants with acute bronchiolitis who are not being ventilated and don’t have any other accompanying illness.

Drug addiction :: Boosting social skills reduces teenage drug use and addiction

School-based programmes that develop individual young people’s social skills are the best way to reduce drug use.

Depression :: St. John’s wort also effective in severe depression

The rate of satisfactory treatment outcomes in moderate and severe depression is at least as high with a plant extract of St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) as with the synthetic antidepressant paroxetine. This is the finding to emerge from a new research study recently published in advance in the online issue of the renowned British Medical Journal.

Diet :: Teach Children to Eat Healthier

Parents, take heart: You can teach your child to eat healthier. A study of preadolescent children found that those who attended a behaviorally oriented nutrition education program and were taught to follow a diet low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol adopted significantly better dietary habits over several years compared to their peers who received only general nutritional information.

Diabetes :: People with Diabetes More Sensitive to Cardiovascular Effects

People with diabetes may be at higher risk for cardiovascular problems when air pollution levels are higher, according to a new study of Boston-area residents. The ability of the blood vessels to control blood flow was impaired in adults with diabetes on days with elevated levels of particles from traffic and coal-burning power plants.

Childhood Obesity :: Find Environmental Solutions to Childhood Obesity

National and community leaders join researchers today to sort out how a child?s environment increases the risk for obesity and to identify ways the environment can be changed to address this health epidemic. More than 700 people will gather for a two-day conference, Environmental Solutions to Obesity in America?s Youth – sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, one of the National Institutes of Health.