Health Headlines - May 14

Tumor Blocker Found to Prevent Growth of Breast Cancer Enzyme

A team of Canadian scientists says it has found a way to block an enzyme that promotes the growth of breast cancer tumors, BBC News reports.

McGill University researchers report in the latest edition of Nature Genetics that the enzyme PTP1B appears to promote uncontrolled cell growth in the breast, which can produce cancerous tumors. Using laboratory mice, the scientists were able to use a drug developed by the pharmaceutical firm Merck and Co. that blocks PTP1B development.

This method could prevent up to 40 percent of breast cancer malignancy, the researchers said. The possibility of combining it with the breast cancer drug Herceptin might improve effectiveness, according to the study leader, Michel Tremblay, a professor at McGill's Department of Medical Biology.

"It's another tool to tackle cancers... however it won't cure cancer alone," BBC News quotes Tremblay as saying. "Combined with Herceptin, it may provide a 'two-way kill'."

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Proposed New Jersey Law Mandates HIV Testing for Pregnant Women and Newborns

New Jersey could become the first state in the nation to require HIV testing for both pregnant women and their newborn babies.

The Associated Press reports that with the comment that his proposed statute is a "no-brainer," state senate president Richard Codey (D) introduced the bill last week, requiring pregnant women to be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, twice: once early in the pregnancy and once in the third trimester. The baby would be tested shortly after being born, the proposed law says.

While other states have some provisions requiring HIV testing, none mandates both mother and baby to be tested, the A.P. reports. Under Codey's bill, a mother could opt out if she submits her objection in writing.

Codey told the A.P. that he made the HIV testing statute a priority after he saw a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding that treating an HIV-infected pregnant woman could dramatically reduce the possibility the virus would passed on to her child. "For newborns this can be a lifesaving measure," the wire service quotes him as saying.

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'Pulse,' Rather Than 'Shock,' May be Better in Implanted Defibrillators

While much of the research presented about implanted defibrillators at this past week's annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society in Denver was positive, one report questioned whether the device's basic element -- an electronic jolt to bring the heart back into rhythm -- was necessary.

The New York Times reports that a study led by Dr. Bruce L. Wilkoff, a defibrillator expert from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, found that electronic pulses similar to those used in pacemakers would suffice in many situations. The difference, the research concludes, is that the patient wouldn't need to experience the possible damage from the electronic shock, now the hallmark of the implanted defibrillator.

In fact, the newspaper reports, a steady stream of pulses -- usually not felt by the patient -- might actually save more lives. Previous studies have concluded that in 80 percent of cases when a defibrillator has been implanted, a reviving jolt is never needed, the Times reports.

"A lot of these shocks should be classified as inappropriate," the newspaper quotes Wilkoff as saying. The study was sponsored by Medtronics, which makes implantable defibrillators.

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Bare Metal Stents Better for Surgery Candidates: Study

While cardiac stents covered with a drug are more effective at keeping diseased arteries propped open, heart patients who undergo non-cardiac surgery after getting a stent would do better with a bare metal one, researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have found.

A stent is a metal mesh tube designed to be inserted into a once-clogged artery to keep it from re-clogging and narrowing. But a drug-releasing stent could lead to clotting inside the stent, especially when surgery is performed within weeks of a stent placement, the researchers found. Just before their procedures, surgical candidates often are told to stop blood-thinning medicines, compounding the problem, the researchers said.

The scientists studied 60 patients who averaged 68 years old. Some 27 percent of these patients had been diagnosed with diabetes, which can complicate surgery.

Results of the research were to be announced Friday at a meeting of the Society for Cardiovascular Angioplasty and Interventions, in Orlando, Fla.

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Scientists Create Artificial Blood Derived From Plastic

An artificial blood derived from plastic molecules has been developed by British researchers at Sheffield University, BBC News reported Friday.

The plastic molecules have an iron atom at their core that functions much like hemoglobin found in human blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

The new blood, which could be used as a substitute in an emergency, does not need to be cooled and keeps longer than real blood, the researchers said.

"This product can be stored a lot more easily than blood, meaning large quantities could be carried easily by ambulances and the armed forces," Dr. Lance Twyman, one of the university's researchers, told BBC News.

The scientists are looking for more funding to develop a prototype suitable for biologic testing, the network said.

Health Headlines - May 13

Proposed New Jersey Law Mandates HIV Testing for Pregnant Women and Newborns

New Jersey could become the first state in the nation to require HIV testing for both pregnant women and their newborn babies.

The Associated Press reports that with the comment that his proposed statute is a "no-brainer," state senate president Richard Codey (D) introduced the bill last week, requiring pregnant women to be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, twice: once early in the pregnancy and once in the third trimester. The baby would be tested shortly after being born, the proposed law says.

While other states have some provisions requiring HIV testing, none mandates both mother and baby to be tested, the A.P. reports. Under Codey's bill, a mother could opt out if she submits her objection in writing.

Codey told the A.P. that he made the HIV testing statute a priority after he saw a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding that treating an HIV-infected pregnant woman could dramatically reduce the possibility the virus would passed on to her child. "For newborns this can be a lifesaving measure," the wire service quotes him as saying.

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'Pulse,' Rather Than 'Shock,' May be Better in Implanted Defibrillators

While much of the research presented about implanted defibrillators at this past week's annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society in Denver was positive, one report questioned whether the device's basic element -- an electronic jolt to bring the heart back into rhythm -- was necessary.

The New York Times reports that a study led by Dr. Bruce L. Wilkoff, a defibrillator expert from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, found that electronic pulses similar to those used in pacemakers would suffice in many situations. The difference, the research concludes, is that the patient wouldn't need to experience the possible damage from the electronic shock, now the hallmark of the implanted defibrillator.

In fact, the newspaper reports, a steady stream of pulses -- usually not felt by the patient -- might actually save more lives. Previous studies have concluded that in 80 percent of cases when a defibrillator has been implanted, a reviving jolt is never needed, the Times reports.

"A lot of these shocks should be classified as inappropriate," the newspaper quotes Wilkoff as saying. The study was sponsored by Medtronics, which makes implantable defibrillators.

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Bare Metal Stents Better for Surgery Candidates: Study

While cardiac stents covered with a drug are more effective at keeping diseased arteries propped open, heart patients who undergo non-cardiac surgery after getting a stent would do better with a bare metal one, researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have found.

A stent is a metal mesh tube designed to be inserted into a once-clogged artery to keep it from re-clogging and narrowing. But a drug-releasing stent could lead to clotting inside the stent, especially when surgery is performed within weeks of a stent placement, the researchers found. Just before their procedures, surgical candidates often are told to stop blood-thinning medicines, compounding the problem, the researchers said.

The scientists studied 60 patients who averaged 68 years old. Some 27 percent of these patients had been diagnosed with diabetes, which can complicate surgery.

Results of the research were to be announced Friday at a meeting of the Society for Cardiovascular Angioplasty and Interventions, in Orlando, Fla.

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Scientists Create Artificial Blood Derived From Plastic

An artificial blood derived from plastic molecules has been developed by British researchers at Sheffield University, BBC News reported Friday.

The plastic molecules have an iron atom at their core that functions much like hemoglobin found in human blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

The new blood, which could be used as a substitute in an emergency, does not need to be cooled and keeps longer than real blood, the researchers said.

"This product can be stored a lot more easily than blood, meaning large quantities could be carried easily by ambulances and the armed forces," Dr. Lance Twyman, one of the university's researchers, told BBC News.

The scientists are looking for more funding to develop a prototype suitable for biologic testing, the network said.

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Drug Maker Cites Shortage of Child Vaccine Combo

Children who need to be immunized against four childhood diseases will probably need an extra shot this year because there's a shortage of a combination vaccine, the shot's maker says.

Merck & Co. said its ProQuad immunization, which guards against chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella, will be unavailable from mid-summer until at least the end of the year, the Associated Press reported.

But the company does have two vaccines that prevent the same diseases, the M-M-R II for measles, mumps, and rubella; and Varivax for chickenpox. The ProQuad vaccine requires more of the scarce chickenpox virus in the manufacturing process than the Varivax shot, the AP reported.

U.S. government guidelines suggest that children be vaccinated for the diseases twice -- at ages 12 months to 15 months, and again at ages 4 to 6 years old, the wire service said.

Merck is the only source in the United States for vaccines against the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox in children and can cause shingles in adults who had chickenpox as children.

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Hotter Temperatures Forecast for Eastern U.S.

Summer temperatures in the eastern United States will be about 10 degrees hotter than in recent years by the mid-2080s, a new NASA study says.

Previous estimates predicted too many summer days of rain, which keeps temperatures down, according to the new report from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Authors Barry Lynn and Leonard Druyan warned that the report was a wakeup call for government efforts to limit carbon dioxide emissions and prevent continued global warming. "It's going to be a lot more dangerous for people who are not in the best of health," said Lynn, quoted by the Associated Press.

Temperatures on average summer days in the 2080s will soar to 102 in Jacksonville, Fla., 100 in Memphis, 96 in Atlanta, and 91 in Chicago and Washington, D.C., according to the forecast, published in the journal Climate.

Other experts gave the report mixed reviews, the wire service reported. Some climate scientists noted that recent summers in the eastern United States have been somewhat wetter and cooler than forecast.

Happy Mother's Day!

Health Headlines - May 12

Bare Metal Stents Better for Surgery Candidates: Study

While cardiac stents covered with a drug are more effective at keeping diseased arteries propped open, heart patients who undergo non-cardiac surgery after getting a stent would do better with a bare metal one, researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have found.

A stent is a metal mesh tube designed to be inserted into a once-clogged artery to keep it from re-clogging and narrowing. But a drug-releasing stent could lead to clotting inside the stent, especially when surgery is performed within weeks of a stent placement, the researchers found. Just before their procedures, surgical candidates often are told to stop blood-thinning medicines, compounding the problem, the researchers said.

The scientists studied 60 patients who averaged 68 years old. Some 27 percent of these patients had been diagnosed with diabetes, which can complicate surgery.

Results of the research were to be announced Friday at a meeting of the Society for Cardiovascular Angioplasty and Interventions, in Orlando, Fla.

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Scientists Create Artificial Blood Derived From Plastic

An artificial blood derived from plastic molecules has been developed by British researchers at Sheffield University, BBC News reported Friday.

The plastic molecules have an iron atom at their core that functions much like hemoglobin found in human blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

The new blood, which could be used as a substitute in an emergency, does not need to be cooled and keeps longer than real blood, the researchers said.

"This product can be stored a lot more easily than blood, meaning large quantities could be carried easily by ambulances and the armed forces," Dr. Lance Twyman, one of the university's researchers, told BBC News.

The scientists are looking for more funding to develop a prototype suitable for biologic testing, the network said.

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Drug Maker Cites Shortage of Child Vaccine Combo

Children who need to be immunized against four childhood diseases will probably need an extra shot this year because there's a shortage of a combination vaccine, the shot's maker says.

Merck & Co. said its ProQuad immunization, which guards against chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella, will be unavailable from mid-summer until at least the end of the year, the Associated Press reported.

But the company does have two vaccines that prevent the same diseases, the M-M-R II for measles, mumps, and rubella; and Varivax for chickenpox. The ProQuad vaccine requires more of the scarce chickenpox virus in the manufacturing process than the Varivax shot, the AP reported.

U.S. government guidelines suggest that children be vaccinated for the diseases twice -- at ages 12 months to 15 months, and again at ages 4 to 6 years old, the wire service said.

Merck is the only source in the United States for vaccines against the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox in children and can cause shingles in adults who had chickenpox as children.

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Hotter Temperatures Forecast for Eastern U.S.

Summer temperatures in the eastern United States will be about 10 degrees hotter than in recent years by the mid-2080s, a new NASA study says.

Previous estimates predicted too many summer days of rain, which keeps temperatures down, according to the new report from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Authors Barry Lynn and Leonard Druyan warned that the report was a wakeup call for government efforts to limit carbon dioxide emissions and prevent continued global warming. "It's going to be a lot more dangerous for people who are not in the best of health," said Lynn, quoted by the Associated Press.

Temperatures on average summer days in the 2080s will soar to 102 in Jacksonville, Fla., 100 in Memphis, 96 in Atlanta, and 91 in Chicago and Washington, D.C., according to the forecast, published in the journal Climate.

Other experts gave the report mixed reviews, the wire service reported. Some climate scientists noted that recent summers in the eastern United States have been somewhat wetter and cooler than forecast.

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U.S. Vets Lack Suicide Prevention Resources: Report

U.S. veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan don't have enough 24-hour mental care services available and therefore are at an increased risk of suicide, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report concludes.

Many of the VA's 1,400 clinics have improperly trained workers and lack a 24-hour staff and adequate mental health screening services, the report found.

About one-third of veterans returning from duty say they have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, the Associated Press reported.

The department's report, calling for additional staffing and better professional training, said about 1,000 veterans who get VA care commit suicide each year, adding that there are as many as 5,000 suicides annually among all living veterans, the AP said.

In a written response to the VA inspector general's report, the department's acting undersecretary for health, Michael Kussman, said the VA had recently assigned suicide prevention coordinators at each of its medical centers, the wire service said.

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OxyContin Execs Plead Guilty to Misleading Public

Purdue Pharma, which makes the powerful painkiller OxyContin, and three of the company's current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal charges that they misled the public on the risk of addiction and abuse associated with the drug, a U.S. federal prosecutor announced.

The company and its executives will pay $634.5 million in fines, U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said in the news release, according to the Associated Press.

Since the drug was introduced in the United States in 1996, OxyContin abuse and addiction has become a widespread problem in the country.

However, for many years Purdue Pharma claimed that the time-release formulation of OxyContin meant that the drug was less likely to cause abuse and addiction than other painkillers such as Vicodin or Percocet, The New York Times reported.

In order to settle criminal and civil charges related to the "misbranding" of OxyContin, Purdue has agreed to pay the fines, and three former and current executives, including its president and top lawyer, will also pay fines, federal officials told the Times.

The plea comes two days after the Stamford, Conn.-based company agreed to pay $19.5 million to 26 states and the District of Columbia to settle complaints that it encouraged physicians to overprescribe OxyContin, the AP reported.

Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said in a prepared statement, "The $634 million in criminal and civil penalties -- including guilty pleas by three current and former Purdue Frederick executives -- for misbranding the potent narcotic Oxycontin send an important message to the drug industry that this kind of malicious, death-dealing behavior will not be tolerated."

Margaret O.K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement: "FDA will not tolerate practices that falsely promote drug products and place consumers at health risk. We will continue to do all we can to protect the public against drug companies and their representatives who are not truthful and bilk consumers of precious health care dollars."

The FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations headed the investigation, the agency said.

Health Headlines - May 11

OxyContin Execs Plead Guilty to Misleading Public

Purdue Pharma, which makes the powerful painkiller OxyContin, and three of the company's current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal charges that they misled the public on the risk of addiction and abuse associated with the drug, a U.S. federal prosecutor announced.

The company and its executives will pay $634.5 million in fines, U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said in the news release, according to the Associated Press.

Since the drug was introduced in the United States in 1996, OxyContin abuse and addiction has become a widespread problem in the country.

However, for many years Purdue Pharma claimed that the time-release formulation of OxyContin meant that the drug was less likely to cause abuse and addiction than other painkillers such as Vicodin or Percocet, The New York Times reported.

In order to settle criminal and civil charges related to the "misbranding" of OxyContin, Purdue has agreed to pay the fines, and three former and current executives, including its president and top lawyer, will also pay fines, federal officials told the Times.

The plea comes two days after the Stamford, Conn.-based company agreed to pay $19.5 million to 26 states and the District of Columbia to settle complaints that it encouraged physicians to overprescribe OxyContin, the AP reported.

Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said in a prepared statement, "The $634 million in criminal and civil penalties -- including guilty pleas by three current and former Purdue Frederick executives -- for misbranding the potent narcotic Oxycontin send an important message to the drug industry that this kind of malicious, death-dealing behavior will not be tolerated."

Margaret O.K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement: "FDA will not tolerate practices that falsely promote drug products and place consumers at health risk. We will continue to do all we can to protect the public against drug companies and their representatives who are not truthful and bilk consumers of precious health care dollars."

The FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations headed the investigation, the agency said.

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New Technique Delivers Drugs Directly to Cancer Cells

A method of using bacteria to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to cancer cells without harming surrounding tissue has been developed by Australian scientists. The bacteria used in this technique have been altered so they cannot cause disease, reported The Daily Telegraph in Australia.

"The breakthrough is using bacteria as drug carriers that go straight to the cancer cells rather than conventional therapy that floods the body" with chemotherapy drugs, researcher Dr. Jennifer MacDiarmid said.

This unique drug delivery system can recognize markers of certain cancers and latch directly onto the targeted cancer cells. The drugs are then released inside tumors, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The scientists said this approach may help save lives and would spare cancer patients from having to endure the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy. It's expected that this treatment technique will undergo human clinical trials by the end of the year.

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Protein May Prove Useful in Treating Brain Disorders

Boosting levels of a protein called SUMO could help treat brain disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, suggest researchers at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

In experiments with rats, the scientists found that SUMO helps reduce the amount of information transmitted to brain cells. An overload of information is characteristic of a number of brain disorders, BBC News reported.

"We have found one mechanism that regulates the flow of information between cells in the brain," said research leader Professor Jeremy Henley. "It is important because it gives a new perspective and a deeper understanding of how that happens."

The findings, which appear in the journal Nature, could help in the development of new drugs to treat schizophrenia, epilepsy and other brain disorders associated with "over-excitation" of brain cells, BBC News reported.

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Evenflo Recalls Infant Car Seat/Carriers

A faulty handle has prompted the recall of about 450,000 Evenflo Embrace Infant Car Seat/Carriers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Thursday.

When the product is used as an infant carrier, the handle can unexpectedly release, causing the seat to rotate forward. When this happens, the infant can fall out of the carrier.

So far, Evenflo has received 679 reports of unexpected releases of the handles, resulting in 160 injuries to children, including a fractured skull, concussions, cuts, scrapes and bruises, the CPSC said.

The recalled seat/carriers were made before April 8, 2006, and have model numbers beginning with 317, 320, 397, 398, 540, 548, 549, 550, 556, 597, 598 and 599. Anyone with these recalled seat/carriers should immediately stop using them as a carrier until they receive a free repair kit to strengthen the handle latch. The product can still be used as a car seat when secured in a vehicle.

To order the repair kit or for more information, contact EvenFlo at 1-800-490-7497.

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FDA Approves Parkinson's Skin Patch

A new drug in patch form to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms was approved Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The once-daily Neupro patch contains rotigotine, a drug not previously approved in the U.S., the Associated Press reported. Neupro is made by Germany-based Schwarz Pharma AG.

Rotigotine is designed to help treat trembling and other Parkinson's symptoms by activating dopamine receptors in the brain. People with Parkinson's suffer a loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that enables communication between cells that control muscle movement.

Skin reactions at the patch site, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia and drowsiness are the most common side effects reported by users of the Neupro patch, the FDA said. Other potential problems cited by the agency include hallucinations, decreased blood pressure when standing up, and sudden onset of sleep while driving or operation machinery, the AP reported.

About one million people in the United States have Parkinson's disease, and about 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

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Swedish 'Snus' May Offer Safer Alternative for Smokers

A form of smokeless tobacco called Swedish snus may offer smokers a way to get their nicotine hit while reducing their risk of cancer, suggests an article posted online Thursday in The Lancet medical journal.

The two U.S. doctors who wrote the article analyzed two studies published in The Lancet that concluded that people who use snus are about 10 times less likely to develop lung cancer than smokers, the Associated Press reported.

Currently, all European Union members other than Sweden prohibit the use of snus. Smokeless tobacco is legal in the United States and Swedish snus is currently being test-marketed in at least two U.S. cities.

"We should not delay in allowing snus to compete with cigarettes for market share," wrote the article authors, Dr. Jonathon Foulds of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Dr Lynn Kozlowski of the University at Buffalo.

"The banning or exaggerated opposition to snus in cigarette-rife environments is not sound public health policy," they argued.

While the makers of Swedish snus say their product is safer than other kinds of smokeless tobacco, snus does contain about 30 carcinogens, the AP reported.

Health Headlines - May 10

U.S. Senate Votes to Overhaul FDA

In what's being described as the "most comprehensive drug safety overhaul in more than a decade," the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sweeping new powers to protect consumers from dangerous medicines.

The vote, 93 to 1, would give the FDA broad authority to oversee drug safety, order changes in drug labels, and limit the use and distribution of medicines found to pose serious health risks to consumers, The New York Times reported.

The FDA's traditional role has been to ensure the safety of drugs and medical devices prior to authorizing their use. The new bill, which is likely to be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by President Bush, calls for a fundamental change in the philosophy and operations of the agency, the Times said. The FDA would now be charged with monitoring and overseeing the entire life cycle of a drug -- from the pre-approval review through to patients' experiences with a medicine, the newspaper said.

The FDA's image has taken a beating in recent years, starting with the 2004 removal from the market of the arthritis drug Vioxx, which was eventually found to increase the likelihood of heart attack and stroke. Senators said the new bill was an effort to restore Americans' confidence in the FDA's ability to protect consumers. The bill would also meet many recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences, the newspaper said.

"This legislation will make a major difference for families in America, ensuring the safety of our prescription drug system," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, (D-Mass.), the chief sponsor of the bill. "We will also have safer food for families and for pets," Kennedy added, referring to the series of high-profile food contamination problems that first surfaced last fall.

Sen. Michael B. Enzi, (R-Wyoming), said the bill was the "most comprehensive drug safety overhaul in more than a decade."

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Report Cites U.S. Health-Care Disparities

Despite some improvements, differences in the quality of health care provided to American women and men and different racial and ethnic groups persist, says the latest News and Numbers from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Among the improvements:

• In 2004, nearly as many female Medicare patients (85 percent) as male Medicare patients (86 percent) received recommended care in a hospital after a heart attack. In 2002, the rates were 79 percent of women and 81 percent of men.
• Women were more likely than men to have a usual source of ongoing health care in 2004 -- 90 percent compared to 83 percent. A usual source of care is associated with lower costs and improved health results.

But the bad news is that more women were more likely than men (56 vs. 38 per 100,000 people) to be hospitalized for high blood pressure in 2003. Hospitalization for high blood pressure can usually be prevented if a patient has good quality primary care.

Among other examples of gender or racial/ethnic disparities:

• In 2003, women age 50 and older were less likely than men (50 percent vs. 54 percent) to receive recommended colorectal cancer screening.
• Colorectal cancer screening rates for white women were 50 percent, compared with 44 percent for black women and 38 percent for Hispanic women.
• 86 percent of white women start prenatal care in the first three months of pregnancy, compared with 78 percent of Hispanic women, 76 percent of black women, and 71 percent of American Indian-Alaska Native women.

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Scientists to Catalog 1.8 Million Known Species

All the world's 1.8 million known species will be catalogued in a massive new $12.5 million Web project called the "Encyclopedia of Life," scientists announced this week.

The goal of the project is to create separate Web pages on every known species within a decade, the Washington Post reported. Entries will include written sections, photographs, video and sound recordings, and locator maps when possible.

The effort is a collaboration of Chicago's Field Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass., the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

To date, humans have catalogued only about 10 percent of the world's species and much of that information is fragmented, Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson told the Post.

Wilson, who helped initiate the Encyclopedia of Life, said the undertaking will create a pool of knowledge similar to the Human Genome Project.

"In a relatively short period of time, we'll be able to fill up everything that is known on a given species," Wilson said. "It's something that's invaluable, and its time has come."

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Doctors Paid Millions to Prescribe Anemia Drugs

U.S. doctors are being paid millions of dollars a year by drug makers Amgen and Johnson & Johnson in return for prescribing anemia medicines to patients that may be unsafe at commonly used doses, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

According to industry analysts, the payments to doctors for prescribing the drugs -- Aransep and Epogen from Amgen; and Procrit from Johnson & Johnson -- may amount to hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The drugs are given to treat anemia caused by kidney disease or cancer chemotherapy.

Neither Amgen or Johnson & Johnson have revealed the total amount of the payments, which are structured in a way that make them legal under federal law, The Times reported.

Both patients and doctors would benefit from full disclosure about the payments and the profits doctors make from the payments, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration released a report suggesting that it may be necessary to limit the use of these anemia drugs in cancer patients. The report said research indicates that there's no evidence that the drugs improve quality of life or extend the lives of cancer patients. It also said that a number of studies suggest that high doses of the drugs may shorten patients' lives, The Times reported.

An FDA panel is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss whether the drugs are overused. In March, the FDA ordered stronger warnings on the drugs' labels.

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Chinese Company Linked to Cough Medicine Deaths Not Licensed

The Chinese company linked to toxic cough medicine that killed at least 100 people in Panama was not licensed to be in the pharmaceutical business, say Chinese officials.

The cough medicine was tainted with a poisonous industrial solvent called diethylene glycol, that was falsely identified as glycerin, a sweet-tasting syrup widely used in medicine, The New York Times reported.

On Tuesday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the neither the chemical company that made the toxic syrup -- the Taixing Glycerine Factory -- nor the state-owned trading firm that exported it -- CNSC Fortune Way -- were under the regulatory supervision of China's State Food and Drug Administration.

The Chinese agency conducted an investigation in response to a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The Times reported.

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Cracker Barrel Pulls Hamburgers After Woman Injured

The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant chain has removed hundreds of hamburgers from its stores after a customer in Myrtle Beach, S.C. said she cut her mouth on a piece of metal in a patty, the Associated Press reported.

The restaurant chain removed more than 300 burgers made at or around the same time as the one involved in the incident. The burgers, which are frozen and pre-formed, were made by Cargill Meat Solutions of Wichita, Kan.

An investigation is being conducted by Cracker Barrel, the burger supplier, and police, the AP reported.

The 56-year-old female customer went to a hospital Saturday night after she began bleeding from the mouth and said something was stuck in her throat after eating part of a burger.

A police report said the restaurant manager found a piece of razor blade in the middle of the woman's half-eaten burger patty. Another piece of razor blade was later found in the patty.

The woman did not require stitches. Her husband said she was waiting to hear whether she need more medical tests, the AP reported.

Cracker Barrel has 557 restaurants in 41 states.

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FDA Approves Respirators for Use in Flu Pandemic

Two filtering facepiece respirators have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in an influenza pandemic and other public health emergencies. They're the first to receive such approval.

The respirators, which help reduce a user's exposure to airborne germs, are available without a prescription. They're made by St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M Company.

The 3M Respirator 8612F and 8670F fit tightly over the nose and mouth and are made of fibrous material designed to filter out at least 95 percent of very small airborne particles.

"While the exact nature and concentration of the biological agent or germ may not be known in a public health medical emergency, we believe that minimizing exposure will help reduce risk," Dr. Daniel Shultz, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a prepared statement.

"These respirators are only one part of a combination of approaches that can be used to help reduce the spread of infection between individuals during such events," Schultz said.

Health Headlines - May 9

VA Needs to Improve Handling of PTSD Claims: Report

Increasing numbers of U.S. veterans are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs needs better methods of evaluating such cases and determining how best to compensate affected personnel.

That's the conclusion of a report released Tuesday by a combined committee from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.

Post-traumatic stress disorder claims to the VA increased from 120,265 in 1999 to 215,871 in 2004. During that same time, payments for PTSD-related disability claims increased from $1.72 billion to $4.28 billion, the Associated Press reported.

"As the increasing number of claims to the VA shows, PTSD has become a very significant public health problem, particularly for veterans of current and past conflicts," said committee chairwoman Nancy Andreasen, who is head of the psychiatry department at Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa.

"Our review of the current methods for evaluating PTSD disability claims and determining compensation indicates that a comprehensive revision is needed," Andreasen said.

She and her fellow panel members said the VA uses only crude criteria for rating disabilities caused by mental illness and is inconsistent when it comes to relapsing conditions, the AP reported.

The VA needs to develop new criteria based on the diagnostic standards of the American Psychiatric Association. The VA also needs to establish certification programs for staffers who handle post-traumatic stress disorder claims, the committee said.

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Scientists Develop New ALS Test

Scientists at the University of Toronto have created the first antibody that's able to detect the only known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

ALS is a progressive, fatal disorder that attacks the nerves and muscles, resulting in paralysis and death within two to five years. There is no cure or effective treatment.

The antibody developed by the Canadian team identifies "misfolded" mutations in the enzyme superoxide-dimutase-1 (SOD1), which causes about one to two percent of all ALS cases, Agence France Presse reported.

The research was published online Monday in the journal Nature Medicine and will appear in the June print edition.

The study authors said their antibody could eventually be used to help diagnose ALS at an earlier stage. The antibody may also improve understanding of ALS and may help in efforts to find ways to immunize people against the disease, AFP reported.

"This antibody will enable researchers to investigate whether misfolded SOD1 is involved in other forms of ALS," lead author Janice Robertson, a professor of laboratory medicine and pathobiology, said in a prepared statement.

If SOD1 is involved in other forms of ALS, "then the antibody could potentially be used in biomarker studies to facilitate earlier diagnosis of the disease," she said.

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Clinton Foundation Reaches Deal on HIV/AIDS Drugs

The Clinton Foundation announced Tuesday that it has reached agreements with drug companies to reduce the costs of some HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries.

The foundation said drug makers agreed to lower the price of drugs to fight HIV that is resistant to initial treatment, and to make a once-a-day HIV/AIDS pill available for less than $1 a day, the Associated Press reported.

The deals on the drugs to fight resistant HIV, reached with generic drug makers Cipla Ltd. and Matrix Laboratories Ltd., are expected to achieve average savings of 50 percent in middle-income countries and 25 percent in low-income countries, said former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The agreement on the $1 once-a-day pills that combine the drugs efavirenz, lamivudine and tenofovir is 45 percent less than the current rate available for low-income countries and 67 percent less than the current price for many middle-income countries, the AP reported.

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U.S. Senate Vote Blocks Drug Imports

In a 49-40 vote, the U.S. Senate on Monday passed an amendment that effectively blocks a plan to allow imports of cheaper drugs into the U.S., which proponents say could save American consumers billions of dollars, Tribune Newspapers reported.

The amendment to the bill to allow cheaper drug imports requires that the federal government certify that the imports are safe and effective. That's something the Bush administration is not likely to do because it opposes drug imports.

The amendment, introduced by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), is considered a major victory for the U.S. drug industry, Tribune Newspapers reported.

Sen. Bernard Sanders, a Vermont Independent who's in favor of allowing drug imports, said Cochran's amendment "is clearly a poison pill."

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), the author of the import proposal, said the drug industry wants to dictate prices to U.S. consumers, Tribune Newspapers reported.

Dorgan said the fight to allow drug imports is not over.

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Heart Diagnostic Tests Recalled

Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics on Monday announced a voluntary recall in the United States of two lots of diagnostic tests used by doctors to help diagnose heart attack and heart muscle injury, AFX News reported.

The recall of the Vitros Immunodiagnostic products Troponin I Regent Pack, lots 3151 and 3170, was issued because of shifts in test results that could result in a missed diagnosis of heart attack or heart muscle damage.

Ortho-Clinical said a "small" number of clinical laboratories using the test reported shifts in quality control results, AFX News reported.

The cause of the fault has yet to be determined. There have been no reported injuries due to the problem, the company said.

Clinical laboratories that have the recalled lots should stop using the product and notify healthcare professionals who ordered the test in recent weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

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Obesity May Lower Kidney Donation Rates Among Blacks

Obesity and failure to complete the donor evaluation procedure are two of the main reasons why black Americans are less likely than people of other races to become living kidney donors, concludes a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study.

Researchers analyzed data on 541 disqualified potential donors. They found that about 30 percent of blacks were excluded due to obesity, compared to 16.6 percent of whites. The study also found that 12 percent of blacks did not complete the donor evaluation process, compared to 1.8 percent of whites.

The findings were presented Monday at the 2007 American Transplant Congress in San Francisco.

"Obesity is a growing problem in the African-American community, particularly among women, and this reflects what we found in the study. The other issue is the social reasons for non-donation, including failure to complete the donor evaluation process. This issue is just not well understood," study author Amber Reeves-Daniel, an instructor in internal medicine-nephrology, said in a prepared statement.

"Further study of these (racial) differences may improve our understanding of the causes of low rates of living kidney donation among African-Americans, particularly regarding the social reasons," she said. "Is it lack of trust in the medical community, financial inability to get to doctor's appointments for tests, concerns with work and child care, or perhaps some other issue?"

Health Headlines - May 8

Plan B Not Always Available

The emergency contraceptive pill Plan B is not often prescribed by doctors and isn't consistently available in pharmacies, conclude two U.S. studies presented Monday at a meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in San Diego.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved non-prescription sales of Plan B for girls and women age 18 and older. Girls under 18 still require a prescription for Plan B, which is designed to prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

One study of 1,355 women undergoing annual gynecologic exams found that only nine percent of the 506 women using no form of birth control were given advanced prescriptions for emergency contraception, Bloomberg news reported.

"Doctors are underutilizing opportunities to increase awareness of emergency contraception to patients during annual gynecologic exams," wrote study lead author Archana Pradhan, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

"Even though Plan B is now an over-the-counter medication, health care providers still need to educate their patients regarding emergency contraception," Pradhan noted.

A second study included a survey of 1,085 drug stores in cities in a number of states with different laws. The study was conducted before the FDA approved OTC sales of Plan B, Bloomberg reported.

In Boston, no woman was refused the drug. Massachusetts requires pharmacists to provide emergency contraception. In four percent of cases in Boston, the drug was not in stock.

In Atlanta, nine percent of pharmacists refused to fill Plan B prescriptions. Georgia allows pharmacists to refuse to provide Plan B if they have a moral objection to the pill. In 26 percent of cases, pharmacists were willing to fill the prescription but didn't have the drug in stock.

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Pesticides, Nitrates May Boost Preemie Birth, Harm School Performance

The date that a child is conceived has an impact on both their likelihood for premature birth and their later academic performance, U.S. researchers say.

Seasonal use of pesticides and nitrate fertilizers may be to blame, the Indiana University School of Medicine team add.

The researchers analyzed more than 27 million live births in the U.S. from 1996 to 2002.

They found that rates of premature birth were highest in May-June (11.9 percent of live births) and lowest in Aug.-Sept. (almost 10.8 percent). Pesticide and nitrate levels in surface water are highest in May-June, lowest in Aug.-Sept.

"A growing body of evidence suggests that the consequences of prenatal exposure to pesticides and nitrates as well as to other environmental contaminants is detrimental to many outcomes of pregnancy," researcher Dr. Paul Winchester, professor of clinical pediatrics, said in a prepared statement. "As a neonatologist, I am seeing a growing number of birth defects and preterm births, and I think we need to face up to environmental causes."

They also looked at Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) scores from 1.6 million children in grades 3 through 10. The team compared that with the month the children were conceived.

Children conceived in June through August had the lowest ISTEP scores for math and language, according to the study, presented Monday at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

"Exposure to pesticides and nitrates can alter the hormonal milieu of the pregnant mother and the developing fetal brain. While our findings do not represent absolute proof that pesticides and nitrates contribute to lower ISTEP scores, they strongly support such a hypothesis," Winchester said.

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Combo Children's Vaccine Effective and Safe: Study

An investigational combination vaccine to protect children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio was effective and well-tolerated in children ages 4 to 6 in a Phase III clinical trial, according to vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.

The study found that children who received the combination DTaP-IPV vaccine had a comparable immune response and safety profile to children who received separately administered DTaP and IPV vaccines.

DTaP-IPV has not been approved for use in the United States.

The findings were to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

"An increasing number of vaccines are being recommended to prevent childhood diseases, including additional vaccines at the 4 to 6 year-old doctor's visit. We are pleased to be developing a new combination vaccine that, if approved, could offer one potential solution to the problem of increased numbers of injections during single doctor visits," Dr. Barbara Howe, vice president of North American vaccine development for GlaxoSmithKline, said in a prepared statement.

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J&J Halts Heart Stent Trials

Johnson & Johnson Inc. said Monday that it is halting ongoing clinical trials of its CoStar drug-coated heart stent and will stop sales of the stent in Europe, Asia and Latin America, where it's already been approved. The company also said it will withdraw its application for approval to sell the stent in the United States.

J&J made the moves after CoStar failed in a clinical trial against the Taxus drug-coated stent made by Boston Scientific, the Associated Press reported. After eight months of testing, the CoStar was found to be inferior to Taxus in reducing major adverse cardiac events such as heart attack or death.

The dose of the drug paclitaxel used on the CoStar was not effective. Paclitaxel is also used as a coating on Taxus, the AP reported.

CoStar is a product of Conor Medsystems, which was recently acquired by J&J. Development of the CoStar stent will continue, but the drug sirolimus will be used as a coating, J&J said.

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Unknown Disease Killing Pigs in China

More than 300 pigs have been killed by a unknown disease that's spreading through Guangdong province in southern China, Agence France Presse reported.

The highly-infectious disease first appeared in the town of Silao about 10 days ago. Pigs with the disease stop eating, develop fevers and start hemorrhaging, according to Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao, AFP reported.

Affected farms and markets in the area have been disinfected and the transportation and slaughter of pigs has been banned.

According to experts, there is no risk of the disease spreading to humans, according to Ta Kung Pao, AFP reported.

Health Headlines - May 7

Internet Unborn Baby Gender Test Draws Fire

A test being sold on the Internet allowing future parents to know the gender of their unborn child has come in for criticism.

BBC News reports the procedure uses the pregnant woman's blood obtained from a pin prick and detects whether it has a "Y" chromosome. This would mean the baby would be a boy.

The company marketing the test, DNA Worldwide, claims it is 99 percent accurate and offers a refund if the prediction turns out to be wrong, BBC News reports. The test can be done after six weeks of pregnancy.

It is not new science, the BBC says, but many organizations are concerned that commercial marketing of it could lead to abuse. A number of British anti-abortion groups are opposing the test, fearing that if prospective parents find out that the sex of their unborn baby is not the one they want, they would seek an abortion.

And at least one UK medical group opposes the test. A spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists told the BBC that gender selection under these circumstances is inappropriate. "Focus should remain firmly on the health and care of the mother and developing baby, rather than gender," the BBC quotes a spokesman as saying.

David Nicholson, the director of DNA Worldwide, rejected these concerns, telling BBC News that surveys of those who have used the service in the past year didn't indicate that an increase in abortions was occurring.

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Autistic Children Miss Visual Cues in Facial Expressions, Study Finds

Children with autism can't "read" the subtleties of expression in a person's face, a new UCLA study has concluded.

The study, being presented over the weekend at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Seattle, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), on two groups of children -- 16 high-functioning individuals with autism and 16 typically developing children. According to a UCLA news release, both groups were shown images of faces with different expressions: anger, fear, happiness, and neutrality.

After monitoring the children's brain activity through the fMRI, the scientists found that the autistic children registered virtually no activity in the part of the brain that recognizes differences in people's expressions.

"They don't pick up what's going on -- they miss the nuances, the body language and facial expressions and sometimes miss the big picture and instead focus on minor, less socially relevant details," said Mari Davies, a UCLA graduate student in psychology who was a co-leader in the research. "That, in turn, affects interpersonal bonds."

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20 Million Chickens Kept Off U.S Market Pending Inspection of Feed

About 20 million chickens won't be heading to market next week after federal officials placed them on hold Friday because their feed contained an industrial chemical.

According to the Associated Press, the chickens may still go to market, but a weekend risk assessment needed to be made first. This includes: the absence of melamine (the chemical in question) in feed used by the larger chicken producers; whether the pet food has been diluted with larger amounts of other ingredients in the feed; how healthy the chickens are that ate the feed; no evidence that the trace amounts of melamine would harm humans.

The wire service says officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are overseeing the risk assessment in wake of millions of units of pet food being recalled during the past two months because of the presence of melamine.

Melamine, which was introduced in a gluten additive from China, is believed to have been the agent that caused the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats, primarily from liver failure.

The names of the producers whose chickens were in question weren't announced Friday, but the A.P. said that the 20 million fowl in question was a small fraction of the 9 billion chickens consumed in the United States every year. Nevertheless, USDA spokesperson Keith Wlliams is quoted by the wire service as saying, "Absent the risk assessment in this particular situation, USDA will not put the seal of inspection on this meat."

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FDA Issues Guidelines to Test for Antifreeze Substance Sometimes Found in Cough Syrup

The lethal combination of a sweetener used in many cough medicines with an antifreeze chemical has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue what it calls a "guidance" to medical professionals, drug companies, suppliers and drug repackers.

While emphasizing that the agency has received no new reports of deaths because glycerin and diethylene glycol (DEG) were found in medicications such as cough syrup, the FDA Friday issued guidelines for testing to see if these two substances are combined in any pharmaceutical products. DEG, a solvent, has been associated with many accidental deaths.

Last September, more than 40 people in Panama died because of DEG-contimated glycerin in cough syrup, the FDA says, and a similar incident occurred in Haiti in late 1995-1996, when 80 children died because of the same lethal combination in cough syrup.

-----

Feeling Useful Boosts Older Adults' Physical Ability

Feeling useful appears to improve older adults' physical functioning, according to a U.S. study to be presented Friday at the annual scientific meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 900 people, ages 70 to 79. They found that feeling useful led to improvements in "performance-based" physical functioning, which includes coordination, balance, gait, and upper and lower limb strength.

The participants underwent physical performance tests and were asked about their feelings of usefulness at the start of the study and again three years later. The study was conducted by researchers at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri and the University of California, Los Angeles Medical School.

"Compared to older adults who frequently felt useful to others (at the start of the study), those who never or rarely did had greater declines in physical performance ability," the study authors wrote. "However, increases in feelings of usefulness were also associated with an improvement in physical performance."

Previous research found that older adults with low feelings of usefulness are more likely to suffer declines in physical ability and to die over a seven-year-period.

-----

High-Dose Radiotherapy Benefits Prostate Cancer Patients

Compared with standard-dose radiotherapy, high-dose radiotherapy lowers the risk of cancer recurrence and reduces the need for additional hormone treatment in prostate cancer patients, says a U.K. study published online in The Lancet medical journal.

"However, the higher radiation dose did slightly increase bowel side effects," chief investigator David Dearnaley of the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospitals in Sutton, said in a prepared statement.

The study included 843 prostate cancer patients who received either a standard dose of radiotherapy (64 Gy) or a higher dose (74 Gy).

Dearnaley said "the dose increase was made possible by using a new more precise radiation treatment method called conformal radiotherapy."

He noted that the "trial is important in emphasizing the advantage of higher dose radiotherapy but also the need to continue to improve radiation techniques."

Health Headlines - May 6

20 Million Chickens Kept Off U.S Market Pending Inspection of Feed

About 20 million chickens won't be heading to market next week after federal officials placed them on hold Friday because their feed contained an industrial chemical.

According to the Associated Press, the chickens may still go to market, but a weekend risk assessment needed to be made first. This includes: the absence of melamine (the chemical in question) in feed used by the larger chicken producers; whether the pet food has been diluted with larger amounts of other ingredients in the feed; how healthy the chickens are that ate the feed; no evidence that the trace amounts of melamine would harm humans.

The wire service says officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are overseeing the risk assessment in wake of millions of units of pet food being recalled during the past two months because of the presence of melamine.

Melamine, which was introduced in a gluten additive from China, is believed to have been the agent that caused the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats, primarily from liver failure.

The names of the producers whose chickens were in question weren't announced Friday, but the A.P. said that the 20 million fowl in question was a small fraction of the 9 billion chickens consumed in the United States every year. Nevertheless, USDA spokesperson Keith Wlliams is quoted by the wire service as saying, "Absent the risk assessment in this particular situation, USDA will not put the seal of inspection on this meat."

-----

FDA Issues Guidelines to Test for Antifreeze Substance Sometimes Found in Cough Syrup

The lethal combination of a sweetener used in many cough medicines with an antifreeze chemical has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue what it calls a "guidance" to medical professionals, drug companies, suppliers and drug repackers.

While emphasizing that the agency has received no new reports of deaths because glycerin and diethylene glycol (DEG) were found in medicications such as cough syrup, the FDA Friday issued guidelines for testing to see if these two substances are combined in any pharmaceutical products. DEG, a solvent, has been associated with many accidental deaths.

Last September, more than 40 people in Panama died because of DEG-contimated glycerin in cough syrup, the FDA says, and a similar incident occurred in Haiti in late 1995-1996, when 80 children died because of the same lethal combination in cough syrup.

-----

Feeling Useful Boosts Older Adults' Physical Ability

Feeling useful appears to improve older adults' physical functioning, according to a U.S. study to be presented Friday at the annual scientific meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 900 people, ages 70 to 79. They found that feeling useful led to improvements in "performance-based" physical functioning, which includes coordination, balance, gait, and upper and lower limb strength.

The participants underwent physical performance tests and were asked about their feelings of usefulness at the start of the study and again three years later. The study was conducted by researchers at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri and the University of California, Los Angeles Medical School.

"Compared to older adults who frequently felt useful to others (at the start of the study), those who never or rarely did had greater declines in physical performance ability," the study authors wrote. "However, increases in feelings of usefulness were also associated with an improvement in physical performance."

Previous research found that older adults with low feelings of usefulness are more likely to suffer declines in physical ability and to die over a seven-year-period.

-----

High-Dose Radiotherapy Benefits Prostate Cancer Patients

Compared with standard-dose radiotherapy, high-dose radiotherapy lowers the risk of cancer recurrence and reduces the need for additional hormone treatment in prostate cancer patients, says a U.K. study published online in The Lancet medical journal.

"However, the higher radiation dose did slightly increase bowel side effects," chief investigator David Dearnaley of the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospitals in Sutton, said in a prepared statement.

The study included 843 prostate cancer patients who received either a standard dose of radiotherapy (64 Gy) or a higher dose (74 Gy).

Dearnaley said "the dose increase was made possible by using a new more precise radiation treatment method called conformal radiotherapy."

He noted that the "trial is important in emphasizing the advantage of higher dose radiotherapy but also the need to continue to improve radiation techniques."

-----

Blood Test Predicts Bone Marrow Transplant Complications

A simple blood test that may allow doctors to detect and treat bone marrow transplant complications up to two weeks sooner than is currently possible has been developed by Australian researchers.

This new test is designed to help doctors predict which patients will get graft versus host disease (GVHD), a complication that occurs when transplanted marrow attacks the patient's body, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

GVHD is a problem in 85 percent of bone marrow transplants. The earlier it's detected, the easier it is to manage and cure.

The new test checks for levels of active cells in the blood called dendritic cells. The more dendritic cells, the greater the risk of developing GVHD.

"This is the very first time that we've been able to, in bone marrow transplantation, predict, before it happens, which patients will get acute graft versus host disease," researcher Prof. Derek Hart, director of the Mater Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, told the ABC.

The research appears in the journal Transplantation. The new blood test will now be tested in a two-year international study.

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U.N. Climate Change Report Approved

A report on worldwide measures needed to cut rising rates of greenhouse gas emissions was approved Friday by international delegates at a conference in Bangkok, Thailand, the Associated Press reported.

The document is a summary of a massive study by a U.N. network of 2,000 scientists. It states that countries around the world must develop biofuels, improve fuel efficiency, use renewable energy, and take other actions to make major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The world has the technology and money needed to take decisive action in time to prevent a disastrous increase in global temperatures, the report said. Scientists say such a temperature spike could wipe out many species, raise ocean levels, cause floods in some places and droughts in others, and result in serious economic damage, the AP reported.

In order to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit over preindustrial levels, nations must stabilize the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2015, the document said.

Health Headlines - May 5

Feeling Useful Boosts Older Adults' Physical Ability

Feeling useful appears to improve older adults' physical functioning, according to a U.S. study to be presented Friday at the annual scientific meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 900 people, ages 70 to 79. They found that feeling useful led to improvements in "performance-based" physical functioning, which includes coordination, balance, gait, and upper and lower limb strength.

The participants underwent physical performance tests and were asked about their feelings of usefulness at the start of the study and again three years later. The study was conducted by researchers at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri and the University of California, Los Angeles Medical School.

"Compared to older adults who frequently felt useful to others (at the start of the study), those who never or rarely did had greater declines in physical performance ability," the study authors wrote. "However, increases in feelings of usefulness were also associated with an improvement in physical performance."

Previous research found that older adults with low feelings of usefulness are more likely to suffer declines in physical ability and to die over a seven-year-period.

-----

High-Dose Radiotherapy Benefits Prostate Cancer Patients

Compared with standard-dose radiotherapy, high-dose radiotherapy lowers the risk of cancer recurrence and reduces the need for additional hormone treatment in prostate cancer patients, says a U.K. study published online in The Lancet medical journal.

"However, the higher radiation dose did slightly increase bowel side effects," chief investigator David Dearnaley of the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospitals in Sutton, said in a prepared statement.

The study included 843 prostate cancer patients who received either a standard dose of radiotherapy (64 Gy) or a higher dose (74 Gy).

Dearnaley said "the dose increase was made possible by using a new more precise radiation treatment method called conformal radiotherapy."

He noted that the "trial is important in emphasizing the advantage of higher dose radiotherapy but also the need to continue to improve radiation techniques."

-----

Blood Test Predicts Bone Marrow Transplant Complications

A simple blood test that may allow doctors to detect and treat bone marrow transplant complications up to two weeks sooner than is currently possible has been developed by Australian researchers.

This new test is designed to help doctors predict which patients will get graft versus host disease (GVHD), a complication that occurs when transplanted marrow attacks the patient's body, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

GVHD is a problem in 85 percent of bone marrow transplants. The earlier it's detected, the easier it is to manage and cure.

The new test checks for levels of active cells in the blood called dendritic cells. The more dendritic cells, the greater the risk of developing GVHD.

"This is the very first time that we've been able to, in bone marrow transplantation, predict, before it happens, which patients will get acute graft versus host disease," researcher Prof. Derek Hart, director of the Mater Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, told the ABC.

The research appears in the journal Transplantation. The new blood test will now be tested in a two-year international study.

-----

U.N. Climate Change Report Approved

A report on worldwide measures needed to cut rising rates of greenhouse gas emissions was approved Friday by international delegates at a conference in Bangkok, Thailand, the Associated Press reported.

The document is a summary of a massive study by a U.N. network of 2,000 scientists. It states that countries around the world must develop biofuels, improve fuel efficiency, use renewable energy, and take other actions to make major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The world has the technology and money needed to take decisive action in time to prevent a disastrous increase in global temperatures, the report said. Scientists say such a temperature spike could wipe out many species, raise ocean levels, cause floods in some places and droughts in others, and result in serious economic damage, the AP reported.

In order to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit over preindustrial levels, nations must stabilize the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2015, the document said.

-----

Seizure Drug Increases Risk of Mental Deficits in Offspring

Pregnant women with epilepsy who take the commonly prescribed drug Depakote to control seizures are at increased risk of having children with mental deficits, concludes a U.S. study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston.

The study found that toddlers exposed in the womb to Depakote scored seven to eight points lower on I.Q. tests at age two and were twice as likely to score in the range associated with mental retardation than infants whose mothers took other epilepsy drugs while they were pregnant, The New York Times reported.

These findings should be considered preliminary because I.Q. measures in two-year-old children are less reliable than scores in older children, other experts noted. This study will continue tracking the children through age 6.

Previous studies have found that the use of Depakote during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to children with mental deficits and other birth defects, The Times reported.

"Depakote look worse than the other drugs in all of these recent studies. In all, it is compelling evidence that this drug should not be used as a first-line choice for treatment in pregnant women," said Dr. Kimford J. Meador, lead author of the new study and a professor of neurology at the University of Florida.

Depakote is made by Abbott Laboratories. A spokeswoman for the company said that for many women, the drug "may be the only effective seizure control medication, and that decision should be made thoughtfully between physician and patient to fully evaluate the risk vs. benefit of treatment."

Health Headlines - May 4

U.S. Senate Passes Imported Drug Amendment

The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted 63-28 in favor of an amendment that proposes changing federal law to permit imports of prescription drugs from Canada and other countries where medicines cost less than they do in the United States.

Supporters of the move say they hope that wider access to less expensive foreign drugs will drive down drug prices in the U.S., the Associated Press reported.

"The fact is, we are paying the highest prices for brand-name prescription drugs in the world and that's not fair. Let's make the global economy work for everybody," said Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), who sponsored the amendment to legislation related to the Food and Drug Administration.

While the idea has wide popular support, the White House and U.S. drug industry oppose imports of foreign drugs. President Bush has said he'll veto the final FDA legislation if it includes such a provision, the AP reported.

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Don't Rely on Masks During Flu Pandemic: CDC

Face masks may not offer much protection if a flu pandemic strikes but it may still be wise to wear them in certain situations, according to preliminary flu pandemic guidelines released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Avoiding all exposure to germs causing the pandemic is the best way to protect yourself. But, if that's not possible, wearing a simple surgical mask may help if:

• You're healthy and have to go into a crowded place.
• You're sick and are going to be in close contact with healthy people.
• You live with a person who's sick and therefore may be in the early stages of infection, but that person has to go out in public.

At a news conference, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding emphasized that masks don't replace basic precautions such as hand washing and avoiding contact with people who have respiratory infections, the Associated Press reported.

"We are concerned people with think the mask is the magic bullet. It can have a role in personal protection but they are not the only thing," Gerberding said.

Major prevention measures recommended by the CDC include avoiding crowds and steering clear of people who are sick, unless you must care for someone, the AP reported.

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FDA Launches New Consumer Web Page, E-Newsletter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has introduced two new initiatives to enhance its online consumer health information -- a new Web page, "Consumer Health Information for You and Your Family," and a free monthly e-newsletter, "FDA Consumer Health Information."

The Web page will offer information about important public health developments clearly and accurately in easy-to-read language, the FDA said. The page also provides links to information about FDA-regulated products such as food, human and animal drugs, medical devices, and vaccines.

The e-newsletter replaces the FDA's print magazine and is expected to reach far more people. Subscribers to the e-newsletter will receive notice of product approvals, safety warnings and other health news, the agency said.

The new Web page can be found at www.fda.gov/consumer.

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Link Between Depression and First-Time Alcohol/Drug Use

There's a link between depression in children aged 12 to 17 and their first use of alcohol or drugs, says a study released Thursday by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The study of 2005 data found that children who experienced depression within the previous year were twice as likely to have used alcohol or drugs than youths who did not have depression.

Overall in 2005, 2.2 million young people ages 12 to 17 experienced major depression within the past year, the study said. The overall rate of depression in this age group was 8.8 percent, but the rate increased with age, from 4.3 percent among those age 12 to 11.9 percent among those age 17.

The rate of depression among girls was 13.3 percent, compared with 4.5 percent for boys. Rates were similar among different racial and ethnic groups, the study found.

In 2005, about 2.7 million children tried alcohol for the first time, and about 1.5 million tried drugs for the first time, the study said.

"As National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, May 8, approaches, it's important to remember that depression is real and painful for youths. Recognizing depression early and helping youths receive appropriate help may prevent substance abuse," Terry Cline, SAMHSA administrator, said in a prepared statement.

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Diabetic Men More Likely to Have Sperm Damage: Study

Diabetes appears to harm sperm and may decrease a man's fertility, says a British study in the journal Human Reproduction.

Researchers analyzed sperm samples from 56 men and found that 52 percent of men with diabetes had fragmented sperm DNA, compared with 32 percent of men without the disease, BBC News reported.

The diabetic men also had higher rates of DNA deletions in the mitochondria, which produce energy for cells. Defective sperm DNA can cause male infertility, pregnancy failure and miscarriage, BBC News reported.

The study also found that the diabetic men had significantly lower-than-normal semen volume, but showed no differences in sperm concentration, structure or movement.

While it's not clear whether diabetes actually affects male fertility, the researchers said their findings are troubling given rapidly rising rates of diabetes. They recommended further research, BBC News reported.

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Canada Confirms New Mad Cow Case

Canadian officials have confirmed the 10th case of mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- BSE) in that country since 2003, CBC News reported.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Wednesday that the latest case was found in a 5 1/2-year-old dairy cow in British Columbia. The agency said it has the cow's carcass and no part of the animal entered the human or animal feed systems.

Officials said the cow's age, combined with the average incubation period of BSE, indicates that the animal was exposed to small amounts of infected material and that the exposure occurred during the animal's first year of life, CBC News reported.

The agency is trying to determine how the cow was infected and is tracing other cows from the same herd.

Health Headlines - May 3

Group Seeks to Improve Hispanic American Eating Habits

Traditional Latin-American meal ingredients that offer good nutrition are at the core of a new food pyramid meant to encourage healthier eating among Hispanic Americans.

The health benefits of grains and tubers such as plantain, maize, quinoa, and tropical fruits such as papayas and mangos are highlighted in the Latin American Diet Pyramid, which will be included a pocket-sized bilingual guide that will be distributed across the U.S., the Associated Press reported.

The 16-page guide, called "Camino Magico" (Magic Road), is part of a campaign launched this week by the Boston-based nonprofit Latino Nutrition Coalition, which seeks to improve the eating habits of Hispanic Americans.

Along with information about foods and meal ingredients, the guide includes recipes for healthy adaptations of traditional dishes, such as Mexican chicken soup and bean tortilla melt, the AP reported.

"We're trying to get people talking about what we should be eating, and to focus on more traditional and healthier foods rather than big quantities of cheap food," said Latino Nutrition Coalition manager Liz Mintz. "We wanted to create awareness in the community and inspire people to eat healthy."

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NYC Offers Free Nicotine Patches and Gum

Of the more than half of New York City smokers who tried to quit last year, 80 percent of them (100,000) relapsed within three months, according to the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

In an effort to improve the odds of quitting for good, the health department is giving away free nicotine patches and gum for a limited time to people who call 311. Since the giveaway was launched last week, the health department has handed out more than 5,500 patches and nearly 700 packets of gum.

"If you are smoking or if you want to try to quit again, nicotine replacement can double your chance of success. We are giving away nicotine patches and gum for a limited time, so New Yorkers who want help to quit should call 311 now," Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden said in a prepared statement.

A survey of New York City smokers who tried to quit found that the leading causes of relapse were: stressful situations; social setting where there was alcohol; the aroma of cigarette smoke; driving: and, for women, the end of pregnancy.

Since smoking is often associated with everyday habits or rituals, people may need to make some changes to their routines in order to kick the habit for good, Friesen said.

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Company Recalls Drug Linked to Deaths in Oregon

In response to recent deaths, Texas-based ApotheCure Inc. has recalled all strengths, sizes and lots of compounded injectable Colchicine sold within the last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.

Customers with the recalled drug should immediately stop using it and prepare the product to return to ApotheCure, the drug compounding company said.

Three people with back pain who received injections of Colchicine at the Center for Integrative Medicine in Portland, Ore. died after being given toxic levels of the drug. The deaths occurred between the end of March and the beginning of April, the Associated Press reported.

ApotheCure said an employee made a weighing error when making the drug, resulting in it being 10 times more potent than intended.

Colchicine stops cells from dividing, which reduces inflammation in conditions such as gout and back pain, Dr. Rob Hendrickson, associate medical director for the Oregon Poison Center, told the AP. Excess doses of the drug can cause organ failure and death.

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Lying Down May Help Breastfeeding

Lying down while breastfeeding newborn babies may improve women's chances of being successful at breastfeeding, according to a U.K. study presented at a Royal College of Nursing conference.

Breastfeeding can be difficult and many women give up after a few weeks of trying, BBC News reported.

This study looked at 40 mothers breastfeeding in different positions. The researchers found that newborns' natural feeding reflexes were more easily triggered when mothers were lying down and their babies were placed on their stomachs, on top of the mothers.

The babies in the study were less than a month old.

Researcher Dr. Suzanne Colson, a senior midwifery lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, identified feeding 17 reflexes in babies who were breastfed this way. Infants breastfed by mothers in a sitting-up position showed only three feeding reflexes, BBC News reported.

"When mothers were lying flat or semi-reclined, babies could find the breast easier and in many cases attach themselves and feed whilst asleep," Colson said. "The research suggests that babies when they are on their tummy display these primitive reflexes, head bobbing in particular, that is seen in other mammals who are abdominal feeders."

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C-Section Boosts Risk of Placenta-Related Problems

Having a caesarean delivery in the first pregnancy may increase the risk of placenta-related problems in later pregnancies, finds a study in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Researchers analyzed data from more than five million pregnancies in the United States between 1995 and 2000. They concluded that women who have their first child by caesarean have a nearly 50 percent increased risk of a placenta attaching low down in the womb or rupturing in later pregnancies, BBC News reported.

Scarring in the womb caused by caesarean may affect the attachment of the placenta in future pregnancies, the researchers said.

"More than one percent of pregnancies with a prior caesarean section had one of these events, which had a 50 percent increase compared to women without previous caesarean section," said study leader Dr. Qiuying Yang of the University of Ottawa, Canada. "This has important implications on the management of these pregnancies. It also introduces new and important evidence in the debate on the risks of caesarean sections 'on demand.'"

Experts said women need to be informed of this increased risk if they're considering having an elective caesarean, BBC News reported.

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Dusty Homes Good For Babies' Immune Systems

A bit of a dust and dirt in the house may be a good thing for your children, suggests a University of Cincinnati study in the May issue of the journal Allergy.

The study of 574 infants considered to be at high risk for future allergies concluded that early exposure to indoor microbes may help children develop stronger immune systems and reduce their risk of developing allergies, The Ottawa Citizen reported.

Children exposed to high levels of "fungal glucans" and "bacterial endotoxins" were about three times less likely to wheeze than those in more sanitized settings.

"If you keep your house too clean, you don't provide the microbial components to stimulate the immune system," said study lead author Yulia Iossifova.

She noted that this kind of immune system boost only occurs early in life, The Citizen reported.

"Whether you'll be susceptible to allergies later in life depends on immune development during pregnancy and then in the first three to four years of life," Iossifova said. "If people haven't been exposed to microbial components as little children, being exposed to them as adults makes them develop allergies very easily."

Health Headlines - May 2

FDA Warns of Online Counterfeit Drug Sales

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday that 24 apparently related Web sites that appear on pharmacycall365.com may be involved in the distribution of counterfeit drugs.

In recent months, the FDA has received reports that counterfeit versions of the weight-loss drug Xenical were obtained from consumers from two different Web sites. Further investigation revealed that the two Web sites (brandpills.com and pillspharm.com) involved in these incidents are among 24 that appear on the pharmacycall365.com home page under the "Our Websites" heading.

Previously, four of the 24 Web sites were identified by the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations as being associated with the distribution of counterfeit Tamiflu and counterfeit Cialis.

It appears that these Web sites are operated from outside of the United States and the FDA strongly cautioned consumers against buying drugs from any of these Web sites. It also restated previous warnings about buying prescription drugs online.

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L.A. Has Worst Air Pollution

Los Angeles has the worst air pollution in the United States, according to the latest ranking by the American Lung Association.

Based on 2003 to 2005 data, the association found that the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside metropolitan areas had the worst air quality, followed by Pittsburgh, Bakersfield, Calif., Birmingham, Ala., Detroit, Cleveland, Visalia, Calif., Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, the Associated Press reported.

The rankings are based on levels of ozone pollution -- created when pollutants from cars, refineries, power plants and other sources react with sunlight and heat -- and particle air pollution.

Overall, the ALA found that nearly half of U.S. residents live in counties with unhealthy levels of particle or ozone pollution, the AP reported. However, it did find that there appear to be less ozone air pollution in many areas than in previous years.

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No Rise in Cancer Risk From Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Electricity workers don't face an increased cancer threat from low-frequency electromagnetic fields, says a Danish study that looked at the health and employment records of 28,000 electricity supply company workers dating back to 1968.

The researchers compared cancer rates among the workers to rates in the general population and concluded that exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields did not increase the risk of brain cancer, breast cancer, or leukemia, Agence France Presse reported.

The study findings contradict some previous lab studies that did suggest an increased cancer risk.

The study authors said their results indicate that there is no need to tighten international safety guidelines on occupational exposure to low-frequency magnetic fields, which have a frequency of 50-60 Herz, AFP reported.

The study was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

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FDA Can't Ensure Food Safety, Critics Say

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't have enough staff or funding to adequately inspect food imported into the United States or to keep the nation's food supply safe, critics warn.

"The public thinks the food supply is much more protected than it is. If people really knew how weak the FDA program is, they would be shocked," William Hubbard, a former associate commissioner at the agency, told The New York Times.

"With globalization, American food processors are turning to less-developed countries to get food ingredients because they can get them so much more cheaply," Hubbard noted.

In 2006, FDA inspectors sampled only 20,662 food shipments out of the more than 8.9 million that were unloaded at American ports, the Times reported. Of the 199,000 food shipments from China, less than two percent were sampled, according to former agency officials.

The agency is responsible for monitoring 80 percent of food in the United States, but inspects only about one percent of all food shipments that arrive at ports, according to federal government data.

The FDA has only about 1,750 food inspectors to cover the ports and food production plants in the United States. Most plants are checked by FDA inspectors only about once every five to 10 years, Hubbard told the Times. Food production plants in other countries are not regularly monitored by the FDA.

In related news, the FDA announced Tuesday the creation of the position of Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection, which will be filled by Dr. David Acheson, who is currently chief medical officer and director of the FDA's Office of Food Defense, Communication and Emergency Response.

In his new role, Acheson will provide advice to the FDA commissioner on food safety and food defense matters.

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Alcohol Promotes Breast Cancer Tumor Growth: Study

Just two alcoholic drinks a day can promote tumor growth in women with breast cancer, says a University of Mississippi study.

The researchers gave a group of female mice the equivalent of two to four drinks a day for four weeks. A control group of mice received no alcohol. Both groups of mice were injected with breast cancer cells, BBC News reported.

Four weeks later, the tumors in the mice that received the alcohol weighed an average of 1.4 grams, nearly twice that of the mice in the control group. The researchers believe that alcohol boosts the growth of blood vessels in cancer cells which, in turn, increases tumor growth.

The study was presented at a meeting of the American Physiology Society.

Previous research has shown that alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer. But the impact of drinking alcohol once cancer has been diagnosed has been less clear, BBC News reported.

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Teen Girls More Likely to Abuse Prescription Drugs

Teenage girls in the United States are more likely than teenage boys to abuse prescription drugs, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Officials said Monday that nearly one in 10 teenage girls used a prescription drug, such as tranquilizers or antidepressants, to get high at least once in the past year, compared with one out of 13 teenage boys, the Associated Press reported.

Females account for 55 percent of emergency room visits involving prescription drugs, but only 35 percent of ER visits involving illicit drugs.

When it comes to the use of illicit drugs, males have much higher rates than females. Unique pressures faced by girls may explain why they're more likely than boys to abuse prescription drugs, federal officials said.

They noted that women abuse drugs and alcohol to boost their confidence, lose weight, or reduce tension, while men do so for the sensation, the AP reported.

Health Headlines - May 1

THC Disrupts Important Brain Region

The active ingredient in marijuana -- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- disrupts the area of the brain that keeps the lid on inappropriate thoughts and behaviors, such as swearing and paranoia, a British study concludes.

Using brain scans, Institute of Psychiatry researchers found that volunteers who took THC capsules showed reduced activity in the inferior frontal cortex, BBC News reported. The effects of THC on this brain area were short-term, but some people appeared to be more vulnerable than others.

The research offered strong evidence that marijuana has a strong impact on the brain, the scientists said. However, they noted it wouldn't be ethical or feasible to study the long-term effects of THC on the brain.

The findings were to be presented this week at an Institute of Psychiatry conference. A second study to be presented at the conference found that another ingredient in marijuana -- cannabidiol (CBD) -- can help control psychotic symptoms and may prove useful in the development of new treatments, BBC News said.

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Bullfrog Compound Helps Kill Hospital 'Superbug'

A substance produced by American bullfrogs helps kill methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, the so-called "superbug" that often infects people in hospitals and long-term care.

Researchers at St. Andrews University in Scotland developed a treatment that kills MRSA and a key ingredient is ranalexin, an antimicrobial peptide found in bullfrogs, BBC News reported. The treatment includes another antimicrobial compound called lysostaphin.

"Our finding represents a potentially novel way to combat MRSA via surface treatment or impregnation of wound dressings," said research team leader Dr. Peter Coote, a microbiologist with the university's Centre for Biomolecular Science.

"The development of new routes to target MRSA that do not result in the acquisition of resistance would greatly improve the ability of clinicians to tackle these infections more effectively and cheaply," Coote said.

Techniques learned from the research, published by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, have already been patented, BBC News reported.

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Trans Fat Eliminated in KFC Chicken

KFC restaurants announced Monday that all 5,500 of its U.S. outlets have stopped using artery-clogging trans fat to fry chicken, the Associated Press reported.

Last October, the Louisville, Ky.-based chain said it was switching to a new soybean oil. The new cooking oil will not change the taste of the fried chicken, a company spokesman said.

While KFC's chicken won't have any trans fat, some of its non-fried items -- including pot pies, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and some desserts -- still contain trans fat. The company said it's trying to find ways to remove trans fat from those menu items, the AP reported.

Also on Monday, Taco Bell said all of its U.S. restaurants have switched to an oil with no trans fat. KFC and Taco Bell are subsidiaries of Yum Brands Inc.

Laws to ban trans fat in restaurants have been passed by New York City and Philadelphia and a number of states have introduced bills to ban trans fat in school cafeterias and restaurants, the AP reported.

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U.S., China Resist Climate Change Plan

A proposed international plan to combat climate change is facing resistance from the United States and China. The two countries claim that measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be more costly and take longer than scientists claim, the Associated Press reported.

According to documents obtained by the AP, the U.S. and China also play down the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposed plan was created by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations network of 2,000 scientists. Over the last few weeks, government officials have been reviewing the draft plan and will meet this week to discuss it with the scientists.

The IPCC plan says that the world can reduce greenhouse emissions below current levels by shifting away from carbon-laden fuels like coal and oil, investing in energy efficiency, and implementing agricultural reforms, the AP reported.

In order to take effect, the draft plan must be unanimously approved by more than 120 governments and all changes to the plan must be accepted by the IPCC scientists.

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Chinese Herbal Compound May Treat Kidney Cysts

A compound derived from a traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the incidence of kidney-destroying cysts in people prone to the illness, researchers report.

A Yale University team led by Dr. Craig Crews tested the compound, called triptolide, in mice bred to have a disease similar to human polycystic kidney disease. Triptolide is found naturally in Lei Gong Teng, a medicinal herb used for centuries in China to fight cancer, inflammation and auto-immune disorders.

In polycystic kidney disease, genetic signals that normally inhibit cell growth are turned off, leading to the proliferation of organ-destroying cysts. Patients often lose one or both kidneys and are forced to wait for transplant or go on dialysis.

In the study, Crews' team found that triptolide prevented cyst formation in mice. "If we were able to slow the rate of cyst formation by even 10 percent a year, compounded annually, patients would not die from this disease," he said in a statement. "A relatively small effect would have an enormous clinical benefit."

The findings were scheduled to be presented Sunday at the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting in Washington, D.C.