Medicine

WHO: Pharma ties didn’t impact swine flu decisions

In response to an investigation published last week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) which pointed to affiliations between World Health Organization (WHO) advisers and pharmaceutical companies manufacturing H1N1 flu vaccines, WHO inspector general Margaret Chan said that industry ties had no impact on the global health agency’s

Infection control lapses at outpatient surgery centers

Infection control is often inconsistent and ill-enforced at outpatient surgical centers, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the study, researchers examined the results of inspections of 68 different ambulatory surgical centers in three different U.S. states between

Designing a low-allergy peanut?

In a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, researchers are working to develop a new breed of “low allergy” peanut. By cross breeding existing types of peanuts, researchers are working to develop a new variety of peanut that lacks the three proteins associated with most peanut allergies, the Telegraph reports. To

Sex while sleeping? A study suggest it’s not uncommon

People have been known to sleep through ringing alarm clocks or even an earthquake — but sex? A new study finds that nearly 8% of people with sleep disorders reported bouts of sexsomnia, in which they initiated or engaged in sexual activity with a partner or masturbated while asleep.

The study looked at the medical charts of 832 …

Routine bedtimes linked to improved child development

Young children who have consistent, early bedtimes may perform better academically than peers who get less routine rest, according to new research presented this week at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in San Antonio. The analysis, conducted by investigators at the independent, non-profit research

A Blood Test for Cancer?

Any cancer doctor will tell you that the earlier you pick up a tumor, the better your chances are of treating it and getting it under control.

So researchers at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago are announcing some welcome news on that front. Scientists at the biotechnology company Chronix …

When kids benefit from public smoking bans

A study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health finds that children and adolescents who don’t live with smokers experience substantial health benefits from no smoking laws. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, researchers also found that kids who live in counties with public smoking bans but are exposed to secondhand

In India, payment program reduces infant deaths

A novel program in India that pays impoverished women to give birth in medical institutions may be reducing infant mortality and the risk of stillbirth, according to new research published last week in the British medical journal The Lancet.

In this latest study, which was sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers

A “tattoo” to help monitor blood sugar levels?

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking preliminary steps toward developing a “tattoo” that could enable diabetics to constantly monitor blood sugar levels — without having to routinely change equipment or perform routine finger pricks to test blood. The experimental technology being developed by MIT

BMJ: WHO swine flu advisers had drug company ties

Almost exactly one year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the swine flu outbreak had reached global pandemic proportions. The announcement, made on June 11, 2009, spurred governments to order huge stocks of vaccines and prompted broad public health initiatives around the globe. And while we can all be grateful that

McDonald’s recalls 12 million Shrek glasses

Together with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fast food giant McDonald’s announced the recall of roughly 12 million Shrek-themed glasses today after discovering that the designs printed on the glasses contained the harmful metal cadmium. Out of what it called “an abundance of caution,” in a statement issued today McDonald’s

Mediterranean diet linked to lower child asthma risk

Children who consume a diet rich in fish, fruit and vegetables tend to have a lower risk for asthma and wheezing, while kids who eat several hamburgers a week may have a higher risk, according to new research published this week in the international respiratory journal Thorax.

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