Fifty-five mice bred with Alzheimer's traits were split in two; after two months, those given caffeine in their water did better on thinking and memory tests than the water-only group. The University of South Florida researcher says it is the first work to suggest caffeine can undo damage.
Food Consumer
Miscellaneous
Would You Eat "Dove"? Neither Do Most Dove Hunters
A caustic look at Governor Mark Sanford's Argentine dove-shooting trip and the Cordoba lodges advertising no bag limits, quoting hunters who boast of downing more than 1,000 birds in a day, and noting most states offer youth dove hunts for children as young as 8.
Drug
Drug Test May Not Tell the Whole Statin Story
A Tufts and University of Bern study found 25 of 44 statin patients with muscle pain had microscopic muscle injury despite normal creatine phosphokinase readings. The researchers conclude a CPK test can confirm muscle damage but cannot rule it out.
Drug
Advisory Panel Suggests Banning Vicodin, Percocet
An FDA advisory panel urged the agency to ban Vicodin and Percocet over liver damage from the acetaminophen they contain. Overdoses account for 400 deaths and 42,000 hospital visits, in part because many people do not know cold remedies and other drugs also contain the ingredient.
Food
Of mice and memory
University of South Florida researchers report in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease that caffeine equal to five cups of coffee a day reversed memory impairment in aged mice bred for Alzheimer's symptoms, and cut the disease's hallmark protein in their brains and blood.
Drug
FDA Okays Eli Lilly Lung Cancer Treatment
The FDA cleared Eli Lilly's Alimta as a maintenance treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, letting doctors keep giving it after initial chemotherapy instead of waiting for tumors to start growing again.
Lifestyle
Childhood obesity on the rise
Analyzing NHANES data on 12,384 US children aged 2 to 19, researchers found severe obesity, a BMI at or above the 99th percentile, rose more than 300% since 1976 and over 70% since 1994, reaching 3.8% of children in 1999-2004, with rates highest among black children.
Alerts
Malt-O-Meal recalls some products with dry milk
Malt-O-Meal voluntarily recalled products made with non-fat dry milk from Minnesota's Plainview Milk Coop, which is pulling two years of output over a possible salmonella risk. The piece reviews salmonella symptoms, which appear 12 to 72 hours after infection.
Disease
Four Britons die after getting swine flu, tips help you fight against the virus
A 19-year-old London man with serious underlying health problems became the fourth person in the UK to die after contracting swine flu, the BBC reported. More than 1,900 Londoners had caught the virus, and experts warned UK cases could reach 100,000 a day within a month.
Miscellaneous
Fireworks-Related Injuries: What you need to know
An estimated 9,800 people were treated in US emergency departments for fireworks injuries in 2007 and eleven died, with more than half of the injured being children, CDC reports. The safest prevention is leaving displays to trained professionals. Advice on keeping pets calm opens the piece.
Lifestyle
Obesity in the U.S. -- A perfect storm
Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980, a Trust for America's Health report says. Researchers blame environment and policy as much as calories: fast food outlets crowd neighbourhoods, schools sell sugary food, and fast food filled 23 percent of ads on top teen shows.
Comments
Warning: Swine Flu Vaccine Coming Soon
Baxter International said it was in full-scale production of a swine flu vaccine due in July, a day after the WHO declared a pandemic. Mercola warns that the fast-tracked vaccine will reach the public without safety evaluations and urges readers to fear it more than the flu.
Drug
Antismoking drugs cause suicidal thoughts
Drug regulators warned that the smoking cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban can cause suicidal thoughts, agitation and aggression in some patients. Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline will add black box warnings, but an FDA official said the drugs will stay on the market because they help smokers quit.
Alerts
Canada recalls beef due to E coli contamination
Loblaw pulled two dozen President's Choice beef products, including steaks, oven roasts and ground beef, from stores in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada over E. coli O157:H7. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said no illnesses were linked to the products.
Disease
Celiac disease on the rise: What you need to know
A Mayo Clinic study cited by WebMD found celiac disease is four times more common in the U.S. than 50 years ago, and that undiagnosed, untreated cases carry a raised risk of early death. One specialist says only about 5 percent of people with the disease know they have it.
Cooking
California Growers Share their Stories and Delicious Avocado-Inspired Recipes (PR)
A California Avocado Commission release marking peak season, noting that about 6,000 California farmers grow 90 percent of the US crop. It profiles the Abbotts of Carpinteria, who hand-pick their fruit, use compost and fish oils, and run the ranch on solar power.
Healthcare
Wal-Mart's employee healthcare plan "too expensive"
Wal-Mart backed an employer-funded health care requirement in a letter to President Obama written with the SEIU and the Center for American Progress, yet only 51.8 percent of its 1.4 million employees take its plan. One manager said it cost her $400 a month, more than she could afford.
Miscellaneous
New Study Reveals Surprising Cause of Risky Behavior in Teens
A six-year study of 20,000 teenagers found those who expect to die young take more risks than those who expect long lives, reversing the usual assumption that teens feel invincible. One in five 15- and 16-year-olds expected to die before 20; the real rate is about one in 250.
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