Neuroscientist Donald G. Stein and colleagues report that progesterone, which shields the fetal brain by suppressing damaging neuronal excitation, also protects and heals injured brain tissue, improving outcomes and reducing mortality after brain injuries including stroke.
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Health News
Drugs, disease, healthcare, government and lifestyle: health news beyond the plate.
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Healthcare
Dual liver transplant performed
Surgeons at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago split one deceased donor's liver between a 17-year-old and a 2-year-old, both born with fatal liver diseases, in an eight-hour operation. Both recovered well, the hospital's transplant program director said.
Drug
FDA unable to rule out vytorin-cancer link
In the SEAS trial of 1,873 aortic stenosis patients, Vytorin did not lower overall cardiovascular risk, and more patients taking it were diagnosed with and died from cancer than on placebo. The FDA said in December 2009 that a causal link is unlikely but cannot be ruled out.
Disease
Fat hormone linked to both cancer and Alzheimer's
Catherine Roe's Neurology study found people with cancer less likely to have Alzheimer's and vice versa. The piece points to hormones as a link: a JAMA study following 2,000 people for 12 years found Alzheimer's in 25% of those with the lowest leptin levels versus 6% of those with the highest.
Disease
Alzheimer's linked to cancer
In the Cardiovascular Health Study of 3,000 people aged 65 and older, those with Alzheimer's at the start had a 69% lower risk of hospitalization for cancer, and among white participants who already had cancer the risk of Alzheimer's was 43% lower.
Miscellaneous
New Year's Resolutions for the Drug Industry
A satirical list of resolutions for drug makers, framed by 2009's record settlements, Eli Lilly's $1.42 billion over Zyprexa and Pfizer's $2.3 billion, plus new black box warnings and Congressional scrutiny of industry-subsidized journal articles and drug-funded patient groups.
Disease
What Two Surprising Factors Can Predict Your Risk for Heart Disease?
A 10-year study in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation linked half of fatal heart disease cases and a quarter of non-fatal ones to being overweight by BMI or waist size. Its authors say the two measures may help predict risk, not just describe it.
Miscellaneous
Tips for a Stress-Free Christmas This Year
Mercola writes that money worries, a new diagnosis, grief or job loss can make Christmas hard, and that less vitamin D, sweets and a packed schedule strain physical health too. Therapists typically see about 15% more people seeking help at this time of year.
Drug
Teva, OncoGenex join forces to develop prostate cancer drug
Teva and OncoGenex announced a December 21 licensing deal to develop and commercialize OGX-011, a drug meant to counter cancer treatment resistance, with Teva also buying OncoGenex shares. OGX-011 has completed phase II trials in prostate, lung and breast cancer.
Drug
FDA review cannot rule out Vytorin cancer link
After reviewing the SEAS trial and interim data from the SHARP and IMPROVE-IT trials, FDA said it believes Vytorin and Zetia are unlikely to raise the risk of cancer or cancer death, but cannot definitively rule it out. It is not advising anyone to stop the drugs.
Environment
Brain cancer and cell phone use unproven
Legislators in Maine and San Francisco's mayor want warning labels on cell phones, but the American Cancer Society says the radio-frequency waves phones emit are non-ionizing and lack the energy to damage DNA directly. The FCC caps absorption at 1.6 watts per kilogram.
Environment
Warning! This Cell Phone Safety ‘Spin’ Could Make You Dizzy
Mercola argues that headlines calling cell phones safe rest on Scandinavian brain tumor trends through 2003 that were never tied to actual phone use. The small, steady rise in tumors began in 1974, and the authors concede latency may run longer than the follow-up covered.
Miscellaneous
The Links Between Sugar and Mental Health
British researcher Malcolm Peet's cross-cultural analysis found a strong link between high sugar intake and both depression and schizophrenia. Dr. Mercola points to two possible mechanisms: sugar suppresses the brain growth factor BDNF, and it promotes chronic inflammation.
Drug
The Medicines Co recalls High blood pressure drug
The FDA alerted pharmacists and risk managers to The Medicines Company's recall of 11 lots of Cleviprex, a blood pressure drug, after sub-visible stainless steel particles around 2.5 microns were found in the injectable emulsion. No other lots are affected.
Miscellaneous
Caution to Pet Owners – Pet Treats and Toys May Cause Problems for Your Pet
The FDA warns that pet treats and chew toys can break into pieces that lodge in a pet's airway or gut. Drooling and frantic behavior suggest a throat obstruction, repeated gulping and regurgitation an esophageal one, and vomiting, appetite loss or abdominal pain a stomach or intestinal blockage.
Disease
Dental disease may be associated with diabetes
A Journal of Public Health Dentistry study of 2,923 adults found 93 percent of those with periodontal disease met American Diabetes Association criteria for high diabetes risk, against 63 percent of those without it. The author argues gum-disease patients should be screened.
Miscellaneous
Mom of 18 kids gives premature birth due to high blood pressure
Michelle Duggar delivered her 19th child by emergency C-section almost three months early after pre-eclampsia developed in her third trimester. The piece reviews the condition's symptoms and risk factors, noting it most often appears in first pregnancies.
Disease
Autism cases spike dramatically
The CDC's monitoring network put autism prevalence at 1 in 110 eight-year-olds, a 57% rise, with community rates ranging from 1 in 80 to 1 in 240. Increases averaged 60% among boys and 48% among girls. Better detection may explain part of it, but the CDC says a true rise cannot be ruled out.
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