Health News for June 2, 2008

Nearly three million HIV-positive people receiving life-saving drugs: WHO
Nearly three million people are now receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS and UNICEF report launched today. ANI

New blood test shows promise for heart transplant patients
Researchers from Loyola University Medical Centre have developed a new blood test that may help doctors strike a balance in prescribing immune-suppressing drugs to organ transplant patients. ANI

Childhood Hodgkins lymphoma survivors at higher risk of future health problems
People who survived childhood Hodgkins Lymphoma are at a greater risk of developing second cancer or cardiovascular disease, says a new study. ANI

New studies may lead to better ENT, head and neck treatments
Three separate studies have offered new insights into prognosis of oral tongue cancer, chronic ear infections in children, and the success rates of hearing aid implants in the elderly. ANI

Working women more likely to suffer job related stress
Working women are more likely to suffer job related stress than men, suggests a new study. ANI

Freshman 15 weight gain only a myth
A new study from the University of Guelph, Canada has debunked the popular Freshman 15 notion that students gain 15 pounds during their first year of college, and insists that it may overstate students actual weight gain. ANI

Vitamin D deficiency hits kids bone health
A new study from Nationwide Childrens Hospital has shed light on the impact of vitamin D insufficiency in pediatric patients with low bone density. ANI

New drug to pave way for effective breast cancer treatment
A new drug, called Pertuzumab, related to the controversial drug Herceptin, may pave the way for new treatment of breast cancer. ANI

Baby girls benefit the most from breast feeding
Baby girls enjoy the benefits of breast feeding much more than breast-fed boys. ANI

New combination therapy to aid patients with inoperable melanoma
A study at University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) has cited that the combination of two different biotherapies may turn out to be more beneficial for patients with inoperable melanoma. ANI

Acupuncture alleviates side effects of head, neck cancer treatments
A new study has suggested that acupuncture provides significant reductions in pain, dysfunction, and dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients after surgery. ANI

Hand sanitizer use cuts absenteeism rates in schools
Researchers at Childrens Hospital Boston recently studied whether disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers could help reduce illness-related student absenteeism, and found positive results. ANI

Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous may benefit adolescents too
A new study suggests that help programmes for people suffering from alcohol- and narcotics-related problems, known as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), may be beneficial for adolescents also if they attend them. ANI

Scientists shed light on genetics of Lou Gehrigs disease progression
University of Tokyo researchers claim to have gained valuable insights into the genetics of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. ANI

Genome mining may help unveil natural products to treat MRSA, cancer
Big pharmaceutical companies made a mistake in giving up using soil bacteria as a source of antibiotics, say researchers who have now used genome mining for finding new natural products that may have help in the treatment of superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and cancer. ANI

Family history of alcoholism puts you at strong risk of becoming an alcoholic too
By studying first-, second- and third-degree relatives instead of just one parent, researchers found that people who have a solid family history of alcoholism are most likely to develop alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). ANI

New evidence links hormone therapy, breast cancer
Scientists have found new evidence that would further explain that there is a link between use of hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer risk. ANI

Eat bugs to stay hale and hearty!
It would take a while for you digest them, but scientists have revealed that eating bugs would be nutritious, delicious and environmental friendly. ANI

Long-term bouts with hay fever worsen nasal passage functioning
A team of Italian researchers has found that people suffering from hay fever - allergic rhinitis - will over time experience a progressive worsening of their nasal passage functioning, depending on how long they have the disorder. ANI

Positive attitude doesnt help cure cancer: Oz experts
A team of Australian specialists has debunked the theory that a positive attitude can boost the chances of surviving cancer. ANI

Simply moving can have you feeling more positive
Indiana University researchers have found that physical activity throughout the day like simply moving is linked to positive feelings. ANI

Heres how prostate cancer develops resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy
A collaborative study has uncovered what may be helpful in discerning how prostate tumours eventually become resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy - the suppression of circulating testosterone via surgical castration or medical castration with testosterone-blocking drugs. ANI

Prenatal biochemical screening detects only 50pc chromosomal abnormalities
Italian researchers suggest that women be better informed on the limitation of diagnostic tests like prenatal biochemical screening, which are widely used to look for chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus, because such tests have a success rate of only 50 percent. ANI

New Mouse model may tender great help in diabetes research
Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have achieved a significant success in regenerating pancreatic beta cells in mice after inducing them to die. ANI

Study provides new insights into C. difficile superbug prevention
A new study provides fresh insights into the prevention of the superbug Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), often spread in hospitals, and which can sometimes be fatal. ANI

Bunk beds are hazardous for kids and young adults
Parents of young children are not the only ones who need to worry about bunk bed-related injuries, for a new study has found that young adults between the ages of 18-21 are also at risk of getting hurt because of these beds. ANI