Health News for October 15, 2008

Children pledge to eliminate diseases on first global hand-washing day
Celebrities joined around 1500 children in the national capital to spread awareness of personnel hygiene to mark the first global hand-washing day today with a vow to keep free of diarrhoea and pneumonia - two major killers of children spread mainly through dirty hands. ANI

Nicotine linked with breast cancer growth and spread
Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggest a possible role for nicotine in breast tumor development and metastases. ANI

Sleep apnea sufferers more likely to have unhealthy food
A new study has revealed that people suffering from severe obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disordered breathing condition, are more likely to consume unhealthy food, which may be a factor contributing to greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. ANI

1 in 5 Oz kids suffer from anxiety disorder
Almost 20 pct of the Australian kids suffer from anxiety disorder, courtesy fast paced living, says a leading expert. ANI

Nasal antibiotic ointment may cut risks of staph infections
A nasal antibiotic ointment can reduce the risk of staph infection without causing antibiotic resistance, according to a new review of studies. ANI

Marijuana use takes toll on teens brain function
Marijuana use in adolescence has an adverse impact on brain development, leading to poorer performance on thinking tasks, says a new study. ANI

Why methamphetamine is so addictive and damaging to brain
A study has cast new light on why the drug methamphetamine is very addictive and damaging to the brain. ANI

How forgetting troubles can keep your heart healthy
Forgetting troubles might help you keep your heart healthy, suggests a new study, which has found that failing memory in Alzheimers helps reduce high blood pressure. ANI

Cherry-flavoured pill could help beat malaria in kids
A new cherry-flavoured pill, which is easy for children to swallow, works as an anti-malarial drug and could help save millions of lives, say researchers in Tanzania. ANI

Chinese salad may harbour cancer cure
A Chinese herb - more than 2,000-year-old - eaten as salad in many countries has been given a new twist to develop a compound to combat cancer. ANI

Inadequate sleep a major cause for memory loss among elderly
Inadequate sleep is one of the main causes behind memory problems among elderly people, according to a new study by North Carolina State University analysts. ANI

Vitamin B fails to slow Alzheimers spread
A new study from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has found that high doses of vitamin B fail to slow down cognitive decline in Alzheimers patients. ANI

Why women have more cavities than men
A University of Oregon anthropologist has uncovered one of the most intriguing questions related with evolution- why do women get more cavities than men. ANI

How our brains see what we cant
A study on monkeys has shed new light on Blindsight-a phenomenon in which patients with damage in the primary visual cortex of the brain can tell where an object is, even when they are unable to see it. ANI

Dark chocolate as healthy for your heart as red wine
Resveratrol, a healthy compound associated with red wine, is found in cocoa and dark chocolate products, shows a new report. ANI

How red wine protects alcoholics from fatty livers
Consumption of resveratrol, the compound often associated with the health benefits of red wine, can help prevent accumulation of fat in the liver which happens due to chronic alcohol consumption, according to a new study in mice. ANI

Two new genes discovered in type1 diabetes genetic puzzle
In a pursuit to reveal pieces of the complicated genetic puzzle behind type1 diabetes, scientists have found two novel gene locations that raise the risk for the disease. ANI

Steroid-antibiotic combo may help in quick recovery from pneumonia
A combination of corticosteroids with traditional antimicrobial therapy may help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, say UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists. ANI