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FDA’s new education campaign for LGBT young adults aims to prevent, reduce tobacco use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the launch of a historic public education campaign aimed at preventing and reducing tobacco use among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young adults ages 18-24. Of the more than 2 million LGBT young adults in the U.S., more than 800,000 smoke occasionally. The "This Free Life" campaign is designed to specifically reach the occasional or "social" smokers in the LGBT community to help prevent tobacco-related disease and the loss of tens of thousands LGBT lives to tobacco use each year.

3 May 2016

NEI-funded study analyzes outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy for AMD

In a study of nearly 650 people with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), half still had vision 20/40 or better, typically good enough to drive or to read standard print, after five years of treatment with anti-VEGF drugs that are injected into the eye. The authors of the study, funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health, say those outcomes would have been unimaginable about 10 years ago, prior to the drugs' availability.

3 May 2016

New method may help identify small amounts of nanomaterials in environment samples

It is still unclear what the impact is on humans, animals and plants of synthetic nanomaterials released into the environment or used in products. It's very difficult to detect these nanomaterials in the environment since the concentrations are so low and the particles so small. Now the partners in the NanoUmwelt project have developed a method that is capable of identifying even minute amounts of nanomaterials in environmental samples.

2 May 2016

Nuplazid (pimavanserin) tablets approved to treat hallucinations and delusions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Nuplazid (pimavanserin) tablets, the first drug approved to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with psychosis experienced by some people with Parkinson's disease.

30 Apr 2016

Additional water or milk intake changes dietary pattern in overweight children

New research by Andersen et al, published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, may have an impact on the sugar tax debate. The research team observed overall changes in dietary patterns in overweight children, including a decrease in consumption of sugary drinks, when additional water or milk is added to their diet.

30 Apr 2016

First generic version of Crestor gets FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) tablets.

30 Apr 2016

Subtle incentives can influence healthy food choices

Healthy eating habits are more important than ever, with advocates calling for fast-food restaurants, schools and food providers to promote the sale of salads and vegetables as alternatives to burgers and fries. According to new Cornell University research, the most effective strategy for influencing such healthy food choices is not calorie counts and reduced prices, but rather more subtle incentives that reward healthy eating behavior.

29 Apr 2016

Studies on role of vitamin A in heart health have drawn opposite conclusions

Vitamin A is involved in many bodily processes, including vision and skin health, but its role in the heart is unclear. While vitamin A is critical for heart development of embryos—vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy leads to an abnormal heart and prenatal death—studies on vitamin A's role in heart health have drawn opposite conclusions.

29 Apr 2016

Daily chocolate consumption may improve cardio-metabolic health

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition appears to back up the adage that a little of what you fancy does you good.

29 Apr 2016

Effects of BPA on embryos in females undergoing IVF

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical that is used in a variety of consumer products, such as water bottles, metal food and beverage containers, and thermal paper cash register receipts.

29 Apr 2016

Black raspberry intake can lower key measure of arterial stiffness in patients with metabolic syndrome

A new study shows that black raspberry extract can significantly lower a key measure of arterial stiffness-an indicator of cardiovascular disease. Black raspberry intake was also associated with increased levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which help repair and regenerate damaged arteries, according to the study published in Journal of Medicinal Food, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Medicinal Food website until May 28, 2016.

29 Apr 2016

Janssen gets positive CHMP opinion for IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) to treat patients with previously untreated CLL

Janssen-Cilag International NV today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a Positive Opinion, recommending broadening the existing marketing authorisation for ibrutinib as a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

29 Apr 2016

Outbreak of tropical parasitic infection observed for first time in the Arctic

An outbreak of an intestinal parasite common in the tropics, known as Cryptosporidium, has been identified for the first time in the Arctic. The discovery was made in Nunavik, Quebec, by a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, in collaboration with the Nunavik Department of Public Health, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec and Health Canada. The discovery, which was documented in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, could have long-term implications for the health of children in Nunavik and Nunavut's communities.

29 Apr 2016

Disparities exist in care for low-income kids with food allergy

Low-income families of children with food allergies spend 2.5 times more on emergency department and hospitalization costs nationally, according to new Northwestern Medicine research.

28 Apr 2016

Latest popular diets have nutrient gaps

Paleo, high-protein, low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan eating lifestyles have all exploded in popularity in the last few years. Whether people adopt these diets in order to lose weight or maintain overall wellness, consumers that follow them may be missing out on some essential nutrients. In the April issue of Food Technology Magazine, Linda Mila Ohr writes about the nutrient gaps in these various diets and how consumers can make sure they get the nutrients they need.

28 Apr 2016

Culturally sensitive lifestyle intervention promotes healthy-living behaviors among Latinas

A culturally sensitive lifestyle intervention showed promise at motivating Latinas living in the U.S. to eat better and exercise more by connecting healthy-living behaviors with the lives of saints and prominent religious figures, new studies found.

28 Apr 2016

Little and often gives exercise benefits in Type 2 diabetes

Sedentary, overweight adults with Type 2 diabetes can improve their cardiometabolic profile by engaging in very brief but regular periods of light walking or resistance exercise, research suggests.

28 Apr 2016

Existing non-antibiotic therapeutic drugs could help combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens

The rise of antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens is an increasingly global threat to public health. In the United States alone antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens kill thousands every year.

27 Apr 2016

Research highlights global economic burden of norovirus

While norovirus is often linked in the news to outbreaks on cruise ships, the highly contagious stomach bug sickens nearly 700 million around the world every year and results in roughly $4.2 billion in health care costs and $60.3 billion in societal costs annually, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

27 Apr 2016

People's ability to smell declines with age

You not only pick up aromas through your nose, but also through your mouth while you chew your food. Some people simply can smell better than others and those may enjoy an enhanced flavor of foods. Unfortunately, for some, this ability decreases with age, report Tyler Flaherty and Juyun Lim of Oregon State University in the US in Springer's journal Chemosensory Perception.

27 Apr 2016