Health and Medicine

The culprit in bacterial streptococcus pharyngitis, or strep throat, can be vicious. Ask a parent who suspects their child has caught the virus, or the family of 29 Texans, including nine children, who died in 1997 after the bacteria manifested itself into a flesh eating disease. This virulent disorder used to cause physicians to order patients to immediately start taking antibiotics – even when a bacterial origin had not been established.

But taking antibiotics when not needed reduces the

Prescribed graded aerobic exercise is a simple, cheap, and effective treatment for people with fibromyalgia (medically unexplained chronic muscular pain and joint tenderness), finds a study in this week’s BMJ. Researchers identified 132 patients with fibromyalgia who were attending a hospital rheumatology clinic between January 1997 and June 1998. Patients were then randomly assigned to either aerobic exercise classes or relaxation classes, twice weekly for 12 weeks. The classes were carried out by p

Smoke-free workplaces not only protect non-smokers from the dangers of passive smoking, they also encourage smokers to quit or to reduce consumption, concludes a study in this week’s BMJ. Researchers in California reviewed 26 studies on the effects of smoke-free workplaces. Totally smoke-free workplaces were associated with reductions in prevalence of smoking of nearly 4%. The combined effects of people stopping smoking and reducing consumption reduces total cigarette consumption by 2

A synthetic antioxidant developed by researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center improves the survival of islet cells used in transplants for diabetes. The findings, reported in the August issue of the journal Diabetes by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, could help overcome a significant drawback of the “Edmonton Protocol,” a promising treatment for diabetes. “The antioxidant neutralizes the harmful free radicals generated when islet cells are isolated from the pan

Many health advantages have been attributed to soy isoflavones, which are components of soy-protein foods, yet it is still unclear to what extent the isoflavones themselves are responsible for these benefits. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jenkins et al. compared the effects of a low-saturated fat control diet, and soy-protein diets with either a high or low isoflavone content in the context of their effects on risk for coronary artery disease. Compared with t

People who consume alcohol in moderation are healthier, yet the relationship between alcoholic beverage preference and health benefit or risk has not been extensively investigated. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Barefoot et. al. surveyed alcoholic beverage preference in a large and homogeneous group of highly educated upper-income Americans and found that beverage choice has implications beyond the relative physiological benefits of alcohol. Wine drinking has