Health Highlights: Nov. 4, 2008

• HIV Vaccine May Have Increased Infection Risk: Report
• New Guidelines for Common Inner EarProblem
• Short Bursts of Exercise Seen as Effective asEndurance Activities
• Too Much High-Fat Dairy and Eggs Increase Heart Risk

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

HIV Vaccine May Have Increased InfectionRisk: Report

Clinical trials of a seemingly promising HIV vaccine were halted in 2007 because the vaccine may actually have increased the risk of infection,according to a study by researchers at the Montpellier Institute ofMolecular Genetics in France.

The problem with Merck & Co.'s HIV-1 vaccine was discovered during second stage trials, Agence France Presse reported. The vaccine used a modified form of the common Adenovirus 5 (Ad5) cold virus to carry elements of HIV, which were meant to trigger the immune system to fight off HIV infection.

However, more of the vaccine recipients who had prior immunity to the Ad5 virus were infected than clinical trial participants who didn't receive thevaccine. It's possible the presence of long-lasting antibodies generated tofight Ad5 when people caught a cold altered the body's response to the HIV-1 vaccine, the French researchers said, AFP reported.

They noted that HIV infection spread through cell cultures three timesfaster when Ad5 antibodies were present. The study was published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

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New Guidelines for Common Inner EarProblem

New guidelines for treating patients with the common inner ear ailmentbenign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) have been issued by the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.

BPPV, which causes feelings of dizziness, vertigo and nausea, can bebrought on be abrupt changes in movement. It usually affects people over age 50, but can affect younger people, United Press Internationalreported.

The new guidelines recommend that:

• Doctors should diagnose posterior semicircular canal BPPV with anoffice-based diagnostic test.
• Patients should be tested for a second type of BPPV when initial testingis not conclusive.
• Doctors should differentiate BPPV from other causes of imbalance,dizziness and vertigo, and should question patients with BPPV for factorsthat modify management including impaired mobility or balance.

The guidelines appear as a supplement to the November issue of thejournal Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.

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Short Bursts of Exercise Seen as Effective as Endurance Activities

Multiple short bursts of exercise may be as beneficial as enduranceactivities such as jogging or cycling, suggests a study by researchers atthe University of Glamorgan in Wales.

"Six 30-second sprints three times a week can have the same health and weight-loss benefits as jogging or cycling for up to 45 minutes several times a week," said study co-author Professor Julien Baker, BBC News reported.

And people may be more likely to exercise using a program that featuressprints because it's more practical in terms of time, Baker noted.

"For children who are overweight or obese, it may be better to put themon an intermittent program of high-intensity exercise for a short period,"he said, BBC News reported.

"This type of activity may also be used as a defense for cardiovasculardisease, and research carried out in the laboratory has shown significantreductions in post-exercise blood pressure," Baker added. "These findingsindicate that intermittent exercise may provide similar benefits asprolonged moderate exercise in the treatment for hypertension."

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Too Much High-Fat Dairy and Eggs Increase Heart Risk

People who consume plenty of high-fat dairy products and eggs are more likely to suffer heart failure than those who eat a diet high in wholegrains, according to a 13-year study by U.S. researchers.

They followed 14,153 white and black adults, ages 45 to 64, in fourcommunities and looked at their intake of seven food categories: wholegrains; fruits/vegetables; fish; nuts; red meat; egg; and high-fat dairy,United Press International reported.