- Foodborne Illnesses Can Cause Long-Term Problems
- Texting Linked to Shoulder Pain: Study
- FDA Can't Expect All Drug Risk Info in Web Ads: Experts
- Nearly $1 Billion a Year Spent on Blood Thinners in U.S.: Report
- Scientists Manage to Neutralize Cancer Protein
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Foodborne Illnesses Can Cause Long-Term Problems
Foodborne infections can have long-lasting health effects that can be as serious as kidney failure, paralysis, seizure, mental disability or death, according to the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention.
Children are especially at risk because their developing immune systems don't have the same ability as adult immune systems to fight foodborne pathogens. In addition, children's stomachs don't produce the same volume of acids as adult digestive systems, the Los Angeles Times reported.
It's believed that the long-term effects of foodborne infections cause more disability, doctor visits and hospitalizations than the immediate symptoms, such as stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea.
In a report released Thursday, the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention listed the main causes of foodborne illness in the United States and the possible long-term effects:
- Salmonella: arthritis, eye irritation and painful urination.
- Campylobacter: paralysis, arthritis.
- E. coli O157:H7: kidney problems, including kidney failure, high blood pressure, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome, narrowed gastrointestinal passages and neurological problems, such as seizures.
- Listeria monocytogenes: miscarriage, premature infant death or stillbirth in pregnant women. Surviving infants may have mental retardation, hearing loss or brain damage. In adults, listeriosis can cause cardiorespiratory failure and neurological problems, such as seizures and impaired consciousness.
-----
Texting Linked to Shoulder Pain: Study
Too much text-messaging may cause shoulder damage, say U.S. researchers who determined the association is stronger in males than in females.
The study of 138 college students found a link between higher numbers of text messages and shoulder discomfort, the Los Angeles Times reported.
More research is needed, but it may be wise to monitor musculoskeletal symptoms among people who spend a lot of time using hand-held devices, said study lead author Judith Gold, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the College of Health Professions and Social Work at Temple University in Philadelphia, and colleagues.
"Looking around our campus, you see every student on their cellphones, typing away," Gold said in a news release, the Times reported. "It's the age group that texts the most, so it's important to know what the health effects may be to learn whether it will cause long-term damage."
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
-----
FDA Can't Expect All Drug Risk Info in Web Ads: Experts
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration can't expect online drug ads to contain all the required risk information, drug and advertising experts said at an FDA meeting Thursday.
The two-day (Thursday and Friday) session, convened by the FDA in order to get input on how it should regulate drug ads on the Internet, has attracted several hundred drug, advertising and social media specialists, Dow Jones Newswires reported.
The drug industry lobby group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America suggested that the FDA create a universal logo that would indicate a Web site displays accurate information about drug risks.
But some at the meeting questioned how the FDA could guarantee the accuracy of information when Web sites are often updated daily or even hourly, Dow Jones reported.
It's believed the FDA won't release any drug industry Web ad guidelines or regulations for at least a year.
-----
Nearly $1 Billion a Year Spent on Blood Thinners in U.S.: Report
Reader Comments