By: William Ecenbarger
-The British Journal Lancet reports that individuals vaccinated against Ebola who still developed the disease were much less likely to die than the unvaccinated–even if they were infected before they got the shots. The case fatality among those vaccinated with Merck’s Ervebo was 27 percent as opposed to 56 percent among those who did not receive the shot.
– Lancet also said worldwide obesity rates among children and adolescents quadrupled between 1990 and 2002, while the adult rate doubled. “As those rates climb, the burden of obesity is evolving,” the journal said. “Obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes were once the province of wealthy countries, but now the conditions are also seen in low- and middle-income countries, in step with the rapid adoption of industrialized lifestyles featuring more processed foods and less physical activity.”
-Why do South Asians have a higher risk of heart disease than individuals of European descent? A study by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that the disparity might be the result of differences in how blood vessels damaged by cardiovascular problems are repaired.
-A JAMA Pediatrics study in Australia found that extreme heat was linked to a greater risk of preterm births in the third trimester of pregnancy. Preterm births with high heat exposure were 7.5 percent compared to 4.9 percent with normal temperature exposure. The authors said the findings had “clear implications for our warming world.”
-The World Health Organization reports that nearly every nation has dirty air, and the major culprit is fossil fuels. The most polluted air was found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan. The cleanest air was in Australia, Finland, Estonia and several small island nations.
-Apotek Hjärtat, which has about 390 pharmacies in Sweden, says it will no longer sell anti-aging skin care products to persons under 15. The chain said it would restrict products containing the ingredients AHA acid, BHA acid, vitamin A, vitamin C and enzyme peeling unless the teenagers had parental consent. There is widespread concern in Europe that these products could be harmful to young skin. There are also concerns “about the psychological impact of children obsessing over ageing.”
-Fabrice André, president elect of the European Society of Medical Oncology, says a new cancer-naming system that emphasizes molecular characteristics rather than the organs where the cancer originates would be a step forward. “We’re not saying it was a mistake to classify cancers based on anatomy or that people should have done things differently in the past. But look, the framework is no longer adapted to the types of treatments that are available,” Andre said.
-A study in China found that tai chi offered more benefits in lowering blood pressure than moderate aerobic activity. The results of the clinical trial, which tracked 342 individuals with hypertension, were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
