First treatment for progeria shows promise
In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011 progeria sufferer Ontlametse Phalatse, is photographed in her "Hannah Montana" bedroom after a day at school. in Hebron, near Pretoria, South Africa.
/ AP Photo/Denis Farrell(CBS News) The first experimental drug for the treatment of progeria has brought hope for the families and people affected by the accelerated aging disease.
Progeria patients who used a farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTI) called lonafarnib were able to improve their cardiovascular health and increase their weight gain, problems usually associated with the condition. The drug was initially slated by manufacture Merck to treat brain cancer, but was found ineffective against that disease.
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"This is a fantastic first step," says Leslie Gordon, medical director for the Progeria Research Foundation, a physician at Boston Children's Hospital and Brown University and the mother of a child with progeria, told NPR.
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Active video games up kids' energy expenditure
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A new study shows that active video games -- such as "Dance Central" and "Kinect Sports: Boxing" - can increase oxygen intake, heart rate and energy expenditure in children, leading researchers to believe that the games may be a way to combat childhood obesity.
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"Although it is unlikely that active video game play can single-handedly provide the recommended amount of physical activity for children or expend the number of calories required to prevent or reverse the obesity epidemic, it appears from the results of this study that Kinect active game play can contribute to children's physical activity levels and energy expenditure, at least in the short term," the authors wrote.
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Harmless viruses a potential acne treatment?
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Scientists at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh have discovered that "phages", which are 11 types of harmless viruses that live on our skin, has the natural ability to infect and kill the acne-causing bacteria Propionibacterium acnes. They hope their discovery could lead to new acne treatments and other medical advances.
"There are two fairly obvious potential directions that could exploit this kind of research," study co-author Graham Hatfull, Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in the press release. "The first is the possibility of using the phages directly as a therapy for acne. The second is the opportunity to use phage-derived components for their activities."
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Psychologists urge therapy before antidepressants
(CBS News) About 1 out of 10 Americans report having depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While prescription medication is one way to treat the symptoms, the American Psychological Association (APA) is urging people in new videos to consider an alternative form of treatment first, psychotherapy.
"By arming people with information, APA is encouraging those with symptoms of depression or anxiety to ask their primary-care practitioners about psychotherapy as a first course of treatment," Dr. Katherine Nordal, executive director for professional practice at the American Psychological Association, told CBSNews.com by email. "We want Americans to know that when it comes to treating depression and anxiety, they have choices about treatment, and psychotherapy is one of them."
The National Institutes of Health calls depression one of the top 10 chronic health problems in the United States, affecting more than 14 million people. The National Healthcare Quality Report reported that mental health problems accounted for 156 million visits to the doctors' offices, clinics and hospital outpatient departments in 2005.
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Trader Joe's peanut butter recall expands
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(CBS/AP) New Mexico-based Sunland Inc. has expanded its recall to 76 types of peanut butter and almond butter after a product it sold to Trader Joe's groceries was linked to a salmonella outbreak.
The company recalled the products under multiple brand names after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked 29 salmonella illnesses in 18 states to Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter. Sunland Inc, manufactures and packages the Trader Joe's peanut butter.
Trader Joe's recalls peanut butter
Sunland spokeswoman Katalin Coburn said the company recalled the other peanut and almond butters because they were manufactured with the same equipment as the Trader Joe's product. None of the other products have been linked to illnesses.
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Study: Castrated men outlive their male peers
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A genealogical study of eunuchs of the Korean Chosun dynasty published in the Sept 24 issue of Current Biology finds that men who were castrated lived almost 20 years longer than other men of the same time periods.
"Our study supports the idea that male sex hormones decrease the lifespan of men," wrote the researchers, led by Kyung-Jin Min of Inha University.
Animal studies show castration - removing the source of male sex hormones, the testes - can prolong lifespan in males, but the effect hasn't been seen in humans.
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Girl with autism, DiGeorge syndrome memorizes ballet
(CBS News) It's hard to remember an entire dance routine, but one special girl has committed the entire lead ballet role in Coppelia to memory.
Clara Bergs's parents wrote that they thought their daughter was just dancing ballet moves around the house, until they realized she had memorized an entire routine from the Coppelia ballet.
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The 10-year-old is diagnosed with both autism and DiGeorge syndrome, a genetic disorder.
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U.S. drug abuse survey finds pot still a problem
Jars full of medical marijuana are seen at Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary on May 11, 2010, in Los Angeles, Calif.
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"Behind each of these statistics are individuals, families and communities suffering from the consequences of abuse and addiction," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, said in a press release. "We must continue to promote robust prevention, treatment and recovery programs throughout our country."
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Dog treats sold at Target recalled for salmonella
Six-count 5-inch packages of Boots & Barkley American Beef Bully Sticks sold at Target stores that are affected by a salmonella recall.
/ FDAThe voluntary recall was issued by Denver-based Kasel Associated Industries, the sticks' manufacturer, and applies to all six-count 5-inch packages of Boots & Barkley "American Beef Bully Sticks."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging pet-owners to look for signs of salmonella in animals that ate the sticks, because the infection can be risky to both pets and humans.
Salmonella bacteria can sicken animals that eat these products and humans are at risk for salmonella poisoning from touching contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after handling.
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Pediatricians warn against using trampolines
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(CBS News) The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is discouraging the recreational use of trampolines, saying the activity poses a major injury risk for kids and there's no clear way to reduce chances of getting hurt.
The modern trampoline was patented by competitive gymnast George Nissen in 1945, designed for acrobats, gymnasts and eventually used by the military for training, according to the AAP. But at-home recreational trampoline use has increased in recent decades as the products have become more affordable.
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Despite statements from numerous medical groups that discourage trampoline use and warnings to exercise caution on trampolines at home or on the playground, the AAP says trampoline use and injuries remain a big problem.
The new guidance is published in the Sept 24 issue of the academy's journal, Pediatrics.
Study: Lifespans for less educated whites drop
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The study found non-Hispanic white men without a diploma lived on average until 67.5 in 2008, three years less than they did in 1990. The drop in lifespan was even bigger for non-Hispanic white women with low education: They live five years shorter than 1990 rates, from 78 years old to just 73.5.
In comparison, white men and women with a college degree or more lived on average until 80.4 and 83.9 respectively.
"We're used to looking at groups and complaining that their mortality rates haven't improved fast enough, but to actually go backward is deeply troubling," John G. Haaga, the head of the Population and Social Processes Branch of the National Institute on Aging who was not involved with the study, told the New York Times.
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Swapping out soda at home may curb teen obesity
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(CBS News) Doctors and health advocates have long warned of a link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity.
But as critics inside and outside the medical community often point out, studies reporting links between the drinks and the obesity epidemic don't necessarily prove cause and effect, and many other factors such as genetics, socioeconomic status and overall diet, may have contributed.
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Now, a new randomized control trial - considered the research gold standard because it controls for factors that observational studies can't - has found that teens who drink lots of sugary drinks can lose weight if they swap the sodas for non-caloric beverages such as water or diet drinks.
The research was led by Dr. David Ludwig, director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at the Harvard-affiliated Boston Children's Hospital. It's published in the Sept. 21 online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"There have been few well-controlled clinical trials to examine this issue," Ludwig told CBSNews.com.
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Ex-NFL player turns to Web to fund heart treatment
A screengrab of Gail Cogdill's crowdfunding page from GoFundMe.com
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The 75-year-old who won the 1960 NFL Rookie of the Year for the Lions and became one of the top wide receivers in the franchise's history is raising money online to help pay for an experimental stem cell treatment in the Bahamas, reports Mashable.
Doctors recommend IUDs for teens over pills
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(CBS/AP) Teenage girls considering contraception should opt for hormonal implants or IUDS first over more traditional methods, the country's leading group of gynecologists said Thursday.
While some may prefer the pill, the long-lasting implants are more effective don't need to be taken daily, making them a "first-line" recommendation for teens from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in its updated guidance for teens.
Both types of contraception are more invasive than the pill, requiring a doctor to put them in place. That, and cost, are probably why the pill is still the most popular form of contraception in the U.S.
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Genetically modified corn tied to tumors in rats
(GRAPHIC) This image a study by Seralini et al. in the journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology, shows female rats with mammary tumors that purportedly grew after being fed genetically modified corn with and without Roundup herbicide. Other scientists have questioned the article's findings.
/ Food and Chemical ToxicologyThe two-year study, which was published on Sept. 19 in Food and Chemical Toxicology, revealed that mice who were fed either a diet of Monsanto's genetically modified maize sprayed with Roundup - the company's brand of weed killer - or drank water with levels of Roundup similar to what is found in U.S. tap water were much more likely to die and at an earlier age, in addition to other health problems.
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According to the USDA Economic Research Service, as of 2011, 76 to 96 percent of corn crops had some sort of genetic modification, depending on which state they were grown.
