Healthwise

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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH

We should all be delighted at the advances now being made by scientists, researchers and the medical profession. For 2011 we continue to highlight some of the latest developments in health and medicine. 

 

Diet reverses kidney function

Specialists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine say a ketogenic diet, a specialised high fat, low carbohydrate diet, can reverse impaired kidney function in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

The study is the first to show that dietary intervention alone can be enough to reverse some of the serious complications of diabetes.

The research was led by Charles Mobbs, PhD Professor of Neuroscience and Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine who said the findings have significant implications for the thousands of people diagnosed with diabetic kidney failure.

An injection for heart attacks

Researchers from the University of Leicester have been working on a new heart attack injection that could be more effective than statins.

The investigation was based on early stage animal research and involved the use of an antibody to block the action of MASP-2 which causes inflammation when blood flow returns to tissues that have been starved of oxygen.

The injection greatly reduced the damage to heart muscle and it is thought this beneficial effect may eventually be able to translate into human treatment. Research is ongoing.

Breath test for cancer

Scientists have developed a breath test that can detect cancer.

The device, called a Na-Nose, detects microscopic chemical changes emitted in the breath of people with certain head and neck cancers.

So far it has been tested on just 62 people with promising results and more research and testing is now planned to be carried out.

Malaria free mosquitoes

A major step forward has been announced in combating malaria.

Scientists say they are close to being able to change the DNA of wild mosquitoes . Scientists have already created a genetically modified malaria resistant mosquito, but there was a problem getting the gene responsible for the change to be taken up by wild mosquitoes across the world.

Now scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Washington in Seattle say they have found a solution to this problem and are hopeful it will finally impact on the spread of malaria in the modern world

Dangerous make up

British women are risking their skin by using out of date make up.

According to research announced though a department store which surveyed 1,000 women, many women have no idea of the shelf life of their cosmetics and usually use items until they are finished, however long that may be.

The warning says make up past its use by point carries a risk of irritation and infection due to contamination by bacteria.

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