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A small glass of wine a day could keep dementia at bay, at least for women

Drinking a small glass of wine a day could delay the onset of dementia in women, according to a new study.

Dementia is a degenerative condition that affects memory, attention, language and problem solving

For the study, researchers at the University of Glasgow analysed the performance of more than 5,800 people aged from 70 to 82 in a range of memory and language tests.

The results among male participants were similar, but women who consumed between one and seven units of alcohol a week performed significantly better than those who rarely drank or were teetotal.

The researchers concluded that drinking a small amount might delay cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.

"We were interested in exploring the effects of alcohol on memory, thinking and cognition," the Telegraph quoted David Stott, professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Glasgow, as saying.

"We found that modest amounts of alcohol in women seem to be associated with a delay in cognitive decline, such as speed of thought and how you use language and words. If these become serious, they can be signs of dementia.

"This is not an endorsement to drink to excess - large amounts of alcohol will damage your brain - but the occasional tipple may do you some good," he added.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.(ANI)

Study Finds Air Pollution Harmful For Patients After Heart Attack

Tiny particles in air pollution can be dangerous for people with heart attack as it can hinder their heart's ability to conduct electrical signals, Harvard University researchers report.

The tiny particles emitted from air pollution can cause ST-segment depression in people with serious coronary artery disease. This dysrhythmia can indicate inadequate blood flow to the heart or inflammation of the heart muscle, according to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

For the study, the researchers from the Harvard University studied the electrocardiograms of the 48 patients, who had recently been hospitalized for heart attack, unstable angina or worsening symptoms of coronary heart disease over the course of a year.

Lead researcher Dr. Diane R. Gold, an associate professor of medicine and environmental health and his team found that the instances of ST-segment depression increased with every increase in the particles and black carbon in the air.

Effects were seen greatest within the first month after hospitalization and for patients who had been hospitalized for a heart attack or had diabetes, showed unusual changes called ST-segment depression.

For patients who have just been discharged from hospital after a heart attack, guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology suggest that patients should avoid heavy traffic because of the stress of driving.

Authors of the study now say heart-disease patients should limit their time outdoors if they live in a highly polluted city. It is not known how the carbon and air particles cause ST-segment depression and researchers say that further research is needed to evaluate whether the pollution-related ST-segment depression.

Indian Court Rejects Mother's Plea To Abort 26-Week-Old Fetus With Heart Defect

An Indian court on Monday refused a mother's plea to abort a 26-week fetus with a serious heart defect, saying the law does not permit such late-term abortions.

The 31-year-old mother, Niketa Mehta, and her husband Haresh found out after 24 weeks that the fetus had a complete congenital heart blockage and malpositioned arteries that could, doctors told them, require a pacemaker implantation soon after birth.

Abortions are legal in India until the 12th week of pregnancy. Between 12 and 20 weeks abortions are allowed if either the mother or the fetus faces a health risk. The case challenged the country's 37-year-old Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP) that permits abortions after 20 weeks only if there is a risk to the mother.

The Mehtas argued that they believe they won't be able to afford to care for the baby or endure the trauma, and, therefore, they should be allowed to terminate the life of their unborn baby. A pacemaker operation costs nearly $2,500.

However, the Bombay High Court on Monday ruled that a predicted disability is no ground for abortion. The court, which consulted medical experts, said doctors had found little evidence the child would suffer serious problems.

A committee of doctors appointed last week by the court to assess the risks if the baby was allowed to be born told the court on Monday that there were "least chances" of the baby being born with a handicap. The committee also added that it could be risky for the mother if she had an abortion at such an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects with one in every 125 babies affected by the same. Of approximately 40,000 babies born with it, 4000 die in the first year. Nearly 82 percent of babies diagnosed with congenital heart disease survive the first year of life while 78 percent of babies diagnosed with congenital heart disease survive to adulthood.

It was not clear whether the Mehtas would file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Study Finds Missed Vaccinations Kill 1.4 Million Children Worldwide

The U.N. children's agency reports about 1.4 million children under the age of five die unnecessarily each year from measles, whooping cough and other diseases preventable by vaccines.

According to the report, about 130 million children are born each year, and since 1990, about 70 percent have received the vital immunizations - up from some 20 percent under the age of 1 in 1980.

Since then, however, efforts to reach the remaining 20 or 30 percent who need help - mainly in poor countries - are lacking.

Dr. Peter Salama, UNICEF's chief of immunizations, says about $1 billion is now being spent on childhood immunization and about $1 billion more is needed to reach a goal set in 2002 of bringing vaccines to at least 90 percent of children worldwide under the age of one by 2010.

A UNICEF report focuses on the divide between vaccinations in rich and poor nations. In 2003, 90 percent of children in industrialized nations had proper immunizations. Those in west and central Africa, however, are at just 52 percent.

Overall, the report states 103 countries have a 90 percent protection rate against measles, while 16 are likely to achieve that rate by 2010. Another 55 need improvements, while 16 must reverse declining immunization rates.

Obese Kids More Likely To Have Headaches, Study Says

Migraines and headaches are more common in overweight children and teenagers, a new study has found. It is the first national study to look at possible links between obesity and headaches in kids.

Lead researcher Andrew Hershey, a pediatric neurologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center studied 913 children and teenagers for six months. The study found that chronic headaches are common in childhood, with the prevalence of one out of four to one out of 10 kids.

Heavy kids with headaches may have low leptin levels a hormone that causes a feeling of fullness after eating. This can encourage overeating suggesting a tie between their extra weight and headaches.

The more overweight a child is, the more headaches and the worse the pain, the author said adding that the effects of headache declined with the weight loss in many children. Helping kids get into the normal weight range could prevent years of pain and disability. The study is published online in the journal Headache.

Nurses In U.K. Use Mobile Phones To Track Patients

A new scheme under trial in the United Kingdom will permit better monitoring of the health of Britons with chronic ailments using a standard mobile phone.

The cellular phone would need a special software which patients with asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure may use to key in details of their condition and treatment such as blood sugar levels and insulin shots taken.

Upon entering the data, the information will be automatically send to a hospital database, where a nurse will analyze it and text back action that needs to be taken. By tapping technology, complications are caught before it worsens without requiring the sick person to visit their doctor.

At the same time it will cut hospital admissions for long-term patients by up to 90 percent and save the National Health Service money.

The software, which costs $370 (250 pound) a year, was produced by t+ Medical and used by eight primary care trusts in Walsall, Oxfordshire, Norfolk and Norwich, Newham, Southampton, Leicester, North East Essex and Calderdale.

According to the International Communications Market report made by Ofcom, more Britons are increasing their use of the mobile phone from a traditional gadget for talking to updating their friends of what they have been up to. One example is sending their video grabs while engaged in an activity, which will no longer require words to explain what happened.

In 2007, Britons made 99 billion minutes of calls and 972 text messages using their mobile phones. The survey said 59 percent of Britons also used their phones as cameras.

Cancer Communication Research Project Awarded $8.6 Million NIH Grant

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a second grant to the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS) to continue their work on cancer communications research.

CHESS's five-year, $8.6 million grant will fund investigations into problems associated with cancer communication in the rapidly changing communication environment, according to a statement from the center's home, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"We're thrilled to be able to continue the work that we've done in the last five years to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer," Beth Burnside, deputy director for the project and assistant professor in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, said in the statement.

The NIH grant will fund three studies:
Interactive Cancer Communication Systems (ICCS) in Lung Cancer: Evaluating Survival Benefits - examining quality of life outcomes following patients use of the communication system during advanced cancer treatment.Interactive Cancer Communication Systems' Directed Physical Activity Enhancement for Colon Cancer Survivors - providing information and support for newly diagnosed colon cancer survivors to increase physical activity, decrease distress and improve quality of life.Effectiveness of the CHESS E-Health Cancer Support Intervention in Population-based Care - providing information about the business and clinical cases for the interactive cancer communications system in the context of real-world use for cancer patients' care.

Study: Smoking Teenage Girls Face Wider Waistlines Later In Life

Teenage girls who smoke cigarettes are at an increased risk for developing not only lung cancer later in life, but thicker waistlines as well, researchers say.

While girls who smoke 10 cigarettes or more a day as teens have an increased risk of developing a wide waistline later in life teenage boys don't appear to have the same risk, said lead study author Suoma Saarni, a researcher with the Department of Public Health in Helsinki. But she said scientists don't know why that is true.

Researcher found that girls who smoke 10 cigarettes per day or more are at greatest risk, particularly for abdominal obesity, with waist sizes an average 1.34 inches larger than nonsmokers' waists as young adults.

The study followed thousands of twins and is published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

"My hunch is that women are more likely to smoke for weight control, especially in adolescence," Sherry Pagoto, assistant professor in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said in a statement . "When people do quit smoking, one of the reasons they gain weight is that they increase their consumption of foods. They'll start snacking at the times they used to smoke."

Chemical Found In Baby Bottles May Not Be Safe, Panel Rules

The Food and Drug Administration's determination that a widely-used chemical found in baby bottles is safe contained mistakes and should be redone, an FDA panel unanimously ruled.

The chemical, bisphenol-A, or BPA, is also found in many other plastic products.

The FDA science board stated in a report released earlier this week that the FDA ignored several government-funded studies linking exposure to low doses of BPA to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity and cancer in laboratory animals.

The FDA based its findings that BPA is harmless only on studies funded by the chemical industry, according to the panel's report.

The panel also stated in the report that BPA's margin of safety is "inadequate."