Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Thailand puts 24 provinces on alert in swine fever watch
Thailand has designated 24 provinces as "surveillance areas" for African swine fever and ordered strict animal controls in hopes of preventing an outbreak of the deadly disease that has hit its neighbors, an agriculture official said on Friday. Thailand has been on high alert since the outbreak of African swine fever among pigs in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, but it has yet to report an outbreak.
U.S. CDC recommends against using vapes with marijuana ingredient
People should stop using e-cigarettes with marijuana ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), U.S. public health officials recommended on Friday as investigation on outbreak of lung illness linked to vaping deepens. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has previously warned on vaping, but its latest recommendation focused on THC products after nationwide data pointed to a large number of cases related to the use of the high-inducing component of marijuana.
Brexit may have 'gravest of consequences' for health: UK lawmaker
(Reuters) - Britain's looming exit from the EU carries real risks that medicines and healthcare supplies will be delayed, the UK's public spending watchdog said on Friday, and an influential lawmaker said a no-deal Brexit may have the "gravest of consequences". While Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has taken some steps to manage the risks, the National Audit Office (NAO)said in a report, there is still significant work to be done.
For would-be elite soldiers, healthier diets may pay off
(Reuters Health) - A study of soldiers trying to get into an elite army unit adds to evidence linking healthy diets to better physical performance. Researchers analyzed data from active-duty male soldiers attending the assessment and selection course for Army special forces, known as Green Berets. They found that soldiers with higher Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores had higher physical performance scores and were up to 75% more likely than those with the lowest diet-quality scores to be chosen for the elite unit.
Diabetics who delay treating hypertension have more strokes, heart attacks
Among people with diabetes who develop high blood pressure, those who delay getting it under control may be more likely to have heart attacks and strokes than their counterparts who manage it promptly, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on 43,986 patients with diabetes who started treatment for high blood pressure between 2002 and 2007. People who waited until blood pressure was more elevated to start treatment were 10% more likely to have events like fatal heart attacks and strokes, the study found.
Shift work tied to poor mental health
People who work night shifts or varied schedules that disrupt their sleep may be more likely to develop depression than individuals with 9-to-5 jobs, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from seven previously published studies of work schedules and mental health involving a total of 28,438 participants. Overall, shift workers were 28% more likely to experience mental health problems than people with consistent weekday work schedules.
'Straight-up panic': U.S. vaping crackdown sends some scrambling for their fix
When Massachusetts announced a four-month ban on vaping products this week, Chris Soares was ready, having amassed more than 20 bottles of flavored, nicotine-laced vape fluid, enough to supply his daily habit well into next year. "I was doing a doomsday prepping kind of thing," said Soares.
Washington governor urges state health board to ban some vaping products
Washington state Governor Jay Inslee on Friday urged state agencies to ban flavored and cannabis-derived vaping products, joining other states and the federal government in taking steps to reduce vaping amid a mysterious outbreak of deaths and illness. Inslee called his state's measures "a floor, not a ceiling," telling a news conference that more stringent rules could follow. U.S. health officials have linked vaping to 12 deaths and 805 cases of a mysterious respiratory illness.
Workplaces could be good setting for diabetes prevention
People in certain occupations have a three-times-higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those in other jobs, probably because of lifestyle factors, a nationwide study in Sweden suggests. Getting these workers to ramp up physical activity could be the first step to preventing the disease, the researchers say.
U.S. agents raid genetic testing labs, charge 35 in Medicare fraud probe
U.S. federal agents raided genetic testing laboratories, and 35 people were criminally charged in four states in a crackdown on genetic testing fraud that officials said on Friday caused $2.1 billion in losses to federal healthcare insurance programs. Officials at the Justice Department and Health and Human Services Department Office of the Inspector General said charges were filed in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia in "one of the largest healthcare fraud schemes ever charged."
