Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Novo Nordisk targets bigger slice of diabetes market with new tablet
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is aiming for a big slice of the multibillion-dollar diabetes market with a new pill, approved by U.S. authorities on Friday, that caters for patients with an aversion to needles. The company built its position as the world's biggest insulin maker on the back of injectable drugs, but now aims to transform the market with a first-of-its-kind tablet version of its semaglutide drug.
Extra protein boosts muscle with resistance-training, but only slightly
Extra protein from food or supplements does lead to increases in strength and muscle, but not as much as some might hope, researchers write in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Presented as an infographic, the results are based on a review of data from 49 randomized controlled trials in 17 countries and more than 1,800 participants.
Aid group says vaccine 'rationing' in Congo is hampering Ebola fight
The World Health Organization is "rationing" Ebola vaccines in Democratic Republic of Congo, with access controls meaning too few people at risk are being protected in an outbreak of the deadly disease, the aid group MSF said on Monday. The medical charity Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) accused the WHO of using a rigid system of eligibility for vaccination, and said the restrictions are allowing the viral disease to resurge in communities previously thought to be protected.
'Silent' celiac disease common in patients' close relatives
(Reuters Health) - When a family member has celiac disease, Mayo Clinic researchers recommend parents, siblings and children also be tested, after a new study suggests first-degree relatives frequently have the condition, too - often without typical symptoms. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine when patients consume gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye and in any foods that contain those grains or their by-products. The only treatment is a gluten-free diet.
California federal prosecutors conducting criminal probe into Juul: WSJ
Federal prosecutors in California are conducting a criminal probe into e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The focus of the probe by the U.S. attorney's office of the Northern District of California, which is in early stages, was unclear, the report said.
U.S. recorded two new cases in measles outbreak last week
Two new cases of measles were reported in the United States last week, in the latest sign that health authorities have yet to take control of the nation's worst outbreak of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease since 1992. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also determined that two previously reported cases of the disease were not in fact measles, keeping the total number of cases for the year at 1,241 as of Sept. 12.
Newark city officials say filters 97% effective in reducing lead in water
Temporary water filters installed in homes in New Jersey's largest city of Newark are at least 97 percent effective in reducing lead in drinking water, officials said on Monday, but that doesn't mean the water is safe to drink. Testing carried out on 1,700 samples taken from 300 homes showed the filters were 97% effective immediately "the moment the tap is opened" and 99% effective after "five minutes of flushing," Governor Phil Murphy told a news conference.
Healthcare data hacking could lead to identity thefts
More than 70% of healthcare data breaches in the U.S. have involved sensitive demographic or financial information that could fuel identity theft, a new study suggests. When a healthcare company is hacked, criminals gain access not only to health information, but also to demographic and financial data that could compromise patients' privacy and financial security, researchers from the Michigan State and Johns Hopkins report.
French researchers build massive new scanner to tackle brain disease
French researchers are developing what they say is the most powerful Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner in the world which will use a supermagnet the weight of a blue whale and should allow earlier diagnosis of diseases such as Parkinson's. "We can potentially detect the disease in its earlier stages and, consequently, monitor it more precisely" Nicolas Boulant the project's scientific director, told Reuters.
People don't recognize heart attacks when symptoms come on slowly
When heart attack symptoms start gradually and don't follow exertion, patients are much slower to get to an emergency room and risk missing a critical window for preserving heart function, researchers say. Among 474 U.S. patients who arrived in emergency departments with dangerous reductions in blood flow to the heart, those whose symptoms had come on gradually took up to six hours longer than recommended to call for medical help and get to the hospital, the researchers found.
