Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Baby gut study finds bacteria different after C-section births

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A huge study of babies' stool samples has found key differences between infants born vaginally and via Caesarean section, offering clues about the development of the human immune system, researchers said on Wednesday.

Novartis halts distribution of its Zantac versions amid probe into impurities

Novartis AG's Sandoz unit said on Wednesday it was halting distribution of its versions of the drug commonly known as Zantac in all its markets, including the United States and Canada, after contaminants were found in the heartburn drug. The Swiss drugmaker's steps follow an investigation by U.S. and European regulators into the presence of the impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), in the drug, ranitidine, and a distribution halt in Canada announced late Tuesday.

Childhood behavior problems linked to insomnia in adulthood

(Reuters Health) - Treating kids' behavior problems might have the additional benefit of reducing their risk of insomnia as adults, a recent study suggests. Researchers followed 8,050 people over more than four decades, assessing behavior problems at ages 5, 10 and 16, then administering sleep surveys when participants were 42 years old.

Rise in crime tied to rising blood pressure

(Reuters Health) - People living in communities with rising crime rates may be more likely than those in safer neighborhoods to develop high blood pressure, a new study suggests. Living in high-crime areas has long been linked to higher rates of heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking, researchers note in the American Journal of Hypertension. But studies to date haven't offered a clear picture of what happens when crime rates change over time.

Survey logs big one-year jump in nicotine vaping among 8th-graders

The rate of nicotine vaping among 8th-graders in the U.S. nearly doubled in the past year and the rate among 12th-graders jumped by 22%, according to a new survey released Wednesday The popularity of e-cigarettes has now grown to the point where one in four 12th-graders reported vaping a nicotine product during the previous 30 days. It's nearly 1 in 10 for 8th-graders, the study team reports.

GSK's over-the-counter nicotine oral spray gets FDA panel backing

An independent expert panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday recommended approval of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's over-the-counter nicotine oral spray that aims to help smokers quit their addiction. The panel voted 9-6 in favor of the therapy, saying its benefits as a smoking cessation aid outweighed risks. The FDA usually follows the recommendations of its experts, but is not mandated to do so.

One pill with four drugs may lower heart risks in poor population

A single daily pill containing low doses of common medications might provide a simple, inexpensive way to reduce risks for heart attacks and stroke in underprivileged communities, researchers say. A new study done at an Alabama health center that mostly serves people who are poor and black found that a year of treatment with a 4-drug "polypill" lowered blood pressure by 7 points and cholesterol by 11 points compared to regular care.

Vegetarians have higher risk for stroke, lower heart disease risk

(Reuters Health) - People who follow vegetarian or vegan diets may have lower odds for heart disease but higher chances of having a stroke, compared to meat eaters, a large UK study suggests. Researchers followed 48,188 middle-aged adults without any history of heart attacks or strokes for about 18 years. During this time, 2,820 people developed coronary artery disease that can lead to heart attacks; 519 people had ischemic strokes, the most common kind, which occur when a clot blocks an artery carrying blood to the brain; and 300 people had hemorrhagic strokes, which are caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.

India bans e-cigarettes as global backlash at vaping gathers pace

India banned the sale of electronic cigarettes on Wednesday and warned of an "epidemic" among young people, in the latest and potentially biggest move globally against vaping over growing health concerns. The ban cuts off a huge future market from e-cigarette makers at a time when the number of people smoking worldwide is declining. It could dash the expansion plans of companies such as Juul Labs and Philip Morris International in the country.

Roche bid to recycle Gazyva for lupus nephritis wins FDA breakthrough tag

Roche has won the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's breakthrough therapy tag for its drug Gazyva in lupus nephritis, the Swiss drugmaker said on Wednesday, boosting its efforts to recycle the 2013-approved lymphoma medicine for new indications. There are no FDA-approved drugs for lupus nephritis, a life-threatening manifestation of the autoimmune disease lupus in which the kidneys grow inflamed. Roche has heralded Gazyva's potential in lupus in helping turn a medicine with 2018 sales of 390 million Swiss francs ($393 million) into a commercial success.