Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Lexicon Pharma shares plummet after FDA denies appeal against drug rejection
The U.S. FDA denied Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc's appeal against the rejection of its add-on treatment for type 1 diabetes, marking the company's third major setback this year and sending its shares plunging 18% on Monday. Lexicon said it intended to reappeal the decision against Zynquista's approval with the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).
Samoa in Christmas lockdown as measles deaths top 50
The small Pacific island nation of Samoa has closed schools and is restricting travel ahead of the Christmas holiday season as the death toll from a measles outbreak tops 50, in the latest flare-up of a global epidemic of the virus. The highly infectious disease has been crossing the globe, recently finding a susceptible population in Samoa, where vaccine coverage was only about 31% when measles took hold, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Samoa measles cases, deaths more than double over past week
The number of suspected cases of measles on the Pacific island of Samoa has more than doubled over the past week to 3,530 and deaths related to the outbreak rose to 48 from 20 a week ago, the country's Ministry of Health said on Sunday. Samoa has become vulnerable to measles outbreaks as the number of people becoming immunized has declined with the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying vaccine coverage is just about 31%.
Tear gas used for crowd control in Hong Kong poses health, environmental risks
(Reuters) - The use of tear gas to control crowds of protesters in the Chinese-ruled city of Hong Kong could have dangerous effects on health and the environment, a group of academics warns. In an article last month in The Lancet, researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) called for government-led decontamination efforts in areas where tear gas has been dispersed, including residential neighborhoods and commercial shopping centers. They also commented on the lack of official guidelines on how to protect against side effects.
Bangladesh plans to ban e-cigarettes amid growing health concerns
Bangladesh plans to prohibit the sale and use of electronic cigarettes and vaporizers, a health official said on Sunday, as countries around the world move to ban devices that have been linked to health risks and teen addiction. "We are actively working to impose a ban on the production, import and sale of e-cigarettes and all vaping tobaccos to prevent health risks," Shaikh Yusuf Harun, Secretary at the health education and family welfare division of the Ministry of Health and Familywelfare, told Reuters.
Could life insurance go up in smoke for some vapers?
Global reinsurers are stepping up their warnings to life insurer clients about the potential risks of vaping, putting pressure on underwriters to charge certain vapers higher rates than smokers, or even exclude them altogether. U.S. authorities said last month that there had been 47 deaths this year from a lung illness tied to vaping. The health concerns about vaping have grown despite evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers to quit, and has led to bans in some countries including India and Brazil.
Grey's Anatomy episode on sexual assault raised viewer awareness
(Reuters Health) - An episode of the long-running television show Grey's Anatomy increased public awareness about sexual assault and how to get help, a study suggests. On March 28, 2019, the medical drama series aired an episode called Silent All These Years, on the topic of consent and sexual assault. At the end of the episode, series star Ellen Pompeo appealed to viewers to ask for help if they were affected by sexual violence. She explained how to reach the free National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN (800-856-HOPE or via online chat at https://hotline.rainn.org/online/).
Slight hearing loss may affect kids' behavior, school performance
(Reuters Health) - Children with slight hearing loss may do a little less well in school and may be a bit more likely to develop behavior problems, a new study suggests. Hearing impairment that doctors and parents may have considered slight or mild "may actually be associated with both school performance and behavior," researchers write in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
'Prediabetes' common in U.S. teens, young adults
About one in five teens and one in four young adults in the U.S. have slightly elevated blood sugar, sometimes known as "prediabetes," that can lead to full-blown diabetes, a study suggests. For the study, researchers examined data on blood sugar levels for 5,786 people ages 12 to 34 who hadn't been diagnosed with diabetes. Overall, 18% of the younger people in the study, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old, had "prediabetes," as did 24% of the adults 19 to 34 years old.
