Insidermedicine in 60 - September 25, 2007

From Cambridge - Burning the midnight oil may be hazardous to your health. A 17-year study on over 10,000 government workers has shown that those who cut their sleep from 7 hours to 5 hours per day had a 70% increase in death from all causes and a two-fold increase in death due to cardiovascular disease.

From Singapore - Researchers have developed a new test to diagnose and treat the bird flu. It uses droplets obtained from a throat swab to both purify and amplify viral DNA. The test may be faster, cheaper, and just as sensitive as a current one, and may eventually play a role in limiting a burd flu pandemic.

From the Netherlands - So-called "economy-class" syndrome -- the risk of developing a blood clot because of an airline flight -- is rare. According to research analyzing over 8,000 people the rate of developing the condition is only 1 in nearly 5000 flights. Being overweight, on the birth control pill, or taking very long flights raised the risk.

And finally, from California - A breath test may one day be able to montior blood sugar levels in children with type 1 diabetes. An experimental test showed a direct correlation between levels of exhaled methyl nitrate and blood sugar. Exhaled methyl nitrate levels were higher when blood sugar levels were high and lower when blood sugar levels were normal.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.

Category:

News & Politics

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