Tag Archives: product

X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome: Gene therapy trial shows promising early results

Eight of the nine boys registered to date in the new trial are alive and well, with functioning immune systems and free of infections associated with SCID-X1, between nine and 36 months following treatment, according to Sung-Yun Pai, MD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist from Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. She presented the findings at the 55th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology on behalf of the Transatlantic Gene Therapy Consortium (TAGTC). The investigators continue to monitor the children for signs of treatment-associated leukemia, which developed three to five years post-treatment in the prior trial. …

Cancer-fighting technology progressing well

PNP confirmed that it has completed the first three cohorts of its Phase I clinical trial and is now recruiting for the fourth cohort. The company is looking ahead to Phase II trials and seeking an appropriate partner in the pharmaceutical industry. "We are pleased with the progress made by the product thus far," said William B. Parker, Ph.D., senior research fellow at Southern Research Institute. …

Baby Matters recalls recliner linked to infant deaths

Baby Matters LLC is recalling baby recliners linked to five infant deaths as part of a settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. agency said on Friday. The settlement calls for the company, based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, to recall its foam rubber Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill infant recliners and their covers, in exchange for the CPSC dropping an administrative complaint that it filed in December 2012, the agency said in a statement. Four infants have died in the Nap Nanny Generation Two recliners, and a fifth death involved the Chill model, the agency said. The CPSC also received 92 reports of infants hanging or falling over the side of the recliners, including some children who were restrained in the product's harness. The agency urged consumers to stop using Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill recliners. It said Baby Matters was no longer in business and was not accepting returns. About 165,000 of the Nap Nanny and Chill products were sold between 2009 and 2012 for about $130 each. In December 2012, Amazon.com Inc, Buy Buy Baby Inc, Diapers.com, and Toys R Us/Babies R Us {TOY.UL] announced a voluntary recall of Nap Nanny and Chill models sold in their stores. Consumers who bought a Nap Nanny from one of those retailers should contact them for information on receiving a refund, the CPSC said. “CPSC urges other consumers to immediately dispose of the products to ensure that they are not used again,” the statement said.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/14/baby-matters-recalls-recliner-linked-to-infant-deaths/

Costco recalls frozen berries linked to hepatitis outbreak

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen organic berry mix sold by an Oregon company. The FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that 30 illnesses are linked to Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend, which contains pomegranate seed mix. Illnesses were reported in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California. Several of those who fell ill reported buying the berry mix at Costco, according to CDC. A Costco spokesman said Friday that the company has removed the product from stores and is attempting to contact members who purchased the product since late February. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can last from a few weeks to several months. People often contract it when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene. Food already contaminated with the virus can also cause outbreaks. The government has not announced a recall, but the CDC recommended that retailers and other food service operators should not sell or serve Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend. Nine of the people who have been sickened were hospitalized, according to the CDC. Preliminary tests from two cases suggest this is a hepatitis A strain rarely seen in North America, but is found in the North Africa and Middle East regions. The FDA said it is inspecting the processing facilities of Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., which sold the mix. Bill Gaar, a lawyer for Townsend Farms, said the frozen organic blend bag includes pomegranate seeds from Turkey, and are only used in the product associated with the outbreak. “We do have very good records, we know where the (pomegranate seeds) came from, we're looking into who the broker is and we're sourcing it back up the food chain to get to it,” Gaar said. He said Townsend Farms believes Costco is the only customer who bought the product, though they are checking to see if any other retailers may have sold it. Hepatitis A illnesses occur within 15 to 50 days of exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool. Vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure, and those who have already been vaccinated are unlikely to become ill, according to CDC. CDC said all of the victims are older than 18, ranging from 25 to 71 years old. The first illnesses were reported at the end of April. The same genotype of hepatitis A was identified in an outbreak in Europe linked to frozen berries this year, the CDC said, as well as a 2012 outbreak in British Columbia related to a frozen berry blend with pomegranate seeds from Egypt. In addition to the United States and Turkey, the agency said the Townsend Farms berries also included products from Argentina and Chile.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/03/costco-recalls-berries-linked-to-hepatitis-outbreak/

Woman claims she contracted herpes from lipstick at a Rihanna concert

A Harlem woman is claiming she contracted herpes from a sample of RiRi Woo lipstick she tested at a Rihanna concert in Brooklyn on May 7, Medical Daily reported. Starkeema Greenidge, 28, has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against MAC Cosmetics, which manufactures the product.  According to Greenidge, she visited a pop-up shop at the singer’s Barclay’s Center show, where a Mac Cosmetics representative applied the RiRi Woo lipstick to Greenidge’s lips. Caused by the herpes simplex virus, herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects 16.2 percent of Americans, or one out of every six people, between the ages of 14 and 49, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The disease is often contracted through sex, but it can also be transmitted through touching and kissing while an infected individual has a herpes “flare up.” Greenidge said in the suit that the MAC Cosmetics representative failed to warn her that the lipstick had been used by other concert attendees.  When Greenidge developed a cold sore two days later, she went to the doctor, where she was diagnosed with herpes. According to the lawsuit, Greenidge has suffered mental anguish and distress after contracting the STD, Medical Daily reported. A spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics issued a statement to the Daily Beast on Thursday about the incident: “Consumer safety is a top priority at MAC Cosmetics, and we take these matters very seriously. We are closely reviewing these claims.” Click for more from Medical Daily.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/31/woman-claims-contracted-herpes-from-lipstick-at-rihanna-concert/

Bicycle helmet laws linked to fewer child deaths

U.S. states that require children and teenagers to wear helmets report fewer deaths involving bicycles and cars, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the number of U.S. bicycle deaths between 1999 and 2010 and found that states with bicycle helmet laws reported about 20 percent fewer bike-related fatalities among people younger than 16 years old. “The impetus is that when you make it a law, parents realize it's important and parents get their kids to do it,” said Dr. William Meehan, the study's lead author from Boston Children's Hospital. About 900 people die as a result of bicycle crashes every year in the U.S. and about three quarters of those are from head injuries, according to Meehan and his colleagues. Previous research has found that wearing a helmet may reduce a person's risk of a head or brain injury by up to 88 percent, but few studies have looked at the effect of helmet laws on national injury and fatality rates. Using a national database that tracks the number of traffic-related deaths in the U.S., the researchers compared the number of children and teenagers killed while riding their bicycles in the 16 states that enacted helmet laws around the start of the study in 1999 to states without helmet laws. In 1999, only 16 states had helmet laws and the overall rate of bicycle-related child deaths in the U.S. was 4 per million. Between January 1999 and December 2010, there were 1,612 bicycle-related deaths among children younger than 16 years old, the researchers found. During that time, states with helmet laws had 2 bicycle-related deaths for every 1 million children younger than 16 years old. That compares to 2.5 deaths for every 1 million children in states without helmet laws. After adjusting for other state characteristics known to be associated with traffic-related deaths - such as household income, and drunk or elderly driving laws - the states with helmet laws still had fewer reported deaths in that age group. “We would recommend that any state that doesn't have a mandatory bicycle helmet law for children consider one or institute one,” Meehan said. Dr. Frederick Rivara, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital, said it's nice that the new study shows states with helmet laws report fewer deaths, but he said it's important to remember that helmets can also prevent serious injuries. “Bicycle fatalities represent only the very tip of the iceberg,” said Rivara, who has studied bicycle helmet safety but was not involved with the new research. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that children wear a helmet approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission every time they ride a bicycle. “Helmets are very effective. They're cheap, they're light, they're comfortable and they work,” Rivara said.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/30/bicycle-helmet-laws-linked-to-fewer-child-deaths/

How to drink wisely

How, when and what to drink to enjoy yourself but remain in control. Slow Down and Be Still The rate at which your body absorbs alcohol into your bloodstream and how intoxicated you feel aren’t based on just the proof of your beverage; these results also hinge upon how quickly you drink. In other words, a small glass of wine drunk in a half hour can have the same effect as a stiff vodka martini sipped over an hour. But the effects of the martini will last longer.  Related: 7 Clever Items to Simplify Your Life Having a carbonated drink, like Champagne or a gin and tonic, may also make you feel effects faster. According to a 2007 study conducted at the University of Manchester, in England, drinks with bubbles were absorbed into the bloodstream faster than flat ones. Drink Later in the Day Until midafternoon, your body is building its food and water reserves, so a drink at lunch will have a bigger impact than one at dinner. Likewise, drinking in a warm environment or under a hot sun promotes sweating, which dehydrates your body and leaves it with less fluid to dilute the alcohol. The result? You get drunk faster. Related: 10 Things Trainers Wish You Knew About Their Workout Eat Smart Before you have a drink, eat something that contains a little oil or fat, which will slow the rate at which your body absorbs the alcohol. This is not license to decimate an entire hors d’oeuvre tray, but a handful of spiced nuts, a cheese-and-cracker combo or a few olives are all good options. Related: Secret of a Better Workout Stick to Light Colors Pure alcohol is clear. So whether you choose beer, wine or spirits, the darker your drink, the more outside compounds it contains, which can leave you feeling more hungover the next day.  Red and white wines are made from the same grapes; the color difference is the result of the grapes for red wine fermenting with their skins. During that time, the red wine also pulls in skin-derived substances that can contribute to headaches. Barrel aging has a similar effect. The longer a wine or a liquor sits in oak, the more oak flavors it absorbs and the darker it becomes; however, it can also acquire more unwanted impurities.  Related: The 30 Healthiest Foods Also consider a wine or liquor bottle’s price; a costlier bottle usually means that higher-quality wooden barrels, like French oak, were used and the product was distilled many times (the more, the better), which cuts down on the amount of impurities. Ditch the Diet Soda According to a 2006 study, people who mix liquor with diet soda absorb the alcohol faster than do those who choose regular soda or juice as a mixer. Scientists believe the calories in regular drinks, which need to be digested, act as a buffer. And because diet soda masks the taste of alcohol, it may prevent people from pacing themselves. Don’t Keep Up With the Boys Going drink for drink with a man is a quick way to get drunk and ensure a hangover. Women metabolize alcohol more slowly than men do, and surprisingly this has nothing to do with body weight. Pound for pound, men have 20 to 30 percent more water in their systems, so anything a man drinks will automatically be diluted that much more, even if he’s exactly your weight.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/20/how-to-drink-wisely/