Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in fertilizer

	Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in fertilizer Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) have been found in sewage sludge, a by-product of waste-water treatment frequently used as a fertilizer.
Researchers writing in the open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica point out the danger of antibiotic resistance genes passing into the human food chain. Read on

Ballerinas and female athletes share quadruple health threats

	Ballerinas and female athletes share quadruple health threats A study led by sports medicine researcher Anne Hoch, D.O., at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee has revealed that young
female professional dancers face the same health risks as young female athletes when they don’t eat enough to offset the energy they spend, and stop menstruating as a consequence. Read on

FDA ignores critical information on home HIV tests

	FDA ignores critical information on home HIV tests The FDA is ignoring critical information in deciding whether to approve an over-the-counter, rapid HIV test for home use, according to a recent article in the journal Medical Decision Making
As the price of the HIV test rises, some lower-income individuals who are at greater risk for HIV infection will not be able to afford it. The FDA has been criticized because it bases its decisions on small studies performed in non-representative populations.  Read on

Music may improve feeding, reduce pain in premature babies: U of A study

	Music may improve feeding, reduce pain in premature babies: U of A study As long as there have been babies, adults have crooned lullabies to soothe them. But research suggests music might also help premature infants learn to suckle better and reduce their pain
If confirmed, this would be a simple, low-cost way to help these tiny babies feed on their own faster and move them out of neonatal units sooner, says Dr. Manoj Kumar, an assistant clinical professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry’s Department of Pediatrics. “If you can get them to feed earlier then you can save health-care resources,” Kumar says.  Read on

Partner status influences women’s interest in men

	Partner status influences women’s interest in men A study by Indiana University neuroscientist Heather Rupp found that a woman’s partner status influenced her interest in the opposite sex
In the study, women both with and without sexual partners showed little difference in their subjective ratings of photos of men when considering such measures as masculinity and attractiveness. However, the women who did not have sexual partners spent more time evaluating photos of men, demonstrating a greater interest in the photos. Read on

Is cherry juice a new ’sports drink?

	Is cherry juice a new ’sports drink? Drinking cherry juice could help ease the pain for people who run, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Seattle, Wash.
The study showed people who drank tart cherry juice while training for a long distance run reported significantly less pain after exercise than those who didn’t. Post-exercise pain can often indicate muscle damage or debilitating injuries.  Read on

A genetic link to premature ejaculation

	A genetic link to premature ejaculation Premature ejaculation can be embarrassing, but a new study suggests that it might be a genetic disorder.
Researchers from Turku, Finland, interviewed more than three thousand men – all pairs of male twins and their older or younger brothers – about the first time they had sex. Many participants in the study reported that they had suffered from erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation at their first sexual encounter Read on

Extreme caffeinated soft drink diet leaves woman with serious health issues

Extreme caffeinated soft drink diet leaves woman with serious health issues Reports in the media of a New Zealand woman’s extreme Red Bull diet where her weight plummeted from 105kg to 60kg by drinking 10 to 14 cans of the ‘energy’ drink each day say she has been left with serious health issues.

Red Bull which was first launched in Austria in 1987 is so-called after the ingredient taurine, the organic acid which was first isolated in a bull; it is prohibited as a soft drink in Norway, Uruguay, Denmark and Iceland – the formula contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of filter coffee, around 80mg and has benefited from much ‘pop’ and sport celebrity endorsement – the sugar-free version of the drink was launched in 2003. Read on

Nearly 1 million Californians seek medical care in Mexico annually

	Nearly 1 million Californians seek medical care in Mexico annually Driven by rising health care costs at home, nearly 1 million Californians cross the border each year to seek medical care in Mexico, according a new paper by UCLA researchers and colleagues published today in the journal Medical Care.
An estimated 952,000 California adults sought medical, dental or prescription services in Mexico annually, and of these, 488,000 were Mexican immigrants, according to the research paper, “Heading South: Why Mexican Immigrants in California Seek Health Services in Mexico.” Read on

Opposites attract — how genetics influences humans to choose their mates

	Opposites attract — how genetics influences humans to choose their mates Professor Maria da Graça Bicalho, head of the Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility Laboratory at the University of Parana, Brazil, says
that her research had shown that people with diverse major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) were more likely to choose each other as mates than those whose MHCs were similar, and that this was likely to be an evolutionary strategy to ensure healthy reproduction. Read on