Health News: Irritable Bowel Syndrome caused by a foodborne pathogen ♦ GMO-Free label created by USDA ♦ CVS pays $22 million to resolve Painkiller probe

Irritable Bowel Syndrome caused by a foodborne pathogen Millions of people suffer from the effects of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — chronic bloating, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea or constipation — although the malady itself, let alone the cause, has been notoriously difficult to diagnose. Now, however, a physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has developed two blood tests that can accurately detect the

GMO-Free label created by USDA The Agriculture Department has developed a new government certification and labeling for foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients. USDA’s move comes as some consumer groups push for mandatory labeling of the genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The certification is the first of its kind, would be voluntary

CVS pays $22 million  to resolve Florida Painkiller probe The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa announced May 13 that CVS Health Corp., will pay $22 million in a settlement to resolve allegations that 2 of its pharmacies in central Florida sold painkillers that were not prescribed for legitimate medical purposes. Federal agents discovered that the pharmacies ordered about 3 million oxycodone pills in 2011 and ignored red flags that the prescriptions were not legitimate.  

Study provides new insights into Clostridium spores Researchers have established how clostridia bacteria emerge from spores. This could help them understand how these bacteria germinate and go on to produce the deadly toxin responsible for botulism, a lethal form of food poisoning, or cause food spoilage.

Debate: Is the long term use of psychiatric drugs harmful? The benefits of psychiatric drugs have been exaggerated and the harms underplayed due to poor trial designs, argues an expert in a new article. But another expert and a patient contend that the evidence supports the use of these drugs.

2/20/14 Health News: Nanotech in My Food - You Are as Old as You Eat - Cat Bites May Lead to Hospitalizations - Bionic Hand - CVS Ban on Cigarettes Could Cut Smoking

Wait, There's Nanotech in My Food?For a little more than a decade, the food industry has been using nanotechnology to change the way we grow and maintain our food. The grocery chain Albertsons currently has a list of nanotech-touched foods in its home brand, ranging from cookies to cheese …Continue Reading

You Are as Old as You Eat

In new research published in Cell Metabolism, USC scientists Sean Curran and Shanshan Pang identified a collection of genes that allow an organism to adapt to different diets and showed that without the genes, even minor tweaks to diets can cause premature aging and death. Finding a genetic basis for an organism’s dietary needs suggests that different individuals may be genetically predisposed to thrive on different diets and that now, in the age of commercial gene sequencing, people might be able to identify which diet would work best for them through a simple blood test. In this study, Curran and Pang identified a gene called alh-6, which delayed the effects of aging depending on what type of diet the worm was fed by protecting it against diet-induced mitochondrial defects.Continue Reading

Bionic Hand Allows Patient to 'Feel'Scientists have created a bionic hand which allows the amputee to feel lifelike sensations from their fingers. A Danish man received the hand, which was connected to nerves in his upper arm, following surgery in Italy. Dennis Aabo, who lost his left hand in a firework accident nearly a decade ago, said the hand was "amazing". In laboratory tests he was able to tell the shape and Continue Reading

Cat Bites May Lead to Serious Infections, Hospitalizations

Cat bites may look less serious than dog bites, but beware: They can cause dangerous infections, particularly when they involve the hand, new research indicates. Although cats have no more germs in their mouths than dogs or people, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that when cats bite, their sharp teeth can inject hard-to-treat bacteria deeply into the skin and joints, increasing the risk for serious infection.Continue Reading

CVS Ban on Cigarettes Could Cut Smoking Rates

The decision by CVS to stop selling cigarettes could help to cut smoking rates substantially, especially because the move comes at a time of increased pressure on the tobacco industry from a number of fronts, health experts say. "It is a big deal — one of those death knell events the tobacco industry has feared for some time," says Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends at the American Cancer Society. Research shows that making cigarettes even slightly less accessible has a measurable effect on smoking, especially for kids, who have fewer ways to get tobacco, says Otis Brawley, the Cancer Society's chief medical officer..Continue Reading