Discover the Science of Health
Novartis said on Sunday that it is voluntarily recalling certain lots of over-the-counter products because they might contain broken or stray tablets from other products [1]. The recall comes following consumer complaints of chipped and broken pills, and inconsistent bottle packaging line clearance practices (meaning cleaning and clearance operations that are performed when a product or strength change occurs during medicine packaging) that may have possibly resulted in mixed tablets.
Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Ask anyone with the condition and they will tell you: using a spring-loaded needle to prick their fingers monitor blood glucose (i.e.sugar) levels several times a day is painful procedure.
Researchers from the University of Washington (UW) and Microsoft Research Connections are working together to develop a non-invasive, technological solution that promises to improve both the health and overall quality of life for people with diabetes: a contact lens that, instead of correcting vision, monitors blood glucose levels.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing a new educational program to help remind parents of the importance of keeping medications — even those purchased over-the-counter — “Up and Away and Out of Sight” of young children. Toddlers in particular are at risk from medications and vitamins left within reach, as they have the manual dexterity to open many medication containers, coupled with a very young child’s tendency to explore the world orally. According to the CDC, one in 150 two-year-olds ends up in the emergency room each year due to medication overdose; most of these are the result of the child encountering and ingesting the medicine [1].
Young girl pouring pills image via ShutterstockRecent findings in mice suggest that blocking the production of small molecules produced in the body, known as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), may represent a novel strategy for treating cancer by eliminating the blood vessels that feed cancer tumors. This research is the first to show that EETs work in concert with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein known to induce blood vessel growth. Together, EETs and VEGF promote metastasis, or the spread of cancer, by encouraging the growth of blood vessels that supply nutrients to cancer cells.
We are the last generation that will know so little about our health. That’s the vision of medical tech startup Scanadu. The company has created a scanner they are calling the Medical Tricorder, which is aimed at parents who want to monitor their children’s health in order to make better decisions.
The mobile diagnostic device measures key vital signs — blood pressure, pulmonary function, temperature — and may even be able to read simple samples, sending all information directly to your smartphone. The Medical Tricorder additionally asks screening questions to provide recommendations.
According to the video below, the device can alert you about flu or disease outbreaks tailored to your family’s needs and offers advice on what to do next.
Source: Scanadu
