RED WINE CAN PROTECT PEOPLE FROM MICROBES

A US study reveals that drinking red wine and red grape juice may protect people from common food-borne illnesses
In a study, researchers examined the effect of reseveratrol ( the substance responsible for red wines colour) as well as ethanol and pH on common food pathogens such as E-coli,salmonella typhi, listeria monocytogens and H.pylori

They discovered that in addition to ethanol, reseveratrol and pH may inhibit the pathogens

Numerous white wines also were tested, but yielded no positive results, the researchers said.

"It's not just ethanol in the red wine that is inhibitory toward food-borne pathogens, but other factors which include the pH of the wine — because wines are a little acidic, and possibly the phytochemicals may have an effect," said Mustapha, noting that grape juice produces similar results.

BEWARE BEFORE TATOOING

Getting a tattoo can pose serious health risks if it's not done properly. The procedure should only be performed under regulated, sanitary and professional conditions.

• Infection, including HEPATITIS and skin infections.
• Allergic reaction to inks.
• Bumps or nodules that may form around the tattooed area, called granulomas.
• KELOIDS-- abnormal scar growth.
• In rare cases, swelling may occur during an MRI
  
• Inability to completely remove the tattoo if you ultimately decide you don't want it.

MIGRANE WITH AURA IN MIDLIFE PREDICTS STROKE IN LATER LIFE

New-onset migraine headache with visual aura during middle-age is associated with a high risk of cortical and cerebellar infarcts 25 years later.

This is the latest finding from the long-term, population-based Reykjavik (Iceland) Study, which was presented here this week during the 132nd annual meeting of the American Neurological Association by principal investigator Dr. Ann I. Scher, currently at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Reykjavik Study began in 1967 and involves community-dwelling individuals born between 1907 and 1935. In 2002, study subjects were asked to also participate in the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (AGES-RS).

Among the findings:

- One to two symptoms of migraine were reported by 14.2% of men, 22.2% of women and 18.7% overall.

- Three or more symptoms of migraine were reported by 1.5% of men and 6.7% of women.

- Visual aura was reported by 3.7% of men and 7.9% of women.

- Sensory aura was reported by 0.3% of men and 2.5% of women.

- Both visual and sensory aura were reported by 0.3% of men and 1.8% of women.

"Midlife migraine with or without aura was associated with late-life cortical infarcts," Dr. Scher announced, with an odds ratio of 1.81.

Headache with visual aura was independently associated with late-life cortical infarct (OR=2.35), cerebellar infarct (OR=1.82) and total brain infarcts (OR=1.65).

Subcortical infarcts did not correlate with symptoms of migraine, with or without visual aura, and sensory aura did not correlate with brain infarcts, Dr. Scher observed.

"The relationship between mid-life headache with visual aura and late-life infarcts was not explained by measured cardiovascular risk factors," she added.

PREGNANCY MAY SLOW HIV PROGRESSION

Among HIV-infected women receiving HAART, pregnancy appears to reduce risk of progression to AIDS, and multiple pregnancies tend to reduce the risk even more, researchers report in the October 1st issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

"This apparent dose-response relationship supports a possible protective effect of pregnancy on disease progression," senior investigator Dr. Timothy R. Sterling .

Dr. Sterling of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee and colleagues assessed this relationship during the HAART era in an observational study of 759 women, of whom 541 (71%) had received HAART.

In all, 139 (18%) had at least 1 pregnancy and there was no difference in HAART duration by pregnancy status. The women were followed from 1997 to 2004.

During follow-up, 11 pregnant women (8%) and 129 non-pregnant women (24%) progressed to AIDS or death. After controlling for factors including baseline CD4+ lymphocyte counts and HIV-1 RNA levels, pregnancy was associated with reduced risk of progression (hazard ratio, 0.40).

Analysis of data on 81 pregnant women and 81 matched non-pregnant women showed that the pregnant group had a lower risk of progression both before pregnancy (hazard ratio, 0.10) and after the event (hazard ratio, 0.44).

The apparently protective effect of pregnancy, the researchers conclude, "could be the result of the healthier immune status of women who become pregnant or could possibly be related to a beneficial interaction between pregnancy and HAART."

ASTHMA IN OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN

Overweight children seen in the ER for an asthma flare-up are more likely to be admitted to the hospital than their non-overweight peers, according to a report in the October issue of Pediatrics. Moreover, this finding holds true regardless of illness severity.

"This is the first study in children to examine the relationship between overweight and hospital admission during asthma exacerbations," lead author Dr. Christopher L. Carroll, from connecticut Children's Hospital in Hartford.

Dr. Carroll said his team was "somewhat surprised" by the main finding. "It suggests that obese children respond more slowly to therapy for acute exacerbations."

The findings are based on a retrospective chart review of all children, older than 2 years of age, who presented with an asthma flare-up to the researchers' ER in 2005. Only children without other chronic medical conditions were included in the analysis. Overweight children were defined as being in the 95th or higher percentile of weight-for-age.

Overall, 813 children made 884 ER visits for asthma exacerbations during the study period, the authors report. Of these visits, 238 (27%) resulted in a hospital admission, including 33 (4%) ICU admissions.

Increasing asthma severity was associated with hospital admission, whereas age, gender, and poverty were not, the report indicates.

Of the ER visits made during the study, 682 (77%) involved a normal weight child and 202 (23%) involved an overweight child. On average, overweight children were older (8.5 vs. 7.3 years) and were more likely to come from an impoverished area (37% vs. 28%).

No significant differences in asthma severity or in the ER treatment received were noted between overweight and normal-weight children. Nonetheless, 34% of ER visits involving an overweight child resulted in hospital admission compared with 25% of visits made by a normal weight child (p = 0.01).

The main message for clinicians is that "overweight children with asthma have significant health-related consequences as a result of their being overweight," Dr. Carroll said.

Parents of the overweight children out there beware . One more danger of obsity

LIPSTICK CONTAINS LEAD

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lipsticks tested by a U.S. consumer rights group found that more than half contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others, the group said on Thursday.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by the Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, California, found that 61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).

Lipstick, like candy, is ingested. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, environmental and women's groups, said the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick.

One-third of the lipsticks tested contained an amount of lead that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from ingesting lead, the group said. Thirty-nine percent of the lipsticks tested had no discernible lead, it said.

"It's critical that manufacturers reformulate their product," said Stacy Malkan, a co-founder of the coalition. "It's possible to make lipsticks without lead, and all companies should be doing that."

Lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, the group said in its statement. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage, it said.

Procter & Gamble Co's makes Cover Girl brand and France's L'Oreal is one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world.