Fasting May Help Heart

Fasting once a month might be good for your heart. That's the finding of a study presented at a meeting of the American heart Association. The study looked at data fromm the Intermountain Health Collaborative Study on over 4,600 patients who had chest X-rays to check for blocked heart arteries between 1994 and 2002. Patients who fasted once a month were about 40 percent less likely to have clogged arteries than those who didn't, the researchers found. They saw the difference in heart risks even after taking into consideration other risk factors such as weight, age, diabetes, and other conditions. The researchers theorize that skipping meals for a day may force the body to burn fat reserves and gives the body a break from producing insulin, possibly helping insulin receptors to work better. However, the researchers say their findings do not prove that fasting prevents heart disease; they say it could be that the people who fasted control their eating habits better, The Associated Press reports. They also warn that fasting is not a good idea for diabetics, and that it is not a good way for dieters to lose weight.

Vaccines Recalled: Drug manufacturer Merck & Co. this week issued a recall for its Hib vaccine, which is given to young children to protect them against a virus that causes meningitis, pneumonia and other infections. The recall was announced due to concerns about contamination risks, after Merck found sterility problems in one of its manufacturing facilities, The Associated Press reports. The recall contamination some 1.2 million doses of the vaccine, and a shortage of vaccine is likely in the short-term, the AP says. Merck says it will not be able to supply new vaccine for at least nine months. Both the drug maker and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the actual risk of contamination is low. The recalled vaccine doses were distributed beginning last April. If they are contaminated, most children who received the dose likely experienced nothing worse than skin irritation around the shot site, the AP says. There is no need for anyone who got those doses to be re-vaccinated, as they were potent, the AP says.

Heartburn Drugs and Heart Risk: Heartburn drugs like Prilosec and Nexium don't increase the risk of heart problems. That's the conclusion of a review by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA and its counterpart in Canada examined two studies from heartburn drug manufacturer Astra-Zeneca Plc and 14 other studies, and found no increased risk of heart problems, The Associated Press reports.

Stem Cells for Muscular Dystrophy: Modifying their own stem cells could one day help treat people with one type of muscular dystrophy. A study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, found that a technique using adult stem cells improved muscle strength in mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The study used stem cells taken from the muscle tissue of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. The researchers modified the cells to prevent them from developing the mutation that causes the disorder. They injected the cells into the bloodstreams of six mice. Lab tests showed that the mice had stronger muscles and could run for a longer time on the treadmill compared to the mice not treated with the stem cells. However, the treatment did not cure the mice -- they were still weaker than healthy mice, The Associated Press reports.

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