In The News This Week … Jan 28–Feb 3, 2007: Avian Flu, Braces, Grape Juice, & Neurological Disorders

Avian Flu

Good news in the fight against pandemic flu. The Australian company CSL Limited announced on January 30 that their pandemic influenza vaccine clinical trials have been successfully completed, and that the vaccine is safe and well-tolerated in adults aged 18-65.

Braces

Some surprising news in our image-obsessed, whiten-your-smile-to-a-blindingly-artificial-level world: A study published in the February issue of the British Journal of Health Psychology followed 1,018 individuals who had braces applied at age 11 or 12 for 20 years, and found that the orthodontic treatment had little positive impact on future psychological health. At the same time, none of the individuals followed regretted having had their teeth done, and most were satisfied with the way they looked. (Of course, the latter suggests to me that the braces did their job! Asking a few pieces of metal to boost self-esteem is asking too much – that has to come from within.)

Grape Juice for Hearts

Want to help your heart, but don't like wine, or don't believe in drinking alcohol? An article published in the January 15 issue of Cardiovascular Research indicates that grape juice may be just as good as red wine. But of course not just any grape juice will do, you'll need a variety with a high level of polyphenols, and different grapes provide different levels of polyphenols. One example of a good grape is the one studied: the Concord!

Neurological Disorders

Research published in the January 30 issue of Neurology indicates that neurological disease – multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, autism, and other disorders – may be much more common than believed. For example, according to the survey, nearly one in 1,000 Americans has MS, one in 100 elderly Americans has Parkinson's, and 67 out of 1,000 Americans aged 65+ has Alzheimer's. It's not certain whether the numbers mean that the diseases are more common, or are being diagnosed more accurately.

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