Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Tai-Chi Benefits Diabetes Patients: Studies
The gentle, controlled movements of the ancient Chinese exercise tai-chi can help people with type 2 diabetes, according to new studies by researchers in Australia and Taiwan.
Both studies found that diabetes patients who did tai-chi for a few hours a week for three months showed significant improvements in health compared to control groups, Agence France-Presse reported.
Improved blood glucose levels, weight loss, stronger immune system, better sleep, and more energy were among the benefits noted in those who did tai-chi. The findings appear in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Previous research has shown that other types of moderate exercise can help keep type 2 diabetes under control, but tai-chi is easy to learn and doesn't require any complicated or expensive equipment, noted some of the researchers, AFP reported.
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Fat Droplets Help TB Bacteria Survive
U.K. scientists have found that many types of tuberculosis bacteria have protective fat droplets that may help them survive difficult conditions as they're passed in the sputum of an infected person to another person, BBC News reported.
The finding, by researchers at the University of Leicester and St. George's, University of London, may help lead to new treatments for the disease, which kills about two million people worldwide each year. The study appears in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine.
"This work forms the foundation to develop a new drug that works effectively against these fat and lazy bacteria," said Prof. Philip Butcher of St. George's, BBC News reported.
The study "helps us understand just why the TB bug is an extremely tough cookie built to survive," addedDr. John Moore-Gillon, of the British Lung Foundation, which co-funded the study. "It adds to our knowledge of why TB bacteria are so difficult to eradicate from the body and why drug resistant strains develop."
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Recalled Salad Dressing Has Undeclared Ingredients
Bay Valley Foods is recalling 535 cases of America's Choice Classic Caesar Dressing because the bottle labels don't warn about the presence of fish, soy and wheat. Consumers who have allergies to these ingredients may suffer a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the dressing.
The incorrect labels on the bottles contain information for Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing. To date, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the mislabeled Caesar Dressing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
The recalled dressing comes in 16-ounce plastic bottles marked with a "best before" date code of 02-09-09, which can be found on the back label. Consumers with the recalled dressing should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. The recalled bottles of dressing were distributed through Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) stores including A&P, Super Fresh, Food Basics USA, and Waldbaum's in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and the District of Columbia.
For more information, phone Bay Valley Foods at 1-800-983-0823.
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Anti-Obesity Drug Trials Limited to Lower Doses: Merck
Four-milligram and 6-mg doses of the investigational obesity treatment taranabant won't be included in future clinical trials, because they've been linked to increased rates of mental health problems, Merck & Co. announced Monday.
In a late stage trial, 2-mg, 4-mg, and 6-mg doses of taranabant were compared with placebo. The drug did help reduce patients' weight, but those taking the two higher doses had higher rates of depression, anxiety and irritability, the AP reported.
"Based on the benefit-risk considerations and the lack of substantial improvement in the efficacy of taranabant at the 4-milligram and 6-milligram doses seen in our clinical program compared to the 2-milliogram dose, we have decided to continue to evaluate taranabant in doses up to and including 2 milligrams in our Phase III studies," Dr. John Amatruda, Merck's vice president of clinical research, metabolic disorders, said in a prepared statement.
Also on Monday, Merck said it stopped patient enrollment in a late-stage trial of its cholesterol drug candidate Cordaptive, while the company looks at recent results from similar studies, including a failed trial of the cholesterol drug Vytorin, the AP reported.
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Glass Fragment Risk Prompts Yogurt Recall
Due the possibility of glass fragments in the product, Stonyfield Farm of Londonderry, N.H., has recalled its six-ounce, nonfat blueberry yogurt with product codes that start with the following dates: Apr 14 08, Apr 15 08, Apr 25 08, Apr 26 08, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
People who bite into or swallow a glass fragment could be injured. There have been no reports of injuries.
The yogurt is sold at natural food stores and major grocery retailers across the United States. Consumers should return the recalled containers to their retailers, where they'll receive a full refund. Stonyfield Farm has instructed its distribution network to remove the yogurt from store shelves, the FDA said.
For more information, contact Stonyfield Farm at 1-800-PRO-COWS.
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Starting Family at Young Age Beneficial for Some: Study
Starting a family at a young age may actually be beneficial for some people, suggests a Pennsylvania State University study that found little difference in depressive symptoms between young adults who had children early in life and those who did not.
The study, which included 8,000 people, suggests that the conventional view that young people should complete their education and postpone marriage may not apply to everyone, United Press International reported.
"It's believed that those individuals -- ages 18 to 25 -- who fail to postpone these family transitions miss out on better career opportunities, make poor choices on partners, and may experience problems," lead author Alan Booth said in a prepared statement.
But he and his colleagues said that escaping a troubled home and parents with poor parenting skills to marry or have children may offer young people an escape from an unloving home and an opportunity to create a more positive family environment, UPI reported.
The study was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family and was expected to be presented April 17 in New Orleans at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America.
