A weekly round-up of news affecting your health
ASTHMA & FOOD ALLERGY
Teenagers with food allergy are four times more likely to have asthma than those without the condition, adding another risk to their day-to-day lives.
Anaphylaxis - a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction - may be mistaken for an asthma attack, says Professor Katie Allen, from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
That can lead to delayed administration of an adrenalin (epinephrine) autoinjector, increasing the risk of fatal attacks.
"When someone has both asthma and a severe food allergy, an allergic reaction can easily be mistaken for an asthma attack," she says.
"Instead of immediately administering adrenalin valuable time can be wasted administering the asthma inhaler."
She stressed the importance of people being able to recognise anaphylaxis and administer adrenalin.
BEETROOT BOOST?
Healthy older people are being sought for a study to see if beetroot juice can improve vascular health.
Participants, aged between 60 and 70, will have blood samples taken before and after drinking the juice which is rich in nitrate.
"Dietary nitrate elicits anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulative and anti-thrombotic effects, all of which are beneficial for the health of blood vessels," said Dr Oliver Neubauer, from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.
"Our study is the first to investigate the immediate effects of beetroot juice on factors affecting vascular health, particularly blood clotting, the body's immune cells characteristics, blood pressure and inflammatory issues in mature-aged people."
Email oliver.neubauer@qut.edu.au
LUNG CANCER `BREATHALYSER'
A lung cancer "breathalyser" developed by university students has won an entrepreneurship competition.
The device, invented by MIT and Harvard University students, connects to a smartphone and is able to detect lung cancer early from breath, according to MIT News.
Astraeus Technologies has developed a postage-stamp-sized device, called the L CARD, that detects certain gases that indicate lung cancer.
When someone blows on to the device, a connected mobile app turns a smartphone screen red if those gases are present and green if they aren't.
Meanwhile, 17 British hospitals are carrying out clinical trials on a breathalyser, developed by Cambridge-based Owlstone Medical, also designed to detect the early signs of lung cancer.
SLIP, SLOP, SLAP
Despite the many warnings about skin cancer, almost 30 per cent of Gen Ys sunbake and pursue a "healthy" tan.
A recent study involving 1500 Australians also revealed that females born during the 1980s and early 1990s were four to five times more likely to wear sunscreen daily than their male counterparts.
"Each year in Australia skin cancers account for around 80 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers, with sunburn causing 95 per cent of melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer," says dermatologist Associate Professor Saxon Smith.
"However, it's clear from our research that a large number of young Australians don't perceive the risk and still view a tan as a positive sign of well-being."
SUPERFINE MERINO WOOL `HELPS' ECZEMA
Wearing superfine Merino wool may help in the management of eczema in young children, according to a new Australian study.
"Many people, including doctors, believe that wearing wool worsens the effects of eczema," says Associate Professor John Su.
"In a recent study of children under three years old, we found that wearing superfine Merino wool, led to an overall greater improvement in eczema, when compared with wearing outfits made of cotton."
The 12-week study, which included youngsters referred to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, also found the wool might help manage eczema in young children, he said.
Previous studies used coarser fibre and heavier wool garments, but the use of superfine wool has increased significantly in the past 20 years.
"Wool has excellent moisture absorbing and heat transfer properties.
"Skin irritation from any fibre type largely relates to the mean diameter of fibres."
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