IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Asian diabetes explored

Researchers from Singapore and New Zealand are launching a study on the role of genes in diabetes and why Asians are about twice as likely as Caucasians to come down with the disease, a news report said Monday.

Indians are two to three times more likely than Chinese to contract type II diabetes, the most common form of the disease, which occurs when the body produces insufficient insulin to convert glucose into energy, The Straits Times said.

The partnership between the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences and the University of Auckland's Liggins Institute is focusing on how genes and foetal development affect metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in Asians later in life.

Metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity result when the body's system of converting food into energy breaks down, while cardiovascular diseases affect the heart or blood vessels.

A growing number of younger people, some not even overweight, are contracting diabetes, Liggins Institute Director Peter Gluckman told the newspaper.

Soy good after menopause

A daily serving of soy may help postmenopausal women avoid gaining fat around the middle, preliminary research suggests. In a study of 18 postmenopausal women, researchers found that those who drank a soy-based shake every day for three months tended to gain less abdominal fat than those who had a milk-based shake.

Anxiety a heart ache

New research indicates that anxiety and depression are risk factors for major heart-related events among patients with stable coronary artery disease. "We found that both major depression and generalized anxiety disorder were more common in cardiac patients than in the general community. More importantly, both predicted about a doubling in risk for major cardiac events over two years," says study chief Dr Nancy Frasure-Smith, from the University of Montreal.

Sorbitol causes bowel problems

Consuming too much sorbitol, a sweetener widely used in "sugar-free" chewing gum and sweets, can cause serious bowel problems, German doctors have said. The warning follows the cases of two patients who suffered chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and severe weight loss after ingesting large amounts of sorbitol.

Coach fuels healthy eating

Having a nutrition coach actively coach families on how to make healthy changes in their diet appears to help parents and their children improve their nutritional intake, researchers found. "Family coaching was well accepted," Damien Paineau says, "suggesting that dietary changes may be sustained in the long term and may lead to improved health."

It's cold out there

A cold can sometimes lead to pneumonia in infants, the Munich-based professional association of paediatricians says.

Certain viruses can cause serious obstructive bronchitis or pneumonia, says Ulrich Fegeler, a spokesman for the association. Breathing becomes especially difficult and requires a lot of effort. Children with such illnesses typically can be treated only in a hospital.

Even children who are not as critically ill often need inhalation therapy that includes medicine for opening the respiratory passages and reducing swelling, the association says. Breathing is so exhausting that the babies cannot be nursed. Their bodies lose fluids due to fever. Parents therefore must ensure their children get enough to drink.

In less serious cases, drops to reduce swelling of the nasal passages are helpful as is propping up the upper body in bed. The room also should be well ventilated and not too warm.

The contagion spreads through the air or is passed from person to person on dirty objects or on the hands. Only careful hygiene and avoiding people with colds can help reduce the risk of getting sick, says the association. Parents should consult a doctor if their children have a persistent cough.

Agencies

(China Daily 01/16/2008 page19)