IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Mobiles and children need study

Researchers should study more children and pregnant women in trying to figure out if cell phones, or other wireless devices, could damage health, the US National Research Council advised on Thursday.

A few studies have indicated a possible link between mobile telephone use and brain tumors, although far more show no connection. But because wireless devices have become almost ubiquitous, researchers want to ensure their safety.

Mice get new pain treatment

Enhancing a natural pain-filtering mechanism in the spine helped relieve chronic pain in mice without the unwanted side effects of current pain relievers, Swiss researchers said on Wednesday. They honed in on a specific molecule that helps prevent chronic pain signals from reaching the brain, without blocking normal pain messages that alert people to danger.

Septic shock cures questioned

A new study on the treatment of septic shock has cast doubt on conventional treatments such as intensive insulin therapy or the use of the synthetic fluid replacement substance pentastarch.

German researchers recruited 537 people in septic shock and randomly assigned them to receive either intensive insulin therapy or standard insulin therapy or a modified Ringer's lactate solution, versus a pentastarch solution. Pentastarch is a synthetic fluid replacement substance.

In this study, the German researchers found that intensive insulin therapy did not produce a statistically significant reduction in death rates but actually did increase the risk of serious adverse events, such as critically low blood sugar.

How protein keeps hunger at bay

Diets high in protein may be the best way to keep hunger in check, US researchers say in a study that offers insight into how diets work. They find that protein does the best job at keeping a hunger hormone in check, while carbohydrates and fats may well deserve their current nasty reputation.

Coffee gets miscarriage warning

Women are being advised to cut out caffeine during the first three months of pregnancy, to help reduce their risk of having a miscarriage.

The warning follows a study that found pregnant women who consumed two or more mugs of coffee a day were twice as likely to miscarry than those who abstained from caffeine completely.

The study of 1,063 pregnant women showed that those who had at least 200mg of caffeine each day had a 25 percent risk of miscarriage compared with a 12 percent risk for women who avoided all caffeine, including in tea, soft drinks and chocolate.

Marijuana may inhibit cancer

The active ingredient in marijuana may suppress tumor invasion in highly invasive cancers, according to new research in Germany.

Cannabinoids, the active components in marijuana, are already used medically to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment, such as pain, weight loss and vomiting.

But the new study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, finds that the compounds may also have an anti-cancer effect.

However, more research is needed to determine whether the laboratory results would hold true in humans, the authors wrote.

Agencies

(China Daily 01/23/2008 page19)