Health Headlines - October 23

Researchers Report Successful Womb Transplants in RabbitsResearch in rabbits suggest that the world's first successful human womb transplant could be achieved within two years, according to British researchers.They found a way to transplant a womb with a regular blood supply so that it lasts long enough to carry a pregnancy, BBC News reported.The Royal Veterinary College team implanted wombs in five rabbits using a technique that connected major blood vessels, including the aorta. Two of the rabbits lived for 10 months and post-mortem examinations showed the womb transplants had been successful.The findings were presented at an American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting in Atlanta. The next step is to determine whether rabbits with transplanted wombs can get pregnant through in-vitro fertilization, BBC Newsreported.The ability to transplant wombs would provide a new option for women who want children but whose wombs have been damaged by diseases such as cervical cancer. Currently, these women are limited to adoption or surrogate pregnancies.-----Protein Controls Other Proteins' Access To DNA: StudyA protein that randomly travels along a single strand of DNA and selectively allows other proteins access to the DNA has been identified by U.S. researchers. It's the first time this type of protein has been found.It had been assumed that the single-stranded DNA binding protein SSB attached to a site on DNA and later detached. But University of Illinois and Washington University scientists discovered that SSB moves along single-stranded DNA and the protein's movement is independent of the sequence of nucleotides that comprise the DNA, United Press International reported.The researchers believe that SSB may modulate the activity of a number of proteins involved in DNA repair, recombination and replication. The study appears in the journal Nature."SSB may be a master coordinator of all these important processes," said team leader Professor Taekip Ha, UPI reported.-----Check Commercial Drivers, Ship Pilots for Sleep Apnea: NTSBCommercial truck and bus drivers and merchant ship pilots need to be screened for sleep apnea, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board says in letter sent to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Coast Guard.The NTSB said medical examiners should be required to ask commercial drivers and ship pilots about sleep apnea and develop programs to identify the disorder, which involves disruptions of breathing during sleep, the Associated Press reported.Earlier this year, the agency made similar recommendations for airline pilots and train operators.The letters cited a number of incidents in which sleep apnea was believed to play a role in fatal incidents, including a 2008 bus crash in Utah that killed nine and injured 43, and a 2001 train crash in Michigan that killed two crew members, theAP reported.-----Most Owners Would Perform CPR on Pets: SurveyA new survey finds that 63 percent of dog owners and 53 percent of cat owners in the United States would be at least somewhat likely to attempt CPR on their pet in a medical emergency.Women were much more likely than men (65 percent vs. 50 percent) to say they'd perform CPR on their pets, according to the Associated Press-Petside.com poll of 1,166 pet owners.Among the other findings:Only 20 percent of pet owners have a pet first-aid kit in the home and 54 percent don't have a fire evacuation plan for their pets.About 41 percent of respondents said they'd had at least one situation that required an emergency trip to the vet and 11 percent have had a pet hit by a car.Seven percent said their pets have eaten something poisonous and 16 percent said their pets have had suffered allergic reactions.One-third of cat owners and 62 percent of dog owners said they let their pets ride in their cars unrestrained, instead of in a special pet carrier, while 11 percent of respondents said they leave their pets unattended in a vehicle.-----Samsung Fined for Laptop Pesticide Claims: EPASamsung has been fined $205,000 for claiming that its netbook and notebook computer laptop keyboards had antimicrobial properties that inhibited germs and bacteria, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.The EPA said Samsung's labels and promotional material for the laptops would render the products pesticides that require registration with the agency. The company was found to be in violation of the federal pesticide law."Pesticides can be beneficial in killing off harmful bacteria, but they can also be dangerous if they don't work as claimed," George Pavlou, EPA acting regional administrator, said in a news release. "Members of the public think their health is being protected when it actually is not. Making sure that public health claims are true is part of the reason EPA governs the use of pesticides, and it is absolutely essential that those using pesticides register with EPA so that the agency can ensure the safety of all involved."Along with paying the fine, Samsung will remove all pesticide-related claims made about the laptops. The company has notified retailers and distributors to remove such claims from labels, promotional brochures and Internet content, the EPA said.-----FDA Cracks Down on Misleading Food LabelsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it plans to put an end to food labeling it believes makes consumers think foods have more nutritional value than they do.The agency will target the front panels of packages bearing logos or language suggesting that the product is healthier than the actual ingredients indicate, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon, the Chicago Tribune reported."There's a growing proliferation" of symbols that suggest healthfulness and "some nutritionists have questioned whether this information is more marketing-oriented than health-oriented. Judging from some of the labels we've seen, this is a valid concern," Hamburg said.The front of packages often catch consumers' eyes, while shoppers are less likely to read the nutritional information boxes on the side or back of packages, Hamburg explained.While not naming specific products, she said some that are labeled with the "check mark" logo under the industry-supported "Smart Choices" food rating program "are almost 50 percent sugar."Smart Choices has emerged as a lightning rod among some nutritionists, who say its ratings are too lax, the Tribune reported. The program is under investigation by the Connecticut attorney general for its labeling practices.Mike Hughes, chairman of the Smart Choices program, said it's unfair to focus on one ingredient in a single product. "I think you should look at the whole product and what it delivers," he said.Health Headlines - October 23

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