Month: April 2011

New research suggests that type 2 diabetes may result when the immune system makes antibodies against fat cells. The antibodies attack the cells so they can’t use insulin properly. This is called insulin-resistance. Researchers fed mice that weren’t yet insulin-resistant a high-fat diet. After several weeks, the researchers gave some of the mice a drug called anti-CD20 (a drug for humans called rituximab). The rest of the mice (the control group) got no treatment. The drug-treated mice didn’t develop insulin resistance. They had normal blood sugar levels. The other mice all became insulin-resistant. The researchers say that the results suggest the possibility of one day having a vaccine that protects obese people from developing type 2 diabetes. The study was published online April 17 in the journal Nature Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it on April 17.

Nearly half of meat and poultry in grocery stores contains bacteria linked to a range of human diseases. In addition, about half of the bacteria were resistant to antibiotics. A nonprofit group in Arizona did the study. They took samples from 136 packages of meat and poultry in 4 states – Illinois, California, Arizona and Florida — and the District of Columbia. They found Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in 47% of the samples. This bacteria can cause heart valve infections, toxic shock syndrome and other diseases. The study was published April 15 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The Associated Press wrote about the study that day.

About half of U.S. adults take vitamins, minerals or other supplements, a survey finds. That rate has been steady for the last decade, but it’s higher than levels in the 1990s. The biggest change is an increase in women taking calcium. About 2 out of 3 women age 60 and older take it. That’s more than double the rate in the early 1990s. Experts said people who take supplements are also more likely to be well educated and follow healthy diets. Most of them probably don’t need the supplements, an expert told the Associated Press. The new report is based on large government surveys done from 2003 through 2008. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released it April 13.

Reducing MRSA infections in hospitals is a difficult problem with no clear solution, new research suggests. The two studies looked at programs to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in hospitals. One succeeded, and the other did not. A national program at VA hospitals included testing of all patients for MRSA when admitted. Precautions such as gloves and gowns were used in caring for anyone with the bacteria. Staff members were told that preventing MRSA was everyone’s job. More than 2½ years later, MRSA infections in the intensive care unit had dropped 62%. The other study was done at 18 hospitals. At 10 of them, all new patients were tested. Precautions were used with those who were infected. Nothing changed at the other 8 hospitals. After 6 months, the MRSA rate was the same in both groups of hospitals.