Norovirus was the most common culprit responsible for infection outbreaks in U.S. hospitals in 2008 and 2009, new research finds.
Researchers analyzed survey results from 822 hospitals regarding their infection outbreaks. About 35 percent reported at least one infectious outbreak over the 2-year period.
Four organisms triggered nearly 60 percent of the outbreaks:
* Norovirus (18.2 percent), which causes severe gastroenteritis (abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea) and is often responsible for food poisoning
* Staphylococcus aureus (17.5 percent), or staph
* Acinetobacter spp (13.7 percent)
* C. difficile (10.3 percent), which can also cause diarrhea and serious …

According to a study published online in Science Translational Medicine by researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, massages aid the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle, and help to reduce inflammation. Many athletes would attest to the fact that massages help in treating pain, and speed up recovery, but now scientists have the evidence to go along with their testimonies.
The researchers looked at the genetic data of muscle biopsies taken from 11 young men’s quadriceps after strenuous exercise sessions on …

Women who eat about three servings of fish per week have a somewhat lower chance of having polyps found during a routine colonoscopy than women who eat just one serving every two weeks, according to a new study.
The research doesn’t prove that seafood protects against polyps, but it “does increase our confidence that something real is going on,” said Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, who was not involved in this study.
A polyp, also called an adenoma, is a mushroom-shaped tag of …

According to a new study, post-menopausal women are 35 percent more likely to suffer a hip fracture if they take indigestion drugs, or “proton pump inhibitors” (PPIs).
These drugs are the most common medicines used around the world and are often used to treat heartburn and acid reflex.
However, PPIs can inhibit the absorption of calcium, which leads to the increased risk of fractures.
Researchers looked at the association between PPIs and hip fractures in just under 80,000 post-menopausal women over an eight year period from 2000 to 2008.
The team found that women …

A 17-year-old British factory worker who ate little else but McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and fries for 15 years was rushed to a hospital earlier this week when she collapsed at work struggling the breathe.
Stacey Irvine – who says she has never tasted fresh fruit or vegetables – arrived at the hospital so deficient in vitamins and nutrients that she had to be injected with them.  Her anemic condition had caused inflamed veins to develop on her tongue.
And while doctors have urged her to drastically change her diet, Irvine says she …