Every year it amazes me how much more America becomes advanced in technology and medical breakthroughs. I cannot wait until the day where a cancer cure makes the list! Below I have listed the top 10 medical breakthroughs with a brief synopsis of each one. You can read the entire article by clicking here. Here is the top 10 list from Time for medical breakthroughs:
1. Circumcision Can Prevent HIV
The NIH stopped two clinical trials of male circumcision after an early data review showed that the procedure dramatically reduced transmission of HIV.
2. Test for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Surgeons now have a faster way to assess whether breast cancer has spread, thanks to the FDA’s approval of the first molecular test to detect metastatic breast cancer.
3. First Human Vaccine Against Bird Flu
In 2007, the FDA approved the first human vaccine against the bird flu.
4. Alli for Weight Loss
Alli is the first FDA approved weight loss drug to be sold over-the-counter. Alli (a.k.a. orlistat) works by monkeying with lipase, an enzyme the body uses to break down and digest the fat in food.
5. New Diabetes Genes
Research teams from the United States and Finland uncovered four new genetic variants linked to an increased risk of diabetes.
6. End To Menstruation
Women wanting to dodge the nuisance of their monthly menses can now turn to Lybrel, the first continuous use birth control drug approved by the FDA.
7. Fibromyalgia Relief
This year the FDA approved the antiseizure drug Lyrica (pregabalin), made by Pfizer, as a treatment for fibromyalgia.
8. Early-Stage Test for Lung Cancer
A new blood test may improve the odds of catching the disease earlier, at a more curable stage. Called LC Detect, the test measures blood levels of a protein present in all stages of lung cancer, but rarely seen in healthy people.
9. New Source of Stem Cells
One advancement that may not have had its due was the discovery of stem cells in amniotic fluid. Researchers believe that amniotic fluid–derived stem cells, AFS for short, have the potential to give rise to many, but perhaps not all, of the 220 specialized cell types found in the human body — placing the potential usefulness of AFS cells somewhere between embryonic and adult stem cells.
10. Benefits of Vitamin D
A slew of new studies published in 2007 suggests that the vitamin has a lot of other benefits: Diets high in D may ward off diabetes, gum disease and multiple sclerosis — and maybe even cancer.
A Jacksonville, Florida gym teacher is facing charges of child abuse. The gym teacher is charged for allegedly calling in a parent to whip his child for misbehaving. Not only did the coach ask the child’s stepfather to come into spank his child, but he also gave him a room to use. Both men were arrested. You can watch the video below for further details.
A son was reunited with his mother in Los Angeles this week after having been missing for 2 years. The boy’s father had abducted him and they were living in Mexico. With no luck, law enforcement had been searching for the boy all of the time. Out of the blue the boy’s father called the mother, saying that he was very ill and could no longer care for the boy. The boy hardly remembers his mother. What a bittersweet moment for this mother. Imagine your child being returned after having been missing for so long, but then your child not remembering who you are. A warrant is still out for the father.
This is a scary story. A recall has been made on the new Aqua Dots toy that is out for kids. Apparently the dots are made from a chemical that is in the date rape drug and my husband read in the paper that kids have been going in a coma because of this. I had purchased this for my son for Christmas. It will be going back to Toys R Us this weekend.
Oil is getting close to $100 a barrel, and with that increase the prices at the gas pumps are pushing $3.00 a gallon where I live. In many areas, gas is already above that. It is scary to think that people won’t even be able to afford to drive to where they have to go. Home heating oil has also risen to $3.00 a gallon. How are people on limited income supposed to keep warm? Watch the video for more information.
In this video, Katie Couric discusses how televisions are everywhere you turn. We have TVs in our living rooms, bedrooms, some even have in their dining rooms. In the doctor’s office, taxi cabs, supermarkets, bars and airports are televisions everywhere. Katie thinks we need to get back to the days where we just sat, thought about life, and relaxed - without all of the TVs.
A 2-year-old Indian girl was born with multiple limbs. She has four arms and four legs. She also has four kidneys and two stomachs and an extra chest cavity. This resulted from a freak act of nature during the mother’s pregnancy where one conjoined twin dies in the womb and the surviving twin absorbs the body. The risky surgery will be performed by a team of 30 doctors.
Volunteers have been helping to search for the missing police officer wife from Illinois. Stacy Peterson has been missing since last weekend. Peterson’s sister believes that Stacy is dead. Stacy’s husband believes that she left him for another man and he feels that she is safe. Stacy Peterson is a 23-year-old mother.
The speaker in the video below says that the less you do for the common cold for kids, the better. Why is the FDA just now weighing the safety of these cold medicines? Recently, children’s cold medicines were pulled from the shelves at stores. Peditricians told government health advisors that cold medicines should not be given to infants and toddlers to the age of 5.
I was watching last night on Nancy Grace the story about the man who microwaved his baby. What a sicko. He is trying to use an insanity defense but like Nancy said, if he was capable enough to come up with lies about what he did and he kept changing his story, then he must not be completely insane. I don’t know though - what sane person microwaves their baby? That is just sick.