Health
Novel Malaria Treatment for Children Receives First Approval
Australian regulators have permitted a easy drug mixture as an efficient treatment for a type of malaria in kids ages 2 to 16, opening the door to approvals in different nations and heralding a brand new weapon within the battle towards a pandemic.
The drug is a single dose of tafenoquine (model title Kozenis), administered together with the standard chloroquine therapy. The approval was introduced on Monday by the nonprofit Medicines for Malaria Enterprise, which helped develop the drug.
Tafenoquine, made by GlaxoSmithKline, can treatment a sort of malaria attributable to Plasmodium vivax, which is most typical in South and Southeast Asia, South America and the Horn of Africa.
The drug shall be submitted for approval in 9 nations, in addition to to the World Well being Group, in keeping with George Jagoe, an government vice chairman on the Medicines for Malaria Enterprise.
Malaria is among the many deadliest of infectious ailments. In 2019, there have been 229 million new infections and 558,000 deaths; the numbers rose in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, to 627,000 deaths in 2020.
Most of those deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa, dwelling to a type of the malaria parasite referred to as Plasmodium falciparum. A majority of the fatalities happen in kids youthful than age 5. In October, the W.H.O. endorsed the primary malaria vaccine, additionally made by GlaxoSmithKline, towards P. falciparum.
P. vivax causes as much as 5 million malaria infections yearly; kids ages 2 to six are 4 instances as doubtless as adults to contract the illness.
The parasite is a slippery adversary that quickly cycles by completely different varieties within the physique. In blood, the an infection could cause acute signs of fever, chills, vomiting and muscle pains.
P. vivax also can cover out within the liver, triggering relapses months and even years after the preliminary publicity. These episodes can result in extreme anemia, lasting mind injury and loss of life.
“That’s the trademark of vivax malaria,” Mr. Jagoe mentioned.
Most therapies, together with chloroquine, are directed on the blood stage of the parasite, and so can’t stop recurrence of the an infection and its related signs. However tafenoquine goes after the sleeper colonies within the liver. Together with chloroquine, tafenoquine can ship what scientists name a “radical treatment.”
In July 2018, the Meals and Drug Administration permitted 300 milligrams of tafenoquine for the unconventional treatment of P. vivax malaria in adults and adolescents 16 years and older. Drug regulators in Australia, Brazil, Thailand and Peru adopted go well with with related approvals.
The brand new formulation for kids is given as a single small 50-milligram pill dispersed in water, which is way simpler for kids to take than the present seven- or 14-day course of tablets developed for adults — and subsequently more likely for use.
“At present, we now have a instrument to place a cease to the relentless relapse each for adults and youngsters — we’re one step nearer to defeating this illness,” David Reddy, the chief government of the Medicines for Malaria Enterprise, mentioned in a press release.
Medicine for P. falciparum may be evaluated rapidly, however as a result of P. vivax causes recurrent malaria, trials require for much longer follow-up. “What you’re actually proving with vivax therapies like these are that six months from now, you’re not going to get a relapse,” Mr. Jagoe mentioned.
Researchers evaluated completely different dosages of the drug, based mostly on weight, for kids ages 2 to fifteen who weighed at the least 22 kilos. The investigators recruited 60 kids with P. vivax malaria from three websites in Vietnam and one in Colombia.
The youngsters all acquired a single dose of tafenoquine and a course of chloroquine administered in keeping with native or nationwide pointers for the therapy of the energetic blood stage an infection.
About 62 % of the youngsters reported some unwanted side effects, a share much like that seen in adults and adolescents, the researchers reported. Not one of the unwanted side effects have been extreme, though the therapy triggered vomiting in about one in 5 of the youngsters.
At 4 months, the efficacy of the therapy in stopping recurrence was 95 %, much like the efficacy in adults and older adolescents.
Health
Health weekend roundup includes service dogs, medical misinformation, amazing surgery and more key stories
Fox News Digital publishes an array of health pieces all week long to keep you in the know on key wellness topics: disease prevention, nutrition, medical research, health care and more. We also share personal stories of people and families overcoming great health obstacles.
Check out some of the top stories of the week in Health that you may have missed or have been meaning to check out.
These are just a few of what’s new. There are many more to see at Fox News Health.
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Without further ado, dive right into these eight stories.
1. Service dog gives peace of mind to woman with epilepsy
Channing Seideman, 30 — who has lived with daily seizures since childhood — revealed that her life has been changed by her dedicated service dog, Bishop. “In addition to bringing peace of mind, the dogs make epilepsy approachable to the public,” she said. Click here to get the story.
2. Doctor shares 10 big ‘lies’ he says health care is telling
Dr. Robert Lufkin, a California physician, said he “woke up” to flaws in the medical system when he himself was diagnosed with four chronic diseases. He shares what he believes are the 10 biggest lies told to patients. Click here to get the story.
3. Sleep apnea patients could soon have solution
In a Finland study, a new breathing device showed promising results in reducing symptoms of sleep apnea, according to researchers. The device, called WellO2, uses resistance training to strengthen throat muscles and steam breathing to humidify airways. Click here to get the story.
4. Researchers announce progress against Parkinson’s
An experimental drug is showing promise in slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease in clinical trials. Researchers and Parkinson’s experts discuss what this could mean for patients. Click here to get the story.
5. ‘Is it ever OK to take someone else’s prescription?’
In this week’s installment of Ask a Doctor, two pharmacists weigh in on whether it’s ever safe to share medications. Click here to get the story.
For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health
6. Good news revealed for diabetes patients
Most of the 38 million people living with diabetes in the U.S. use daily injections or insulin pumps to keep glucose at safe levels — but new research suggests that an inhaler could be just as effective. Researchers and doctors weigh the benefits and limitations. Click here to get the story.
7. Chicago man gets kidney transplant while wide awake
John Nicholas, 28, called his organ transplant surgery “a pretty cool experience.” Surgeries without general anesthesia can increase access to care for patients who are considered high-risk or have phobias surrounding anesthesia. Click here to get the story.
8. Daily multivitamins not shown to increase longevity, study finds
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health found that taking multivitamins did not reduce mortality risk, but a longevity doctor has questions. Click here to get the story.
Health
Doctors express concern about Biden’s apparent cognitive issues during debate: 'Troubling indicators'
The first presidential debate of 2024 left many Americans and even some traditional Democratic allies wondering about President Biden’s mental fitness for office based on what appeared to be his unclear train of thought at times and his raspy voice on Thursday night.
The White House responded to these concerns, claiming that the president, who is 81, was fighting a cold, but some doctors said they perceive the health issues go beyond the sniffles — with one noting that “it is an issue of fitness, not of age.”
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon who specializes in cognitive function, told Fox News Digital on Friday about his concerns.
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“President Biden’s performance in [Thursday] night’s debate reignited longstanding discussions about his cognitive abilities and his overall leadership capacity,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.
“Throughout the evening, Biden struggled to maintain a coherent narrative, often losing his train of thought mid-sentence, and providing vague, rambling and undecipherable answers to highly critical questions,” said Osborn, expressing his professional opinion.
“His frequent pauses, stumbling over words and reliance on notes underscored concerns about his mental acuity,” Osborn added.
“Biden struggled to maintain a coherent narrative, often losing his train of thought mid-sentence.”
These seeming signs of cognitive decline highlight a “growing inability” to manage the complexities required by the job of the presidency, according to the neurosurgeon.
“His difficulty in articulating clear, concise responses and his apparent disorientation during the debate were seen by many – including his own constituents – as very troubling indicators of his overall health and an obvious decline in his cognitive function,” Osborn said.
“President Biden lacks the mental sharpness required for the highest office in the land … especially amid [today’s] current national and international crises.”
The neurosurgeon, who has not treated Biden personally, also mentioned the 46th president has undergone multiple surgeries for brain aneurysms.
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There is a famous saying in neurosurgery, Osborn noted: “When the air hits your brain, you’re never the same.”
The surgeon surmised, “The odds have been stacked against him for years, long before his presidency.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, physician, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, also spoke with Fox News Digital about concerns from his end.
“The debate is, in a way, a psychiatric or cognitive stress test,” he told Fox News Digital.
Although Biden was able to respond to questions and seemed to be spatially aware, according to Siegel, the president did display “frequent disorientation” and had “problems with spontaneity or redirecting,” the doctor said.
He has not personally examined Biden.
Siegel described Biden’s speech as “meandering,” noting that he ended sentences in different places than intended, and “often mixed up ‘trillions’ and ‘billions’ and ‘millions.’”
Siegel confirmed that a physical illness, even with a cold, can bring out cognitive issues “even more.”
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“Even so, it’s hard to believe this is all from a cold,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “Either way, we need someone who is sharp despite a cold.”
The NYU Langone physician noted that cognitive issues “wax and wane,” so they won’t always present the same way.
While the age of both candidates has been raised as a concern, Siegel countered that what’s important is a president’s physical and mental fitness.
“It is an issue of fitness, not of age,” he said. “It is an issue of mental acuity, which is especially important if there is a crisis.”
While Biden is 81 (he turns 82 in November), Trump is 78 years old.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends” on Friday morning, Siegel also spoke about the possibility of cold medications impacting Biden’s performance.
“It is an issue of fitness, not of age. It is an issue of mental acuity.”
“None of the medications that he would be taking for a cold, except something that might make him drowsy, would be relevant here,” he said.
“And I don’t think they would give him something that would make him drowsy before a debate,” he said.
He added, “We’ve been watching this a long time. This is something progressive.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign and to the White House press office for comment.
Earlier this year, concerns emerged about Biden’s age and memory after the release of a special counsel’s report. The report described the Democrat’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations,” the Associated Press noted at the time.
The report indicated that Biden could not recall certain milestones in his own life, such as the date his own son Beau died of brain cancer, as Fox News Digital reported at the time. (Beau Biden passed away on May 30, 2015.)
“My memory is fine,” Biden responded afterward from the White House.
“A person with growing problems of memory and judgment is frequently the last to acknowledge it.”
The New York Times editorial board and others have called on Biden to step out of the race after his debate performance.
Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that Biden had a “slow start” to the debate, but she defended his performance overall and his record during his time in the White House.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
Said Dr. Siegel in a New York Post opinion piece that ran in the publication on Saturday morning, “This isn’t a question of age. Cognition varies widely with age, and it isn’t fair to say that executive function is automatically impaired at a certain point in life. But it’s a sad medical fact that a person with growing problems of memory and judgment is frequently the last to acknowledge it.”
Health
Learn About the Real Life Spouses of the 'Yellowstone' Cast
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