Swine Flu Changing the Way the United States Handles Flu Season

The Swine Flu (H1N1) seems to be changing the way the United States will be handling the flu season from now on. There have already been 100 million vaccinations for the H1N1 virus. Health departments are considering in school vaccinations to keep kids protected, but there are some hoops to jump through.

Qnexa Diet Pill

The Qnexa Diet Pill is only a couple of steps away from being approved by the FDA along with 2 other diet pills which have had great results in previous testing.

Qnexa promises to make a big dent in the obesity problem there currently is in the US and according to reports out of the 3 diet pills waiting to get approved Qnexa is ahead of the game.

The Qnexa diet pill claims to be able to help a person lose at least 10 percent of their body weight however you do also have to combine diet and exercise for results.

H1N1 Vaccine Risks

With flu season almost here many are getting flu shots but what are the H1N1 vaccine risks and is it worth getting?

According to reports people who get the H1N1 vaccine risk getting GBC (Guillian Bar Syndrome) which occurs in 1 in a million vaccines.

Not everyone should be getting this vaccine, medical professional suggest the only those who are at high risk of getting the H1N1 virus should get the shot. This includes children under 2, seniors over the age of 65, pregnant women and people who have chronic health problems such as HIV, diabetes or asthma.

Elizabeth Blackburn Wins Nobel Prize

Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak where awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize thanks to their research on cancer.

According to San Francisco Business Times:

The trio found that chromosome-capping telomeres — which Blackburn has compared to the plastic ends of shoe laces — and the enzyme telomerase protect chromosomes as cells divide.

Blackburn and Szostak discovered that a unique DNA sequence in the telomeres protects the chromosomes from degradation while Blackburn and Greider identified telomerase, the enzyme that makes telomere DNA.

If the telomeres are shortened, cells age. Higher telomerase activity, meanwhile, maintains telomeres length.

The discoveries have an impact on cancer research as well as research into aging and other diseases. Blackburn and her UCSF colleagues have found, for example, that telomeres are worn down in people who are stressed for long periods of time, like a parent caring for a chronically ill child.

The $1.4 million prize will be shared among the trio. Congrats to all the 2009 Nobel Prize winners!

Pregnant Woman Pregnant Again

A Pregnant Woman is Pregnant Again! In a rare medical case a woman from Arkansas will be having two babies but they are not twins becuase they where conceived wo-and-a-half weeks apart.

Todd and Julia Grovenburg will be having two babies but they are due on different dates. According to doctors this is a rare medical occurrence that usually happens in animals.