Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Study Identifies Riskiest Meats
Ground beef and chicken cause more foodborne illness-related hospitalizations than other meats, according to a new study.
Chicken nuggets, ham and sausage pose the lowest risk, according to Center for Science in the Public Interest researchers who examined more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness, the Associated Press reported.
The analysis used more than 12 years of U.S. government data on outbreaks of salmonella, E. coli, listeria and other pathogens linked to specific meats.
To identify the riskiest meats, the researchers ranked them based on which contamination was most likely to lead to hospitalization. Some meats may have caused more illnesses but were less likely to cause severe illness, the AP reported.
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Another Compounding Pharmacy Announces Recall
Another compounding pharmacy in the United States is recalling all sterile drugs that have not reached their expiry date.
The recall of nearly 100 products was announced by Nora Apothecary Alternative Therapies of Indianapolis after federal inspectors found the company’s quality control processes had problems that could compromise the sterility of the products, the Associated Press reported.
Compounded drugs that are not sterile can cause infections. The company said it has not received any reports of illnesses associated with the drugs, which were made on or before April 19.
A deadly meningitis outbreak last year was caused by contaminated drugs from a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts. Since then, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been inspecting compounding pharmacies across the country, the AP reported.
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WTC Emergency Responders Have Higher Cancer Rate: Study
The cancer rate among World Trade Center emergency responders is 15 percent higher than in the general population, a new study finds.
The analysis of data from nearly 21,000 people in the WTC Health Program from 2001 to 2008 found 575 cases of cancer, compared with the 499 normally expected to occur in that number of people, the New York Daily News reported.
The increased risk of cancer among the 9/11 emergency responders was seen primarily in thyroid, prostate and blood cancers, according to the researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital’s World Trade Center Health Program. The study was published online Tuesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
“Just seven years after the attack, our study has shown an increase in cancer even at this early stage,” Dr. Jacqueline Moline, one of the study’s authors, told the Daily News. She noted that cancers associated with toxic materials at the World Trade Center site take many years to develop.
“The fact that we are seeing early increases in many types of cancers makes it all the more critical for us to be vigilant in our medical surveillance of anyone who had WTC exposure and to provide treatment for them if necessary,” Moline said.
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All Boston Bombing Wounded Expected to Survive: Doctors
All the wounded survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings are expected to survive, according to doctors.
More than 180 people were injured in the blasts a week ago, and at least 14 of them lost all or part of a limb. Of the 51 who remained hospitalized on Monday, three are listed as critical and five are in serious condition, the Associated Press reported.
The transit system police officer who nearly bled to death in a shootout with the bombing suspects is also in critical condition, but doctors say he is expected to recover.
Three people died at the scene of the blasts, as did an MIT police officer who was shot by the suspects, the AP reported.
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Alzheimer’s Ends Glen Campbell’s Touring Career
Musician Glen Campbell, who turned 77 on Monday, can no longer tour because his Alzheimer’s disease has progressed too far, his wife Kim says.
Continued touring was something Campbell’s family and management left open after he completed his successful goodbye world tour last year, but that is no longer a possibility.
However, Campbell is still healthy and continues to play golf and his family sometimes invites musicians to the house, the Associated Press reported.
A new album, called “See You There,” is scheduled to be released July 30 and features a reimagining of some of Campbell’s most famous songs. It was recorded in 2011.
Campbell is spending his birthday in Washington, D.C., as an advocate for Alzheimer’s research. His trip will include a fundraising dinner for the Alzheimer’s Association and a visit to the Senate, the AP reported.