International health news

A gene therapy for hereditary blindness is being considered by the FDA for approval. The treatment called ‘Luxturna’ is made by Spark Therapeutics and is administered via injection. The therapy works by replacing the defective gene which is responsible for processing light entering the eyes.

A new project by is underway to take action on the growing superbug problem. Drug resistance diseases are on still on the rise which has prompted both the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute to conduct a study on deaths caused by drug-resistant infections.

Country Updates

The Australian Federal Government has given medical technologies $13 million for their treatments for chronic back pain. Rex Bionics, Rex Bionics and CHARM Informatics will each receive funding from this $13 million in attempts to bridge the gap between sufferers and the labs where the technology is created.

A dangerous Hepatitis A outbreak has caused California to announce a state of emergency. Several counties are running low of vaccination supplies which is creating difficulties in controlling the outbreak. The area affected the most is San Diego which has the highest number of cases.

Health advice

Results of a study that was recently conducted has found Bananas can prevent heart attacks and strokes due to the amount of potassium in them. The University of Alabama found mice that had been given high levels of potassium has less artery hardening than those that had been given a lower amount.

Cold showers have been associated with reduced anxiety, lower stress levels and better concentration. Virginia Commonwealth University conducted a study that shows an uplifting effect can be caused on the brain when electrical nerve impulses are sent to the brain, which is what cold showers cause to happen.