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Over 1/3rd heart surgery devices infected with bacteria

Over one-third of the devices used in open-heart surgeries may be contaminated with life-threatening bacteria, putting patients at the risk of deadly infections, a new study warns. US researchers found that 33 out of 89 heater-cooler units (HCU) about 37 per cent tested positive for M chimaera, a bacterium associated with fatal infections in open-heart surgery patients. HCUs control the temperature of a patient's blood and organs during heart bypass surgery. Some devices remained positive for M chimera for months, indicating that disinfection can be difficult and routine testing is advisable, researchers said. M chimaera, found in soil and water, is rarely associated with infections. However, exposed patients can develop nonspecific symptoms even after months, delaying or missing diagnosis of these sometimes for years, making treatment difficult. 

Statins may speed up Parkinson’s onset

A study has found that fat-soluble statins, drugs used to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, may speed up the onset of symptoms of Parkinson's in people, susceptible to the disease. Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement. Previous research has suggested that statins may protect against Parkinson's. Research has been inconsistent, however, with various studies showing — a lower risk, or no difference or a higher risk of Parkinson's in statin users. The new study says statin use was associated with higher, not lower, Parkinson's risk, and the association was more noticeable for lipophilic statins, an observation inconsistent with the current hypothesis that these statins protect nerve cells. There are two types of statins. Water-soluble statins cannot get into the brain, while fat-soluble statins, called lipophilic, can. The team analysed data for more than 50 million people under 65. They found that prior statin use was associated with higher risk of Parkinson's and was more noticeable during the start of the drug use. The research is published in the Journal of Movement Disorders. 

Eating too many French fries can kill you

A study on the regular consumption of French fries says eating too much of fries can kill you. Acrylamide forms in starchy foods fried at high temperatures. US government health agencies have dubbed it as a carcinogen. This compound can cause tumours in adrenal glands, the thyroid and the lungs. The new study suggests steaming or boiling the snack, not frying it. Those who eat fries twice or more in a week than those who don't, have twice the risk of death by heart attack due to overload of cholesterol and other toxins, says the research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study included 4,440 participants (45-79 years), examined over a period of eight years; 236 of them died. The dead were the ones who ate the most fried potatoes and not just French fries either. Any form of potato seared in boiling hot oil — including hash browns and tater tots — was found to be the main reason for their early death. — Agencies