Heat could signal foot ulcers

A special thermometer could help diabetics prevent foot ulcers. A government-funded study published in the American Journal of Medicine finds that using the thermometer to measure the temperature of patients' soles can detect "hot spots" of inflammation that could develop into ulcers. This is important for diabetics because they may not be able to feel a wound forming because of numbness in their extremities. These wounds can easily become infected, resulting in many amputations each year, The Associated Press reports. In the 18-month study, which involved 225 veterans with diabetes, the researchers found that using a special infrared thermometer to identify potential ulcers reduced the number of high-risk patients who got foot ulcers by nearly two-thirds. The patients measured half a dozen spots on each foot, and when a spot was detected that had a slightly higher temperature, the patients put up their feet up their feet until the temperature normalized, giving the body a chance to heal.

***

Gene Combo Linked to Prostate Cancer: A combination of five gene variants may affect a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. A study published online in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the gene combination plus family history accounted for almost half of all prostate cancer cases in a group of Swedish men. The study involved nearly 3,000 men with prostate cancer and nearly 2,000 men without the disease. The researchers focused on the five most common gene variants found in men with prostate cancer. Men with four or five of these variants were four times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who had none of the variants. Men with five or six of the variants and a family history of prostate cancer had more than nine times the risk of developing the disease, and accounted for 46% of cancers in the study, the researchers found. However, the gene markers did not indicate how aggressive the cancer would be or what treatment would work best. They also did not correlate with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, used to gauge cancer risk. The hope is that the findings could be used to develop a blood test to predict prostate cancer risk. But the researchers say the results have to be verified in other groups of people and in other countries, The Associated Press reports.

***

Cloned Food Safe: Meat and milk from cloned animals could be on your grocery store shelves in the not-too-distant future. That's because the Food and Drug Administration this week announced its conclusion that food from cloned animal sources was as safe as that from regular livestock. European regulators reached a similar conclusion this week as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, asked animal cloning companies to abide by a voluntary moratorium on sales to "(allow) the marketplace to adjust," The Associated Press reports. In addition, since cloned animals are expensive to produce, it is likely that companies will sell meat from the offspring of clones, rather than the clones themselves, which adds years to the time until cloned products are sold. The FDA does not plan to make food makers disclose whether products come from cloned sources. Critics of cloned food say the FDA needs to do more studies before making a decision on the safety of meat and milk from these animals.

***

No Cough, Cold Meds for Toddlers: Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to any children under 2. That warning came from the Food and Drug Administration this week, is in line with the recommendation of an advisory panel that found OTC cough and cold remedies are ineffective for young children and could be unsafe. The recommendations for treating small kids with coughs and colds include non-medical therapies such as fluids, rest, saline drops for stuffy noses and humidifiers. The FDA is expected to rule by this spring on whether such medicines are appropriate for children under 12, either, The Associated Press reports.

***

Tysabri Approved for Crohn's Disease: The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri to treat Crohn's disease. Tysabri was approved for patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who have not responded to standard treatments. Like MS patients who take Tysabri, people using the drug for Crohn's disease will have to enroll in a special distribution program, including an educational program on Tysabri's risks, and will only be able to get injections of the drug from a list of registered doctors, The Associated Press reports. The restrictions were a condition of Tysabri's return to the market in 2006. The drug had been pulled in 2005 because it was linked to a rare but serious side effect, a nervous system disorder called multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, the AP says.