Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Fructose link to diabetes may be different for sodas than fruit

Sodas sweetened with fructose may have a greater impact on risk factors for diabetes than whole fruits that are natural sources of fructose, a research review suggests. The link between fructose and diabetes has been unclear. Some research has suggested this relationship may be explained at least in part by what people eat and drink and whether they are overweight or obese.

Polio-like disease sparks new sense of urgency

Back in 2014, as Dr. Riley Bove's family was just getting over a respiratory virus, her 4-year-old son suddenly developed some very scary symptoms. "He woke up with a paralyzed arm, neck and shoulder," said Bove, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. "I got him right into care. Over the course of the next eight days he continued to get worse and was eventually paralyzed from the face down to his toes." It got so bad that the little boy needed help breathing, but after a stint in acute care and then two months in rehab, Bove's son was finally able to walk on his own. He still has lingering issues from his experience with the polio-like illness called acute flaccid myelitis - a paralyzed right shoulder and a weak neck that requires him to wear a brace - but "he certainly had an amazing recovery," Bove said.

Smoking bans tied to lower blood pressure in non-smokers

Non-smokers who live where smoking is banned in public places may have lower blood pressure than non-smokers who aren't protected by these types of laws, a U.S. study suggests. While smoke-free policies have been associated with fewer hospitalizations for heart disease and a lower risk of heart attacks, less is known about how these laws impact blood pressure, particularly for non-smokers, researchers note in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

FDA approves Meridian Bioscience's test for herpes in newborns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved on Friday the first test - a diagnostic from Meridian Bioscience Inc - to help detect a type of herpes virus in newborns. Meridian's Alethia CMV Assay Test System detects cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA from saliva swabs and won approval for use in babies younger than 21 days of age infected during pregnancy.

Cannabis abstinence tied to memory improvement in adolescents, young adults

Not using cannabis for a month could improve learning ability for adolescents and young adults who used the drug at least weekly, a U.S. study suggests. The study from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston assessed 88 participants, ages 16 to 25, and found that not using cannabis for a month resulted in measurable improvement in memory functions important for learning.

WHO says spread of polio remains international health emergency

The spread of polio must still be classified as a public health emergency because, while progress has been made towards wiping out the disease, that progress is fragile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. "We are so close to the elimination of polio, but we have to use all of our international tools to achieve this end," Helen Rees, chair of the WHO's international emergency committee, told reporters on a telephone briefing.

FDA picks eight medical device firms to help battle opioid crisis

Eight medical device makers, including a startup that uses virtual reality to treat chronic pain, topped an innovation contest aimed at addressing the opioid crisis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. Silicon Valley-based startup CognifiSense, which is developing the virtual reality therapy, and iPill Dispenser, which uses a biometrically controlled mobile app that aims to cut overconsumption by dispensing pills based on prescriptions, were among the winners of the FDA's contest.

Lactalis says no salmonella in baby milk at second production line

Lactalis, the world's largest dairy group, on Friday rejected media reports that salmonella had been detected in baby milk from a second production line at a French factory where contaminated milk led to dozens of babies falling ill last year. The salmonella outbreak at the Craon plant in northwest France led Lactalis to recall millions of tins of baby milk in France and around the world, and drew criticism from politicians and consumer groups about a lack of transparency at the company, which is privately held by the Besnier family.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)