Health Highlights: Oct. 8, 2009
Oct. 9 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
CDC Seeks To Increase Seasonal Flu Shots Among Children
Only 20.8 percent of U.S. children 5 to 17 years of age received a seasonal flu shot in the 2008-09 season and more needs to be done to boost that number, says a federal government report.
The data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 19 states will provide a benchmark for assessing implementation of new flu vaccination recommendation that all youngsters ages 5-18 receive a flu shot, say Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts.
The 2009-10 flu season is the first full season with the new recommendations in place. Successful implementation may require an expansion of vaccination programs in schools and the community, together with expanded vaccination services in health provider offices, the report said.
The article appears in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Immune System Linked to Osteoporosis In Celiac Patients: Study
People with celiac disease may be at increased risk for osteoporosis because their immune system attacks a protein called osteoprotegerin, which plays an important role in bone health, say U.K. researchers.
It had been believed that osteoporosis in celiac patients was caused by an inability to absorb calcium or vitamin D. This study found that 20 percent of celiac patients tested had antibodies that stopped osteoprotegerin from working effectively, BBC News reported.
"This is a very exciting step forward. Not only have we discovered a new reason to explain why osteoporosis occurs in celiac disease, but we have also found that it responds very well to drugs that prevent bone tissue removal," said lead researcher Professor Stuart Ralston, of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
