GOOD NEWS

Milk as medicine

A University of Bristol, UK, study says that a milk-rich diet does not increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, and may even protect people from them, reports the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Researchers asked a sample of 764 men to weigh and record every item of food and drink they consumed for seven consecutive days. They were given comprehensive health check-ups over the course of 20 years to study the effects of the food items they consumed during that period. Men who consumed a pint or more of milk every day had a higher energy intake, suggesting they were more active, the study said.

Viagra’s cousin

Men taking dapoxetine hydrochloride for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) experienced significant improvements in sexual function, says a study presented at the 100th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing this drug, which, if approved, will be the first product for the treatment of PE, and “can be taken on-demand.”

BAD NEWS

Smokers’ babies

Smoking during pregnancy damages a baby’s airways before birth, researchers at the Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street and Homerton Hospitals, US, have found. The study says the babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were born with smaller airways and this made them more vulnerable to breathing problems. While measuring the airway function of premature babies, the researchers found airflow through the breathing tubes was on average 20 per cent lower in babies born to smoking mothers. The effect remained with the babies during the first 18 months of life.

Highway hazard

A University of California study suggests that children living close to major highways are more likely to develop asthma than other children. The study found children living within 82 yards of a major roadway had a nearly 50 percent greater risk of experiencing asthma symptoms than had children who lived more than 328 yards away from a highway.