Curcumin, a compound found in curry, seemed to prevent new cases in diabetes among folks who were at high risk in a new Thai study. (rovingl/Flickr Creative Commons)
More than 1 million people in the U.S. have HIV – and only about 25 percent have it under control, according to health researchers. The findings, which HealthDay reports were presented at last week's International AIDS Conference, show that the problem applies to groups of all ages and ethnicity, but is particularly pronounced among young people and the black community. About 82 percent of people with the disease know they have it.
The New York Times reports that with the upholding of the Affordable Care Act will come a shortage of doctors: The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that in 2015, the country will be short by nearly 63,000 doctors; by 2025, that number will more than double. Health experts say there's little the government or the medical industry can do to close the gap before the care expansion goes into effect – it takes about 10 years to train a doctor. The Inland Empire to the east has around 40 primary care doctors and 70 specialists per 100,000 residents, with both numbers marking the worst shortages in California.
Eat curry, be happy? A Thai study found that a compound in curry spice may help prevent diabetes in folks at high risk. Reuters reports that the curcumin seemed to prevent new cases of diabetes among people with abnormally high blood sugar levels, a warning sign that diabetes is on the horizon. At least one expert says it's too early to tell if this can actually be used as treatment, but that it does look promising.
Another sobering study found that constantly making fun of, threatening or ignoring children can be as damaging to their mental health as other forms of abuse, including sexual. U.S. News & World Report says a big challenge lies in the fact that it's hard to spot mental abuse in the same way that physical abuse might be spotted through bruises or markings on a kid's skin. Another challenge: Experts have yet to agree on a universal definition of what constitutes psychological maltreatment of kids.
Finally, on the prevention front: U.S. News & World Report says a new study finds that not screening for prostate cancer would triple the number of U.S. men developing advanced forms of the disease. The study found that testing for prostate-specific antigen might keep 17,000 men from being diagnosed with late-state prostate cancer every year, which is far less curable.
Photo by rovingl via Flickr Creative Commons.
