Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Coke bottler to rethink South Africa spending plans due to sugar tax
Africa's biggest Coke bottler, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, will rethink its spending plans in South Africa if Pretoria's proposed tax on sugary drinks gets the green light, a spokeswoman said on Thursday. In a bid to fight a growing obesity rate in the continent's most lucrative market for Coca-Cola and fast-food chains in sub-Saharan Africa, the government has proposed a 20 percent tax on sugar sweetened drinks under a plan that has delighted health campaigners and angered drink makers.
Most fatal type of stroke declining along with smoking rates
The type of brain bleeding that causes the most lethal kind of stroke has declined substantially since 1998, possibly as a result of falling smoking rates, according to researchers in Finland. Bleeding in the space between the brain and the thin tissue covering it, known as subarachnoid hemorrhage, affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year and represents about 10 percent of all strokes.
FDA widens use of Edwards' devices for heart valve replacement
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has widened the use of Edwards Lifesciences Corp's heart valves to patients at intermediate risk of complications if they underwent open heart surgery. The devices, Sapien XT and Sapien 3, have already been approved for use in patients unlikely to survive open-heart surgery or are at high risk for complications. (http://bit.ly/2b49uXI)
Study in mice shows Zika virus also attacks adult brain cells
U.S. researchers have found that Zika can attack special populations of brain cells in adult mice in the part of the brain involved in learning and memory, raising new questions about how the virus may be impacting millions of adults who have been infected with the virus. The findings, published on Thursday in the journal "Cell Stem Cell," are the first to look at whether Zika can attack the same kinds of cells in adult mice that they do in fetal mice.
T. Rowe Price sues Valeant over 'fraudulent scheme'
T. Rowe Price Group Inc has sued Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc , alleging that investors in the Canadian drugmaker lost billions of dollars as a result of the company's "fraudulent scheme." Valeant's U.S.-listed shares reversed course to close down 3.4 percent at $37.19 on Thursday. They had risen as much as 5 percent, after the company's lenders agreed to an amendment to loosen covenants on its $31 billion of debt.
Britain launches soft drinks sugar tax to fight obesity
Britain on Thursday said it would tax companies which sell sugary soft drinks and invest that money in health programs for school children, part of a long-awaited strategy to curb childhood obesity that critics say is too weak. Drinks companies were also angered by the plan which urges industry to cut sugar in products aimed at children, saying nearly a third of those aged 2 to 15 are already overweight or obese.
Zika virus identified in Miami Beach: Miami Herald report
The Zika virus has been identified in Miami Beach, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, the Miami Herald reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with discussions between state and local health officials. The discovery opens a new front in the battle against the mosquito-borne virus, which has spread to more than 50 countries and territories since an outbreak began last year in Brazil.
Auris's tinnitus drug misses main goals in study; shares sink
Auris Medical Holding AG said its experimental drug for acute inner ear tinnitus missed the main goals of a late-stage study, sending its shares down more than 40 percent in premarket trading. The trial did not meet the two co-primary effectiveness goals of statistically significant changes in tinnitus loudness and tinnitus burden compared to a placebo, Auris said.
Two children per hour seen at U.S. ERs for stroller, carrier injuries
About 361,00 children were seen in U.S. emergency departments between 1990 and 2010 for injuries sustained while riding in a stroller or carrier, according to a new study. "It's over 17,000 injuries per year, which is equivalent to about 50 children every day or two injuries every hour," said study author Kristin Roberts, of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Virtual reality treadmills help prevent falls in elderly
Adding a virtual reality obstacle course to treadmill workouts may help prevent more falls among vulnerable adults than using a treadmill on its own, a small study suggests. Researchers asked about 300 adults aged 60 to 90 who had already experienced at least one prior fall to exercise on a treadmill three times a week for six weeks, randomly assigning half of them to use virtual reality systems during the workouts.
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