- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,
compiled by editors of HealthDay:

FDA Panel Recommends Drug for Rare Blood
Disorder

Despite reservations by U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists, a
panel of experts advising the agency has recommended the full agency's
approval of a drug to treat a rare immune system disorder that [...]

- (HealthDay News) — Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy
of CenterWatch:

Autism

If your child is aged 5 to 17 and meets DSM-IV criteria
for autistic disorder, he or she may qualify for this study. Children
diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not
otherwise specified, Rett syndrome, or childhood disintegrative disorder
are not eligible.

The research site is [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — Repetitive blocking and the
weight of helmets and pads may compress the spine enough to result in a
temporary loss of height for some football players, a new study finds.

Previous research has suggested that gravity-related compression of the
spine can cause a person to lose as much as 1 percent [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — The number of young adults
without health insurance rose again in 2006, so 38 percent of high school
graduates and 34 percent of college graduates will spend some time
uninsured in the year after graduation, a new report shows.

“We've been tracking this since 2003, and every year we've done the
study, [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — Tests on mice suggest that the
drug BH4 may hold promise as a treatment for people with enlarged hearts,
says a Johns Hopkins University study.

Currently, BH4 is used to treat a genetic disorder called
phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder in which a toxic buildup of a
molecule called phenylalanine can cause [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — An antioxidant found in green
tea appears to prevent the development of amyloid fibrils, a toxic protein
associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, a new study
finds.

Amyloid plaque is commonly seen in the brains of Alzheimer's patients
and appears to disrupt the function of cells. Strategies to prevent the
development of amyloid [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — The use of biologics is the
focus of new guidelines for the management of mild to severe psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis released by the American Academy of Dermatology
(ADA).

Biologics — given by injection or infusion — are systemic medications
that pinpoint immune responses involved with psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis.

About 6 million to [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than half of Americans
realize there are two types of dietary fat that actually help their
hearts, a new survey shows.

So, while many have heeded the warnings about the cardiovascular
dangers of trans fats and saturated fats, the American Heart Association
(AHA) now thinks people need to pay more attention [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — Asthma inhalers that contain
the drug albuterol to relax the airways also contain chemicals that harm
the ozone layer. And these inhalers won't be available after this year, so
U.S. health officials are urging patients to switch to alternative
inhalers now.

Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, are widely used to propel inhaled drugs
into the [...]

- FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — Better screening and diagnosis
for diabetes is being called for to help the 6.2 million Americans who
don't realize they have the disease, a new report says.

“Approximately 30 percent of people with diabetes in the United States
are undiagnosed,” study author Dr. Christopher Saudek, of Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine in [...]