The Morning Briefing: Medical research

“The Morning Briefing” is SmartPlanet’s daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we’re reading about health and behavioral research.

1.) Paralyzed rats run again: Could method help humans? Paralyzed rats learned to walk, run and spring deftly over obstacles after they were put on a physical training regimen that included electrical and chemical stimulation of their broken spinal columns and a “robotic postural interface,” a new study reveals.

2.) Can a decade of dark chocolate protect your heart? A scientific study likely to stir the souls of chocoholics has suggested that eating dark chocolate every day for 10 years could reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes in some high-risk patients.

3.) Study suggests common painkillers may reduce risk of some skin cancers. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen may help protect against certain types of skin cancer — including melanoma, the most dangerous form of this disease.

4.) Chagas Disease: The New HIV/AIDS? The Chagas disease, a disease spread by insects, is commonly known in South and Central America. In the areas, the disease has infected about 8-11 million people due to the poor living conditions the bugs thrive off of.

5.) Diabetes drug pioglitazone associated with bladder cancer risk. According to a study published in British Medical Journal (BMJ), a drug for treating type 2 diabetes called Pioglitazone is linked to a higher risk of bladder cancer and taking the drug continuously for longer than two years doubles the risk.

Bonus: Sugar ban stirs up New York

Bonus: Hotel chain rolls out black-light inspections, UV sterilization

Image credit: Alex E. Proimos

Related:

• Drugs into bloodstreams, without needles
• FCC proposes reserving spectrum band for medical devices
• Drug found to combat parasite that kills thousands worldwide
• FDA panel backs HIV over-the-counter test kit
• FDA panel recommends new HIV-prevention drug