Cancer drug does the trick for dog
US researchers have treated cancer in dogs without toxic side effects using a drug they hope can be refined to work on people. The Cleveland Clinic team first used nitrosylcobalamin on a 10-year-old male Bichon Frise crippled by anal sac adenocarcinoma and given three months to live. Within two weeks, the cancer had significantly improved. Results with two other dogs are promising. The key is a so-called Trojan horse technique: disguising cancer-killing nitric oxide inside vitamin B12, which cancer cells allow inside, WebMD reports.
D dose may reduce blood clots ...
Vitamin D appears dramatically to reduce the risk of blood clots, say Swedish researchers, based on a 12-year study of 40,000 women from 1990. Any amount of exposure to the sun, a key source of vitamin D, was linked to a lower risk of clots, although the Karolinska University Hospital researchers aren't sure why. A US study last year also showed that moderate sun exposure was associated with better survival rates for cancer victims, AFP reports.
... and lower fracture risk
A daily dose of vitamin D also appears to lower the risk of fractures in those over 65, say US researchers, based on a review of 20 studies. It helps the body absorb calcium, which is important for bone density. Those who took 482 IU (a potency measure) each day cut their risk of non-vertebral bone fracture by 20 per cent and of hip fracture by 18 per cent. Calcium supplements appear to offer no protection. The recommended daily dose is 400 IU a day for those aged 51 to 70, and 600 IU a day after that, WebMD reports.