The MURDOCK Study, based at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis, is recruiting 250 people for a study of genetic factors affecting severe acne and adverse responses to treatment with oral medication. Read the full story

Davidson Montessori School will present a lecture this Saturday, May 12, by Dr. Sheila Kilbane on “How Food Is Used as Medicine to Prevent Many Childhood Illnesses.” The lecture is at 1 p.m. at the school, 605 South St., Davidson. Read the full story

By JENNIFER MONTAGUE
DavidsonNews.net

KANNAPOLIS – So you think scientists and doctors are the only ones who make the exciting advances in medicine and disease treatments? Not so—you can play an important role, too, as subjects of the studies and trials that are a major component of medical research.

At the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, researchers are conducting one of the largest general population health studies in recent memory. The MURDOCK Study Community Registry, is a joint venture with David H. Murdock, who provided the name and the funding, and the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. MURDOCK is an abbreviation for Measurement to Understand the Reclassification of Disease of Cabarrus/Kannapolis. Its goal is to create a bank of medical information and tissue samples from 50,000 participants in this region. Researchers can then use this information to gain a better understanding of many different kinds of diseases. Read the full story

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center
It’s not always easy to talk about, yet Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, affects more than 30 million people in the United States. Uncomfortable and often painful disorder, many of those who have, or may have, IBS, often suffer in silence and remain untreated. Read the full story

By MAC HERRING

Ben Franklin said that the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes. National Healthcare Decisions Day is Monday, April 16. This national effort encourages all American adults to complete advance directives, and to discuss them annually with their families when they are not in a crisis. Therefore, when an emergency arises, the family members are aware of and more prepared to act on their loved one’s wishes. Read the full story

By Dr. CHRIS MAGRYTA

I remember lecturing to my fellow residents back in 1997 about the timing of post-exercise nutrition and the need for sports drinks. In those days we knew little about optimal nutrition, but we knew that sports beverages were not necessary for most athletes.

High-endurance athletes – marathoners, triathletes and cyclists – can make a case for needing some electrolytes during intense training (greater than 3 hours). Johnny in Little League or Susie in gymnastics have no case for a sugar-laden beverage and should avoid them. Read the full story

Neti pots have become a popular remedy for colds and sinus congestion, but health officials are warning people to use them properly in the wake of recent deaths.  For some, the thought of rinsing one’s nose is enough of a deterrent from using a neti pot. But the problem is not the idea of washing your nose – it’s what kind of water you use. In two widely reported cases  last year people used tap water, instead of distilled or sterilized water and wound dying of of water-borne brain-eating amoeba. Read the full story

Beginning this month,  Kannapolis Fire Department is shifting its CPR classes from those focused on healthcare providers a series called Family & Friends CPR. The Department hopes to reach those individuals in the community who would not normally have the opportunity to learn CPR through these monthly classes. Read the full story

MOORESVILLE – Lake Norman Regional Medical Center hosts a Diabetes Support Group that meets on the fourth Monday of every month from noon to 1 p.m., in the Burlington Room at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Mooresville. The next Diabetes Support Group will meet Monday, Jan. 23. Read the full story

Scientists are debating the newsworthiness of a recent discovery that has the potential not to help, but to hurt. Researchers last July in the Netherlands created an airborne version of a dangerous flu virus- in essence “tweaking it genetically to make it more contagious,” according to the New York Times. Now, U.S. government advisers are urging that scientists keep the research private – so it can’t be used by terrorists or other bad guys.

LINK: Dec. 27, 2011, New York Times, “Science debate persists on deadly flu made airborne.”