Archive for July 17th, 2010

Why A Low Calorie Diet Can Extend Lifespan — Even If Adopted Later In Life

New research being presented this week is giving scientists new insight into why a restricted diet can lead to a longer lifespan and reduced incidence of age-related diseases for a wide variety of animals. Scientists have known for some time that a restricted diet can extend the lifespan of certain animals but this work shows how it affects ageing mechanisms – and significantly has also shown that the effects occur even if the restricted diet is adopted later in life.

The work could help scientists to better understand, and ultimately, prevent a range of age-related diseases in humans.

The research is being presented at the conference of the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA) in Newcastle. It was conducted by scientists at the BBSRC Centre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition (CISBAN) at Newcastle University.
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F.D.A. Panel Votes Against Obesity Drug
By ANDREW POLLACK

A federal advisory committee voted narrowly against endorsing a drug vying to become the first new prescription medicine for obesity in more than a decade, signaling heightened concerns for possible health risks associated with a new generation of diet pills.

The advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration voted 10 to 6 that the safety concerns, like increased heart rate, possible birth defects and psychiatric problems, overrode the potential benefits of the drug, called Qnexa and developed by Vivus.
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