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Medical News: Fracture Risk, Teeth Health, Mt. Everest Deaths

POSTED: 12:05 pm EST December 10, 2008
UPDATED: 4:34 pm EST December 10, 2008

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children should visit the dentist within 6 month of their new tooth coming in.

The new policy says do not wait longer than your child's first birthday to make an appointment with the dentist.

Doctors are concerned about tooth decay. Four out of 10 children have tooth decay by kindergarten.

The new policy is in the journal Pediatrics.

Diabetes Drugs & Fractures?

A new report is raising concerns about two popular diabetes drugs.

A review of 10 clinical trials found Avandia and Actos may double the risk of fractures in women with type-2 diabetes, not in men. Researchers speculate that women are affected because of an interaction between the drugs and estrogen, which weakens bones in women.

This isn't the first time Avandia has come under scrutiny. Previous research found a possible increased risk of heart attack for patients taking Avandia. It resulted in a FDA-mandated warning label on Avandia.

The company that makes Avandia claims there is no increased risk of heart disease.

The report was published in the Dec. 10 online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Mt. Everest Deaths

Brain swelling may be to blame for many deaths on Mt. Everest, the world's tallest spot.

An international team, led by a researcher Paul Firth of Massachusetts General Hospital, studied reported deaths from 1921 to 2006. Researchers said many deaths appeared to have been the result of high-altitude cerebral edema, or brain swelling.

In this condition, low oxygen levels cause cerebral blood vessels to leak fluid into surrounding brain tissue, triggering swelling. Confusion and loss of coordination follow.

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