A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia Health System revealed that intake of an investigational drug, MK-677, on a daily basis increased muscle mass in the arms and legs of healthy older adults.

The study discovered that MK-677 increases the levels of growth hormone (GH) and of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in aged, to the levels found in healthy youngsters.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the salmonella infections from contaminated dry pet food that sickened at least 79 people could be dangerous. The suspected salmonella infection from a pet food plant in Pennsylvania has prompted the closure of the plant and a recall of the affected brands.

The salmonella outbreak is of a rare strain known as Salmonella enterica serotype Schwarzengrund, the CDC said, which causes bloody diarrhea and can make pet food handlers, especially the very young and very old sick.

The U.S. marshals sent by the Food and Drug Administration seized some supplies of contaminated blood thinner containing material from China, from an Ohio company’s supplies. Eleven lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc. of Cincinnati were seized from the company that distributes heparin to drug and medical-device manufacturers both in the United States and internationally.

Mike Chappell, the FDA's acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs said, "This action will help prevent this contaminated heparin from finding its way into the marketplace."

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle said women who suffer migraine headaches may have as much as a 30 % lower risk of developing breast cancer. The study published in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, said the reason for this reduced risk could be the lower estrogen levels which migraine sufferers have.