Health Highlights: May 30, 2008

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors ofHealthDay:

FDA Panel Recommends Drug for Rare Blood Disorder

Despite reservations by U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists, a panel of experts advising the agency has recommended the full agency's approval of a drug to treat a rare immune system disorder that causes the body to destroy its own blood platelets.

The advisory panel voted unanimously Friday to recommend Promacta, produced by GlaxoSmithKline and Ligand Pharmaceuticals, theAssociated Pressreported. Earlier in the week, FDA scientists released data that they suggested found that Promacta was no better than a placebo in treating chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Some 60,000 people in the United States have the disorder, which leads to excessive bleeding and bruising.

While noting that the drug makers haven't provided long-term data on the drug's safety and effectiveness, the panel said a pair of six-week studies indicated Promacta was of significant benefit to people with the disorder, theAPreported.

The FDA has until June 19 to decide whether to approve the drug. While it isn't bound by the recommendations of its expert panels, it typically follows them.

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Facial Features Affect Perception of Mood

A person's facial expressions and mood can be misperceived due to differences in facial features such as eyebrow shape, eyelid position and wrinkles, according to a U.S. study.

It included 20 health care workers who viewed photos that were digitally altered to change a number of features. The participants were asked to rate, on a scale of 0 to 5, seven expressions or emotions conveyed in the photos: tiredness, happiness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear and sadness,United Press Internationalreported.

Results for the altered photos were compared to the scores from the original photos. Overall, eyebrow shape was deemed to be the greatest indicator of mood, drooping of the eyelids was considered the biggest indicator of tiredness, and raising the lower eyelid and the presence of crow's feet were associated with happiness.

The study appears in the journalPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery.