Thursday, February 28, 2013

California parents sue over grade school yoga

By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – The parents of two California grade school students have sued to block the teaching of yoga classes they complain promote eastern religions, saying children who exercise their choice to opt out of the popular program face bullying and teasing.
The...
California parents sue over grade school yoga

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Birds Eye recalls UK products after horse DNA find in Belgium

LONDON (Reuters) – Fro en food maker Birds Eye on Friday said it would withdraw some products in Britain and Ireland after it found traces of horse DNA in one of its ready meals sold in Belgium.
“Regrettably, we have found one product, chilli con carne, produced for us by Frigilunch...
Birds Eye recalls UK products after horse DNA find in Belgium

FDA OKs Roche drug for late-stage metastatic breast cancer

English: Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Patients (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
(Reuters) – U.S. health regulators approved a new drug made by Roche Holding AG for some patients with late-stage metastatic breast cancer who fail to respond to other therapies.
The U.S. Food and Drug...
FDA OKs Roche drug for late-stage metastatic breast cancer

Turkey seeks to boost healthcare with new investment rules

By O ge O bilgin
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey has passed new regulations aimed at making private investment in its healthcare sector easier, a move that officials hope could unlock billions of dollars of investment over the next few years.
Turkey’s private healthcare sector is growing...
Turkey seeks to boost healthcare with new investment rules

Oxygen treatment may not help foot ulcers

A patient wearing a simple face mask. A plastic oxygen mask on an ER patient. anaphylactic shock oxygen mask oxygen therapy simple face mask instruments used in anesthesiology. Oxygen mask. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Andrew M. Seaman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Despite past clinical...
Oxygen treatment may not help foot ulcers

Los Angeles officials concerned about TB outbreak

Los Angeles County health officials have asked for federal assistance to analy e and contain an outbreak of tuberculosis within the city’s homeless population, a spokeswoman for the county agency said on Friday.

Los Angeles County Health Department spokeswoman Mabel...

Los Angeles officials concerned about TB outbreak
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Lance Armstrong ignores USADA deadline

English: Cyclist Lance Armstrong at the 2008 T...
English: Cyclist Lance Armstrong at the 2008 Tour de Gruene Individual Time Trial, 1 November 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) will push ahead with efforts to clean up cycling without help from Lance Armstrong after the disgraced cyclist rejected another deadline to meet anti-doping investigators by Wednesday.

Armstrong's lawyer Tim Herman said in a statement released on Wednesday that the former cyclist still had issues with USADA, who had exposed him as drug cheat and led to him being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.

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Too many Americans still drink too much: study

By Kerry Grens
New York (Reuters Health) – On any given day in the U.S., 18 percent of men and 11 percent of women drink more alcohol than federal dietary guidelines recommend, according to a new study that also finds 8 percent of men and 3 percent of women are full-fledged...
Too many Americans still drink too much: study

New Saudi case takes SARS-like virus death toll to seven

LONDON (Reuters) – A patient admitted to hospital in Saudi Arabia with a new virus from the same family as SARS has died, taking the global death toll from the previously unknown disease to seven. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the patient died on February 10, two...
New Saudi case takes SARS-like virus death toll to seven

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

U.S. indicts peanut processors in 2009 salmonella outbreak

By David Ingram and Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Four years after a salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanut butter sickened hundreds in the United States and killed nine, authorities have charged the former owner of the company and several employees with fraud, conspiracy and...
U.S. indicts peanut processors in 2009 salmonella outbreak

U.S. funds 25 states to test new Medicaid models

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday that it would provide 25 of the 50 U.S. states with funding to test new ways to lower costs and improve care within the national Medicaid program for the poor. The first states to receive State...
U.S. funds 25 states to test new Medicaid models

Male soccer players more prone to hamstring strains

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Men are more likely to strain a hamstring playing college soccer than women, according to a new analysis of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) injury records. The findings also suggest that games – as compared to practices...
Male soccer players more prone to hamstring strains

Medicare drug costs to fall in 2014, but donut hole widens

By Mark Miller CHICAGO (Reuters) – There will be good and bad news next year for seniors using Medicare’s prescription drug program. Overall, enrollees can expect a year of flat or decreasing Medicare prescription drug costs, according to data released last week by the federal...
Medicare drug costs to fall in 2014, but donut hole widens

Most women misunderstand IUD birth control

By Kerry Grens NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In a new survey, most women had inaccurate perceptions about the safety and effectiveness of intrauterine devices (IUDs) in preventing pregnancy, say U.S. researchers, who urge doctors to talk more about the benefits of the devices. In...
Most women misunderstand IUD birth control

Flu vaccine worked in just over half of Americans who got it

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) – A U.S. government analysis of this season’s flu vaccine suggests it was effective in only 56 percent of people who got the shot, and it completely failed to protect the elderly against an especially deadly strain circulating during flu...
Flu vaccine worked in just over half of Americans who got it

Experts issue guidelines for gene tests in kids

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Groups representing pediatricians and geneticists issued new recommendations on Thursday to provide doctors with guidance about when to test a child’s DNA for genetic conditions. The recommendations are the first collaboration between...
Experts issue guidelines for gene tests in kids

Psychological effects of bullying can last years

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Kids who were bullied and acted as bullies themselves were at higher risk for depression, anxiety and panic disorder years down the line, in a new study. Researchers have known that bullying can take a psychological toll on both bullies and...
Psychological effects of bullying can last years

German Catholic church allows morning-after pill in rape cases

By Stephen Brown BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Roman Catholic Church said on Thursday it had decided to permit certain types of “morning-after pill” for women who have been raped, after two Catholic hospitals provoked an outcry last month for refusing to treat a rape...
German Catholic church allows morning-after pill in rape cases

Blue Cross and Blue Shield antitrust lawsuits pile up

English: Blue Cross-Blue Shield Building in Ja...
English: Blue Cross-Blue Shield Building in Jacksonville, Florida (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A litigation onslaught facing the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its 38 member health plans over alleged antitrust violations has snowballed ahead of a legal status conference scheduled for Thursday. Three more lawsuits were filed last...
Blue Cross and Blue Shield antitrust lawsuits pile up
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U.S. deserves top mad-cow rating, health officials say

Image of a cow with BSE. A feature of such disease is the inability of the infected animal to stand. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is expected to get the top safety rating for the cattle disease known as “mad cow” in the...
U.S. deserves top mad-cow rating, health officials say

Florida governor backs limited Medicaid expansion

By Bill Cotterell TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) – Florida Governor Rick Scott backed a limited expansion of healthcare coverage for the poor on Wednesday, joining six other Republican governors who have agreed to the measure under President Barack Obama’s landmark reform law. Scott, a...
Florida governor backs limited Medicaid expansion

Adults cut back fast food, but U.S. kids still eat too much fat: CDC

By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) – American adults have made a little progress in recent years in cutting back on calories from fast food, but children are still consuming too much fat, U.S. health researchers say. French fries, pizza and similar items accounted for about 11 percent...
Adults cut back fast food, but U.S. kids still eat too much fat: CDC

Doctors question routine tests and treatments

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Now there are 135. That’s how many medical tests, treatments and other procedures – many used for decades – physicians have now identified as almost always unnecessary and often harmful, and which doctors and patients should therefore avoid or at...
Doctors question routine tests and treatments

Saturday, February 23, 2013

No long-term cost savings with weight loss surgery

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Weight loss surgery does not lower health costs over the long run for people who are obese, according to a new study. Some researchers had suggested that the initial costs of surgery may pay off down the road, when people who’ve dropped...
No long-term cost savings with weight loss surgery

Antioxidants may not ward off strokes, dementia

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Older adults who eat diets high in antioxidants may not have a lower risk of dementia or stroke, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who ate or drank lots of coffee, tea, oranges and red wine were just as likely to develop...
Antioxidants may not ward off strokes, dementia

Antioxidants may not ward off strokes, dementia

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Older adults who eat diets high in antioxidants may not have a lower risk of dementia or stroke, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who ate or drank lots of coffee, tea, oranges and red wine were just as likely to develop...
Antioxidants may not ward off strokes, dementia

Serb minister accuses opposition of smear campaign

By Aleksandar Vasovic BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbia’s agriculture minister accused the opposition on Wednesday of preying on public health fears over contaminated milk to try to topple a government already under pressure over allegations of links between politicians and the mafia. The...
Serb minister accuses opposition of smear campaign

Stress and anxiety linked to sperm quality

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A man’s ability to produce sperm may depend on his ability to handle stress, according to a new study from Italy. Researchers found that men with higher levels of both short- and long-term stress and anxiety ejaculated less semen and...
Stress and anxiety linked to sperm quality

Health-conscious Americans hurt aluminum can market

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. aluminum can sales are set to slow in 2013 for a third straight year as more consumers ditch sodas for healthier options such as water and iced teas, traditionally bottled in plastic or glass. The loss of market share in the fizzy drinks capital of the world,...
Health-conscious Americans hurt aluminum can market

Lance Armstrong ignores USADA deadline

Lance Armstrong at the 2005 Tour de France. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) (Reuters) – The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) will push ahead with efforts to clean up cycling without help from Lance Armstrong after the disgraced cyclist rejected another deadline to meet anti-doping...
Lance Armstrong ignores USADA deadline

Romania finds horsemeat in beef batch

BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Horsemeat labeled as beef has been found in Romania in products set to be sold locally, an agriculture ministry official said on Wednesday. A scandal which has triggered recalls of ready-made meals and damaged confidence in Europe’s vast and complex food...
Romania finds horsemeat in beef batch

TV's Robin Roberts returns to 'Good Morning America'

Robin Roberts at the 81st Academy Awards (Photo credit: Wikipedia) NEW YORK (Reuters) – Robin Roberts, a co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” returned to the popular morning news show on Wednesday, five months after a bone-marrow transplant for a rare blood disorder...
TV's Robin Roberts returns to 'Good Morning America'

Ozone levels linked to cardiac arrest

English: Carl-Erik Torp being helped by medical personnel after a cardiac arrest during a soccer match between Brann and Sogndal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Cardiac arrests are more likely when levels of air pollution – especially soot-like...
Ozone levels linked to cardiac arrest

U.S. releases list of essential health benefits

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Wednesday issued its long-awaited final rule on essential health benefits that insurers must offer consumers in the individual and small-group market beginning in 2014 under the healthcare reform law. A cornerstone of...
U.S. releases list of essential health benefits

Don't use codeine in kids after tonsillectomy: FDA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. health regulators on Wednesday issued the strongest possible warning to physicians to avoid prescribing codeine to children after surgery to remove tonsils, adenoids or both. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a posting on its website that deaths...
Don't use codeine in kids after tonsillectomy: FDA

Friday, February 22, 2013

Robot-assisted hysterectomies on the rise

Aedes aegypti Image source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Publich Health Image Library. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The proportion of women having their uterus removed using robotic-assisted surgery increased from one in 200...
Robot-assisted hysterectomies on the rise

Almost one-third of chemotherapy used 'off-label'

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – About one-third of chemotherapies are used to fight cancers that drug regulators never approved them to treat, says a new study. Chemotherapies – drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells – are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug...
Almost one-third of chemotherapy used 'off-label'

Diet drinks may not fuel your appetite: study

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Take another sip of that Diet Coke – a new study suggests diet soda drinkers don’t eat any more sugary or fatty foods than people who stick with water instead. Some researchers have proposed drinks sweetened with fake sugar might...
Diet drinks may not fuel your appetite: study

China launches probe into doping allegations

Performance Enhanced (Photo credit: emilio labrador) BEIJING (Reuters) – China will investigate claims that virtually all the raw materials used to produce illegal performance-enhancing drugs come from the country, even if they have serious reservations about their accuracy, state media...
China launches probe into doping allegations

Woman has two sets of identical twins in one day

(Reuters) – A Texas mother had a one-in-70-million kind of Valentine’s Day this year when she gave birth to two sets of identical twin boys, a Houston hospital announced on Monday. The four brothers were delivered at 31 weeks to Tressa Montalvo, 36, via Cesarean section at The...
Woman has two sets of identical twins in one day

Ark. Senate passes ban on abortions after 20 weeks

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled Arkansas state Senate approved a measure on Monday to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy except in the case of rape, incest or to save the mother’s life. The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act passed the...
Ark. Senate passes ban on abortions after 20 weeks

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Research provides final clue for anti-malaria drug

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Researchers in Australia have provided the final piece of a puzzle to develop a new anti-malarial drug, which targets the parasite that causes the disease and kills it with a salt overdose. The drug, the first discovery in the fight against malaria in two decades, holds...
Research provides final clue for anti-malaria drug

UK patient infected with new SARS-like virus dies

The human gut appears to harbor infectious strains of the pepper mild mottle virus (seen infecting peppers, above), suggesting that humans may serve as vector for certain plant viruses. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) LONDON (Reuters) – A British man infected with a new virus from the same...
UK patient infected with new SARS-like virus dies

UN cites man-made chemicals in health scourges

By Robert Evans GENEVA (Reuters) – Man-made chemicals in everyday products are likely to be at least the partial cause of a global surge in birth deformities, hormonal cancers and psychiatric diseases, a U.N.-sponsored research team reported on Tuesday. These substances, dubbed EDCs,...
UN cites man-made chemicals in health scourges

Typhoid breaks out in rebel-held eastern Syria: WHO

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) – Typhoid has broken out in an opposition-held region of Syria due to people drinking contaminated water from the Euphrates River, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. An estimated 2,500 people in northeastern Deir al-Zor province are...
Typhoid breaks out in rebel-held eastern Syria: WHO

Deadly new virus well-adapted to infect humans

  By Kate Kelland   LONDON (Reuters) – A new virus that emerged in the Middle East last year and has killed five people is well adapted to infecting humans but could potentially be treated with drugs that boost the immune system, scientists said on Tuesday.   The virus,...
Deadly new virus well-adapted to infect humans

Star-gazing software helps fight breast cancer

Early signs of breast cancer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) – In an unlikely tie-up, astronomers and cancer researchers have joined forces to study breast tumors using image analysis software originally developed to explore the distant stars. The automated...
Star-gazing software helps fight breast cancer

China seeks extra testing of U.S. pork for additive

By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO (Reuters) – China wants a third party to verify beginning March 1 that U.S. pork shipped to the country is free of a feed additive used to promote lean muscle growth, a U.S. Meat Export Federation spokesman told Reuters. The reasons for China’s timing and...
China seeks extra testing of U.S. pork for additive

Alabama House votes for abortion clinic restrictions

By Kaija Wilkinson MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) – The Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday that would tighten regulations for abortion clinics in a move critics say could force many in the state to close. The Republican-controlled House approved the bill in a 73-23...
Alabama House votes for abortion clinic restrictions

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Could acupuncture help relieve seasonal allergies?

Acupuncture (Photo credit: Earthworm) By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Acupuncture may help improve seasonal allergy symptoms in some people with runny noses and watery eyes, according to a new study – but the effect seems to be small. Researchers found 71 percent of...
Could acupuncture help relieve seasonal allergies?

Educational TV tied to fewer behavior problems

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Upping the educational value of what young kids watch on television may help improve their behavior, a new study suggests. It can be hard to encourage families of preschoolers to turn off the TV, but there are plenty of high-quality shows...
Educational TV tied to fewer behavior problems

Program cuts down on unneeded scoliosis referrals

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Educating pediatricians about scoliosis seems to cut down on the number of children who are unnecessarily sent to specialists for curves of the spine, according to a new study. Researchers found the number of referrals to orthopedic surgeons...
Program cuts down on unneeded scoliosis referrals

UK shoppers buy less meat after horsemeat scandal

Smoked horse meat in package, bought in a Dutch supermarket; it is usually eaten in a sandwich in the Netherlands (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Clare Hutchison and Alice Baghdjian LONDON (Reuters) – The discovery of horsemeat in products sold as beef has shocked many British consumers into...
UK shoppers buy less meat after horsemeat scandal

Musician takes to streets to drop pounds, get fit

By Dorene Internicola NEW YORK (Reuters) – People who believe a healthy lifestyle is expensive should speak to “Papa” Joe Aviance, a Los-Angeles musician who lost 250 pounds using the city’s sidewalks as his treadmill, its parks as his gym and a discount store as his...
Musician takes to streets to drop pounds, get fit

US Catholic bishops ask for contraceptives reprieve

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Roman Catholic bishops stepped up their battle against President Obama’s contraceptives policy on Friday by urging Congress to use its fiscal debate to free religious employers from a mandate requiring insurance coverage for birth...
US Catholic bishops ask for contraceptives reprieve

U.S. insurance program for sick suspends enrollment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Friday said it would stop enrolling new beneficiaries in a special $5 billion insurance program for people with pre-existing medical conditions, because of rising costs and limited funding. The news comes a day after a top U.S. healthcare...
U.S. insurance program for sick suspends enrollment

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

US health insurance markets touted, lawmakers leery

ADAPT Medicaid Rally (Photo credit: SEIU International) By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Thursday assured U.S. lawmakers that it is on track to enroll millions of people in new state health insurance markets, but it quickly came under fire from Republicans...
US health insurance markets touted, lawmakers leery

FDA approves retinal implant for rare eye disease

By Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) – An artificial implant that performs some functions of the retina and helps restore sight to people blinded with a rare genetic disorder has won U.S. marketing approval, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. The device, made by privately held...
FDA approves retinal implant for rare eye disease

More thorough dialysis may reduce deaths

  Plugged into dialysis (Photo credit: newslighter)   By Genevra Pittman   NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A more thorough dialysis technique may help prevent deaths due to heart conditions and infections in people with advanced kidney disease, according to a new...
More thorough dialysis may reduce deaths

UK lawmakers say horsemeat discoveries "tip of the iceberg"

By James Davey LONDON (Reuters) – Discoveries so far of horsemeat in products sold as beef are likely to be the “tip of the iceberg”, a British parliamentary report into the scandal said on Thursday. “The scale of contamination emerging in the meat supply chain is...
UK lawmakers say horsemeat discoveries "tip of the iceberg"

Study links smoking bans to fewer pre-term births

  By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – Banning smoking in enclosed public places may lead to lower rates of preterm birth, according to Belgian researchers who say the findings point to health benefits of smoke-free laws even in very early life. It is well known that smoking during...
Study links smoking bans to fewer pre-term births

Male circumcision tied to less sexual pleasure

42-17843858 (Photo credit: kedai-lelaki) By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Men circumcised either as children or adults report less intense sexual pleasure and orgasm than their uncircumcised counterparts, according to a new study from Belgium. “We’re not saying...
Male circumcision tied to less sexual pleasure

Fast-food salt content varies by country: study

By Amy Norton NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Fast food may often be high in salt, but the exact levels seem to vary based on the country you live in, according to a study published Monday. Looking at fast-food menu information in six countries, researchers found that the same item sometimes...
Fast-food salt content varies by country: study

Johnson & Johnson recalls more metal hip implants

(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson, the subject of thousands of lawsuits stemming from the 2010 recall of its ASR all-metal hip implants, last month recalled a second type of metal hip component that it sold outside of the United States. J&J’s DePuy unit told doctors in January...
Johnson & Johnson recalls more metal hip implants

SPECIAL REPORT: China's "wild east" drug store

By Melanie Lee and Ben Hirschler SHANGHAI/LONDON (Reuters) – Philippe Andre, a detective in the murky world of Chinese pharmaceuticals, has some alarming tales to tell. In May last year, he visited a factory an hour outside Shanghai that supposedly produced a pharmaceutical ingredient....
SPECIAL REPORT: China's "wild east" drug store

Special Report: In South Sudan, a state of dependency

By Simon Robinson MALUALKON, South Sudan (Reuters) – The world’s newest nation relies on oil to finance 98 percent of its budget. So when the government decided to shut off crude production in January after a dispute with a neighbor, South Sudan’s foreign donors and aid groups...
Special Report: In South Sudan, a state of dependency

Monday, February 18, 2013

SPECIAL: New drugs, fresh hope for autism patients

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) – Lynn and Neil Balter always dreaded stage productions at their son Jack’s elementary school. When Jack was up there with the other performers, the noise, the lights, the crowd almost always got to him, and he would “start...
SPECIAL: New drugs, fresh hope for autism patients

SPECIAL REPORT-Cancer screening feeds overdiagnosis debate

By Frederik Joelving NEW YORK (Reuters) – Cancer was on Gritley Henry’s mind when Dr. Jonathan Aviv treated her for a cough that had bested other doctors for a decade. “But I was too nervous to mention it,” says the grandmother of three. She didn’t have to. The...
SPECIAL REPORT-Cancer screening feeds overdiagnosis debate

'High-glycemic' foods tied to diabetes risk

By Katti Gray NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People who eat a lot of low-fiber and processed foods that quickly spike blood sugars may, not surprisingly, have a significantly higher risk of the most common form of diabetes, according to a new study. “By raising blood sugar and...
'High-glycemic' foods tied to diabetes risk

SPECIAL REPORT-A pinch of doubt over salt

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – In Britain it started with Sid, the “giant slug with a message”, who slicked his way onto television screens back in 2004 as part of a government health campaign to warn people about the dangers of consuming too much salt. “Stay away...
SPECIAL REPORT-A pinch of doubt over salt

Family wins $63 million verdict in Motrin case

English: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Ransdell Pierson (Reuters) – A Massachusetts jury on Wednesday said Johnson & Johnson must pay a teenage girl and her family $63 million, finding she lost much of her skin and suffered other serious harm after taking the...
Family wins $63 million verdict in Motrin case

Obama Medicare rebate could hurt drug companies

By Bill Berkrot and David Morgan (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s decision to spotlight drug rebates as a way to save money on Medicare is likely to be opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, which could potentially lose billions of dollars in profits. In his annual State of the...
Obama Medicare rebate could hurt drug companies

More U.S. women using the "morning-after" pill

By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) – More U.S. women are taking the “morning-after” pill, but generally just once, according to the government’s first report on how the emergency contraception drug has been used since regulators eased access to it in 2006. About 11...
More U.S. women using the "morning-after" pill

Salt reduction could save 92,000 U.S. lives a year

By Gene Emery   BOSTON (Reuters Life!) – Shaving 3 grams off the daily salt intake of Americans could prevent up to 66,000 strokes, 99,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths in the United States, while saving $24 billion in health costs per year, researchers reported on...
Salt reduction could save 92,000 U.S. lives a year

Evidence lacking on how to help kids after trauma

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – There’s no good evidence to say what types of treatment might help ward off anxiety and stress disorders in kids and teens exposed to traumatic events, according to a new analysis. Researchers said that a few psychological...
Evidence lacking on how to help kids after trauma

Horsemeat scandal set to spur tougher food tests

By Charlie Dunmore BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European countries are expected to step up testing of food products in response to a scandal involving horsemeat falsely sold as beef, as authorities scramble to identify the source of the suspected fraud. All companies that have handled...
Horsemeat scandal set to spur tougher food tests

Health advocates ask U.S. for sugar limits in drinks

By Lisa Baertlein (Reuters) – Anti-obesity advocates who want to curb Americans’ sugar habit asked the government to set a safe level for added sugars in soda and other beverages on Wednesday. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which is leading the regulatory...
Health advocates ask U.S. for sugar limits in drinks

N.C. Medicaid too troubled to expand: Governor

(Reuters) – North Carolina will not expand Medicaid coverage under President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare reform law and will play no role in setting up the required health insurance exchange, Governor Pat McCrory said on Tuesday. “The current system in North Carolina...
N.C. Medicaid too troubled to expand: Governor

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Vitamin D supplement labels may be inaccurate

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The amount of vitamin D in some supplements may be either much lower or much higher than what’s written on the label, according to a new analysis. Researchers found that off-the-shelf pills from 12 different manufacturers had between 52...
Vitamin D supplement labels may be inaccurate

NY fracking decision faces delay on health study

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York State’s decision to lift a four-year ban on natural gas drilling faced further delay on Tuesday after officials conducting a key health impact study asked for more time to form their conclusions on the divisive issue. The New York Department of Health,...
NY fracking decision faces delay on health study

State policies on Medicaid committee disclosure vary

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – No standard policy covers whether the state-level Medicaid committee members choosing which drugs and treatments the program pays for should disclose their ties to drug and medical device companies, according to a new report. Health policy...
State policies on Medicaid committee disclosure vary

SARS-like virus shows person-to-person transmission

A coronavirus that may cause SARS. (transwikied from en.wikipedia.org) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – A third patient in Britain has contracted a new SARS-like virus, becoming the second confirmed UK case in a week and showing the deadly infection is being...
SARS-like virus shows person-to-person transmission

Republicans aims to repeal Medicare doctor pay cuts

We need to get this to the Fiscal Cliff! What could go wrong? (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey) WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the House of Representatives will seek a permanent solution to scheduled steep cuts in physician payments from the federal Medicare health insurance plan for...
Republicans aims to repeal Medicare doctor pay cuts

Hyper-parents linked to depressed college kids-study

By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) – Turbo-charged parents still running their university-aged children’s schedules, laundry and vacations may be doing more harm than good with a study on Wednesday showing these students were more likely to be depressed and dissatisfied with...
Hyper-parents linked to depressed college kids-study

Thermo Fisher defends its antibiotic test kits

English: Thermo Fisher Scientific headquarters in Waltham. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) LONDON (Reuters) – Thermo Fisher Scientific said it had total confidence in its antibiotic test kits, after an investigation published in a medical journal alleged they did not always contain the right...
Thermo Fisher defends its antibiotic test kits

ACL surgery may not shorten WNBA career

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A common knee surgery that can sideline athletes for months does not ultimately affect the career length of women invited to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), according to a new study. “With appropriate...
ACL surgery may not shorten WNBA career

St Jude recalls wire used to help plug hole in heart

English: An artificial pacemaker from St. Jude Medical, with electrode. Fran̤ais : Un Pacemaker de la compagnie St. Jude Medical, avec son ̩lectrode. Nederlands: Een kunstmatige pacemaker van St. Jude Medical, met elektrode. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Feb 12 (Reuters) РSt Jude Medical...
St Jude recalls wire used to help plug hole in heart

Indiana company gets birth control mandate relief

English: Picture Of Ortho Tri-Cyclen oral contraceptives with Ortho Dialpak dispensers (photo taken by self). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) (Reuters) – An Indiana company has won temporary court relief from having to provide its employees with coverage for contraceptives and other...
Indiana company gets birth control mandate relief

Drugmakers eye Africa's middle classes for growth

Africa (Photo credit: cliff1066™) By Elena Berton PARIS (Reuters) – For pharmaceutical companies, Africa is changing. Not only is the continent’s economic growth grabbing attention in boardrooms but the shifting nature of its disease burden is luring Big Pharma, as new...
Drugmakers eye Africa's middle classes for growth

Anxiety drugs tied to isolation, aggression in fish

By Irene Klotz BOSTON (Reuters) – Wild perch living in water tainted with a commonly prescribed human anti-anxiety drug aggressively feed, shun other fish and become careless, according to the results of a study presented at a meeting of scientists on Thursday. “We knew there was a...
Anxiety drugs tied to isolation, aggression in fish

Australian court supports patents on human genes

By James Grubel   CANBERRA (Reuters) – An Australian court ruled on Friday that two technology companies could hold a patent on genetic material related to cancer, in a case similar to one before the U.S. Supreme Court that has implications for gene-based medicine...
Australian court supports patents on human genes

New virus hits 12 globally with new British case

A chest x-ray showing increased opacity in both lungs, indicative of pneumonia, in a patient with SARS. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – A fourth person in Britain has contracted a potentially fatal SARS-like virus which was unknown in humans until a few months...
New virus hits 12 globally with new British case

Estrogen alternative eases sex pain for older women

  By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A daily dose of ospemifene, an estrogen-like drug, helped lessen pain during intercourse caused by vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women, in a new study. “This appears to be a good alternative for women who can’t or choose...
Estrogen alternative eases sex pain for older women

Menus labels may sway those who need them most

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Showing diners how many calories are in restaurant food items may influence how much they eat – especially among the least health-conscious people, a new study suggests. “It’s encouraging because the information may help...
Menus labels may sway those who need them most

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Should toddlers be screened for lazy eye?

A child wearing an eyepatch in an attempt to cure amblyopia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Screening one- and two-year-olds for lazy eye can reliably detect children at risk for vision problems, a new study suggests. Researchers found tests by...
Should toddlers be screened for lazy eye?

Doping agency head praises Armstrong investigation

Lance Armstrong getting mobbed (Photo credit: ShapeThings) By John Mehaffey LONDON (Reuters) – World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey praised on Tuesday the U.S. investigation which led to cyclist Lance Armstrong losing his seven Tour de France titles based on evidence which did not...
Doping agency head praises Armstrong investigation

Pope fitted with pacemaker "some time ago": Vatican

Vatican Gardens (Photo credit: MarcelGermain) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict had a heart pacemaker installed some time ago but was not suffering from poor health and remained lucid and serene in the wake of his decision to resign, the Vatican spokesman said on Tuesday. It had not...
Pope fitted with pacemaker "some time ago": Vatican

Horsemeat scandal widens in Europe

A platter of horse meat served at Kishlak, an Uzbek restaurant in Kazakhstan. The horse meat was served cold. There are three types on the platter: tripe on the left, roasted in the middle, and sausage on the right. The roasted meat tasted no different than roast beef. (Photo credit:...
Horsemeat scandal widens in Europe

Folic acid in pregnancy tied to lower autism risk

Final weeks of pregnancy (Photo credit: storyvillegirl) By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women who took extra folic acid in the weeks before and just after becoming pregnant were less likely to have a child with autism, in a new study from Norway. Because lack of folic acid...
Folic acid in pregnancy tied to lower autism risk

Hospital deaths and readmissions not linked: study

White Clam pizza at Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A measure used by Medicare to penalize hospitals for poor performance is not linked to how many patients die after being admitted, suggests a new study. The study,...
Hospital deaths and readmissions not linked: study

Overcrowded ERs, PTSD signs tied in heart patients

Regions of the brain affected by PTSD and stress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Being treated for a heart attack in a crowded emergency department may be linked to developing symptoms of a stress disorder, according to a new study. The study does...
Overcrowded ERs, PTSD signs tied in heart patients

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Home altitude tied to obesity risk

Last Updated: 2013-02-12 10:57:07 -0400 (Reuters Health) By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Americans who live where the air is thinnest are less likely to be obese than those in low-lying areas, according to a new study. The results don’t mean people should move to...
Home altitude tied to obesity risk

Arizona Planned Parenthood funding ban overturned

By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) – A federal judge has overturned an Arizona law that sought to block funding through the state for Planned Parenthood’s healthcare clinics because the group also performs abortions. U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake ruled that the controversial...
Arizona Planned Parenthood funding ban overturned

Food industry undermines health policy: study

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – Multinational food, drink and alcohol companies are using strategies similar to those employed by the tobacco industry to undermine public health policies, health experts said on Tuesday. In an international analysis of involvement by so-called...
Food industry undermines health policy: study

Not immune from loneliness

HHS HealthBeat (February 13, 2013) Take the Next Step Your Immune System A study indicates that feeling lonely may be bad for a person’s immune system. At Ohio State University, Lisa Jaremka and Janice Kiecolt-Glaser looked at whether loneliness created the kind of chronic stress that...
Not immune from loneliness

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Spain doping trial testimony casts doubt on defense

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) – German cyclist Joerg Jaksche told the Operation Puerto trial on Monday that the treatment he received from Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was designed to beat doping controls and had nothing to do with genuine health issues. On the first day of...
Spain doping trial testimony casts doubt on defense

Tesco's spaghetti bolognese tests positive for horse

LONDON (Reuters) – Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, said on Monday it had found horse DNA exceeding 60 percent in some of its own-brand frozen spaghetti bolognese meals withdrawn from stores last week. Tesco said tests carried out since pulling the product last Wednesday had...
Tesco's spaghetti bolognese tests positive for horse

U.S. recovers $4.2 billion from healthcare fraud probes: report

(Reuters) – The Obama administration said on Monday that its efforts to combat fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs were paying off as the government recovered a record $4.2 billion in fiscal 2012 from individuals and companies trying to cheat the system. For every...
U.S. recovers $4.2 billion from healthcare fraud probes: report

Obama rules out raising Medicare eligibility age

By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama has ruled out raising the age that Americans become eligible for Medicare, the government health insurance program for seniors, as a way to reduce the government’s deficit, a White House spokesman said on...
Obama rules out raising Medicare eligibility age

Monday, February 11, 2013

Nearsighted kids may get worse in winter

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – For nearsighted children in Denmark, vision deteriorated faster when days were shortest and more slowly during the summer months, according to a new study looking into whether daylight may slow kids’ vision loss. “Most likely it is...
Nearsighted kids may get worse in winter

Two infected with bird flu in southwest China

BEIJING (Reuters) – Two people in southwest China have tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus and are critically ill, state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday, citing the Chinese health ministry. A 21-year-old woman and 31-year-old man in Guiyang had tested positive for the highly...
Two infected with bird flu in southwest China

U.S. pharmaceutical exports to Iran cut in half in 2012

By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Exports of U.S. pharmaceuticals to Iran were cut in half last year, according to data released on Friday, while overall U.S. exports to the Islamic republic rose about nine percent because of grain sales. The official U.S. government statistics...
U.S. pharmaceutical exports to Iran cut in half in 2012

PSA decision tools may help men clarify their values

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Giving men decision-making tools to help them consider the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening changed how they valued different possible outcomes but did not affect how many chose to be tested, in a new study. A report last month...
PSA decision tools may help men clarify their values

Novo Nordisk hit hard as U.S. rebuffs insulin drug

By Mette Fraende COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – U.S. regulators refused to approve Novo Nordisk’s new long-acting insulin Tresiba until it conducts extra tests for potential heart risks, dealing a major blow to a key product for the Danish drugmaker. Shares in Novo, the world’s...
Novo Nordisk hit hard as U.S. rebuffs insulin drug

Horse trading exposed by British beef scandal

By Tim Castle and Maria Golovnina LONDON (Reuters) – As Britons choke on discovering they may have eaten horse that was imported as beef, and ministers blame an “international criminal conspiracy,” this new scandal has exposed the sometimes murky labyrinth by which food...
Horse trading exposed by British beef scandal

Asian doctors murdered in northeast Nigeria - military

ABUJA (Reuters) – Three Asian doctors have been murdered in their flat in Nigeria’s northeastern town of Potiskum, a military source said on Sunday. The medics, believed to be either Chinese or South Korean, had their throats cut by unknown attackers who got into the men’s...
Asian doctors murdered in northeast Nigeria - military

UCI harden anti-corticoid stance

PARIS (Reuters) – The International Cycling Union (UCI) has toughened up its anti-doping policy by imposing an eight-day rest on riders following an injection of corticoids, it said on Monday. “The UCI must be informed by the doctor applying such an injection. The No Needle Policy,...
UCI harden anti-corticoid stance

Costs of hip replacement hard to find, vary widely

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many hospitals are hard-pressed to tell people needing a hip replacement how much their procedure is likely to cost, according to a new study. Even when they can cite prices, going rates for the procedure may vary from hospital to hospital by...
Costs of hip replacement hard to find, vary widely

Nigeria arrests journalists over polio worker killings

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) – Three Nigerian journalists have been arrested for inciting violence by saying on a radio show that polio immunizations were an anti-Islam Western conspiracy, just days before health workers administering the vaccines were killed. Gunmen on motorbikes shot dead...
Nigeria arrests journalists over polio worker killings

Working out when to exercise in the cold and flu season

By Dorene Internicola NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sniffles, runny noses and flu-like symptoms can deter, delay and even derail many exercisers just when enthusiasm for that New Year’s resolution is beginning to flag. Health and fitness experts advise to starve a fever of exercise. But...
Working out when to exercise in the cold and flu season

Every $1 Spent Recovered $7.90

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report showing that for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations in the last three years, the government recovered $7.90. This is the highest three-year average return on investment in the 16-year history of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse (HCFAC) Program.




Doctors seek help on cancer from IBM supercomputer

By Nicola Leske (Reuters) – IBM’s Watson supercomputer has beaten expert “Jeopardy” quiz show contestants, and its predecessor defeated a world chess champion. Now, doctors hope it can help them outsmart cancer. Oncologists at two medical groups have started to test...
Doctors seek help on cancer from IBM supercomputer

US rejects Mississippi health insurance exchange plan

By Emily Le Coz JACKSON, Miss. (Reuters) – Mississippi on Friday became the first state to have its proposal for a health insurance exchange rejected by the U.S. government, and federal officials said Republican Governor Phil Bryant’s opposition to the plan was to blame. “With...
US rejects Mississippi health insurance exchange plan

Are plant-based diets environmentally friendly?

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A nutritious diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables might not be the greenest in its environmental impact, according to a new study from France. After analyzing the eating habits of about 2,000 French adults, and the greenhouse gas...
Are plant-based diets environmentally friendly?

Teen births continue to decline in U.S.

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The number of U.S. babies born to teen mothers dropped to record lows in 2011, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fewer women also gave birth in their 20s than in prior years, researchers found –...
Teen births continue to decline in U.S.

New SARS-like virus infects British patient

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – A new virus from the same family as SARS that sparked a global alert last September has been found in a further patient in Britain, health officials said on Monday. This latest case of infection with the new virus known as a coronavirus brings the total...
New SARS-like virus infects British patient

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Russia blocking US meat over additives, West sees protectionism

  By Melissa Akin MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s move to ban U.S. meat imports worth over $500 million each year, over a feed additive, will help domestic producers withstand an influx of cheap meat after Russia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). Western food producers...
Russia blocking US meat over additives, West sees protectionism

Friday, February 1, 2013

Yoga may aid people with irregular heart rhythm

Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Regular yoga classes could help people with a common heart rhythm problem manage their symptoms while also improving their state of mind, a new study suggests.

According to the American Heart Association, about 2.7 million people in the U.S. have atrial fibrillation (AF), in which the heart's upper chambers quiver chaotically instead of contracting normally.

Obesity in girls tied to higher MS risk

Picture of an Obese Teenager (146kg/322lb) wit...
Picture of an Obese Teenager (146kg/322lb) with Central Obesity, side view.Self Made Picture of an Obese Teenager (Myself) (146kg/322lb) with Central Obesity, Front View. Feel Free to use. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that obese kids - adolescent girls, in particular - are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) than normal-weight youth.

That doesn't prove carrying around some extra weight in childhood causes MS - in which the protective coating around nerve fibers breaks down, slowing signals traveling between the brain and body.