Health Headlines

Cooling towers blamed for Legionnaires' disease at prison

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:56:26 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Dirty cooling towers were to blame for an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that has sickened dozens of inmates and at least four employees at San Quentin State Prison since late August, according to a report Thursday....

EPA sets new ozone standard, disappointing all sides

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:40:59 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration on Thursday established stricter limits on the smog-causing pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness, drawing swift condemnation from business leaders and Republicans who warned of damage to the economy....

U.S. says it will not fight Steris loss in district court

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:22:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. antitrust enforcers will not appeal a court ruling that said U.S. medical technology provider Steris Corp could proceed with a merger with British sterilization services provider Synergy Health Plc, a Federal Trade Commission spokesman said on Thursday.

Clinton says to boost city, state funds for addiction treatment

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:19:00 +0000

BOSTON (Reuters) - Democratic White House front-runner Hillary Clinton laid out her $10 billion plan on Thursday to tackle drug and alcohol addiction in the United States by boosting spending on treatment for addicts.

Well: For Weight Control, Fruit and Vegetable Choice May Matter

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:47:16 +0000

Eating more fruits and vegetables can help control weight, but a new study suggests that it depends on which fruits and vegetables you eat.

For seniors, hearing trouble linked to greater risk of death

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:46:40 +0000

(Reuters Health) - Older adults with hearing impairment may have a higher risk of dying than people with normal hearing, a recent study suggests.

Well: Living With Cancer: My Doctor, My Friend

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:34:13 +0000

My oncologist has played many roles in my life during my treatment, and now I must deal with the prospect that she might leave me, writes Susan Gubar in Living with Cancer.

Doctors often uncomfortable soliciting donations from patients

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:10:45 +0000

(Reuters Health) - Many doctors are asked to seek donations from grateful patients after successful cancer treatment, but most physicians are uncomfortable with this idea and feel a conflict of interest, according to a new study.

Weight loss, exercise may boost fertility odds for women with PCOS

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:25:38 +0000

(Reuters Health) - Women who suffer from a leading cause of infertility may increase their odds of conception if they exercise and lose weight, a U.S. study suggests.

Call for Britain to over-ride patents on Roche cancer drug

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:17:41 +0000

LONDON (Reuters) - A group of patients and campaigners has called on Britain's health minister to over-ride patents protecting Roche's expensive breast cancer drug Kadcyla to allow for the import or manufacture of cut-price copies.

ConAgra to cut 1,500 jobs, shift base to Chicago from Omaha

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:02:03 +0000

(Reuters) - ConAgra Foods Inc said it would cut about 1,500 jobs and move its headquarters to Chicago from Omaha as part of a plan to save at least $300 million in three years.

Well: A Soccer Star and Role Model With Tourette Syndrome

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:52:23 +0000

For Tim Howard, symptoms of Tourette syndrome started when he was a child. Now he tries to raise awareness of the neurological disorder, which is fairly common but also misunderstood.

FDA approves costly Bristol-Myers drug combo for melanoma

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:50:16 +0000

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first combination of two drugs that help the immune system fight cancer, a therapy regimen that could cost $256,000 a year.

Oregon becomes third U.S. state to allow recreational marijuana sales

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:26:51 +0000

PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - Marijuana sales for recreational use began in Oregon on Thursday as it joined Washington state and Colorado in allowing the sale of a drug that remains illegal under U.S. federal law.

Web surfing may not be main reason for teenage weight gain

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:04:43 +0000

(Reuters Health) - Web surfing may not be as big a factor in teenage weight gain as how many excess pounds children are carrying around at the start of adolescence, a Swiss study suggests.

Gene test finds which breast cancer patients can skip chemo

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:15 +0000

Many women with early-stage breast cancer can skip chemotherapy without hurting their odds of beating the disease - good news from a major study that shows the value of a gene-activity test to gauge each patient's risk....

House Republicans advance bill to undo health law

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:14 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans advanced legislation Tuesday to dismantle President Barack Obama's health law that could actually reach the president's desk....

In New Hampshire, substance abuse at center of 2016 campaign

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:13 +0000

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Sitting among hospital leaders, law enforcement and recovering addicts in New Hampshire's largest city Wednesday, Jeb Bush heard a sobering statistic: In the past 30 days, 102 people overdosed on drugs in Manchester alone. Ten died....

UN: HIV patients should start treatment immediately

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:13 +0000

LONDON (AP) -- The World Health Organization has revised its HIV guidelines to recommend that anyone who tests positive for the virus that causes AIDS should be treated immediately....

Low-nicotine cigarettes cut use, dependence, study finds

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:11 +0000

A new study might help the push for regulations to limit nicotine in cigarettes. Smokers who switched to special low-nicotine ones wound up smoking less and were more likely to try to quit, researchers found....

England, Wales ban smoking in cars with children inside

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:11 +0000

LONDON (AP) -- Smokers who light up in vehicles with children inside will face fines in England and Wales as anti-smoking measures are expanded to protect young people from the dangers of second-hand smoke....

Rare Q fever outbreak reported in American medical tourists

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:41:11 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- Five Americans came down with an unusual illness after traveling to Germany for a controversial treatment involving injections with sheep cells, health officials reported Wednesday....

Well: Hearing Loss Costs Far More Than Ability to Hear

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:12:20 +0000

The effects can be physical and psychological, professional and social. Yet many sufferers don’t realize it, or won’t admit it.

New NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak kills 1, sickens 12

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:05:01 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- A new Legionnaires' disease cluster discovered in the Bronx has killed one person and sickened 12 others just a month after the largest outbreak of the disease in New York City history, health officials said Wednesday....

Ask Well: A Long Walk or a Short Stair Climb?

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 14:44:55 +0000

A reader asks a fitness math question: Is it better to take a few hundred steps or a just a few stairs?

Well: Think Like a Doctor: Dazed and Confused

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 14:00:44 +0000

Can you figure out what is wrong with a young woman who develops nausea, vomiting, weakness and confusion after weight-loss surgery?

European drugs agency reappoints head after hiring debacle

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:12:58 +0000

LONDON (Reuters) - Italy's Guido Rasi is set to resume his leadership of the European Medicines Agency, following a year-long hiatus caused by a mess-up over the way he was originally appointed.

Welsh government reports 'mad cow' case, says no risk to health

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:53:36 +0000

LONDON (Reuters) - The Welsh government said on Thursday that a dead cow on a farm in Wales had been confirmed as having bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as mad cow disease, but said it had not entered the food chain and there was no risk to human health.

Germany's Merck sells rights to Kuvan back to BioMarin Pharma

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 08:12:59 +0000

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Merck KGaA said it agreed to return to BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc the rights to the Kuvan drug against rare genetic disorder PKU as it seeks to focus on cancer, immunology and neurology.

Australia detains U.S. anti-abortion activist

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 04:47:41 +0000

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia said it has detained an U.S. anti-abortion activist after he attempted to enter the country without a valid visa on Thursday, just days after permission for him travel to Australia for a series of talks was revoked.

Human reproduction, health broadly damaged by toxic chemicals: report

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 04:06:20 +0000

(Reuters) - Exposure to toxic chemicals in food, water and air is linked to millions of deaths, and costs billions of dollars every year, according to a report published Thursday by an international organization of medical professionals.

Profiles in Science: A Breast Cancer Surgeon Who Keeps Challenging the Status Quo

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 03:12:22 +0000

Dr. Laura J. Esserman strikes a different note in response to conventional wisdom on treating some kinds of breast lesions.

Millions More Need H.I.V. Treatment, W.H.O. Says

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:54:01 +0000

The new recommendations from the World Health Organization could go a long way toward halting an epidemic, but implementation would cost billions of dollars not yet committed.

Bid to repeal California school vaccination law may falter

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:55:11 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A plan to ask voters to repeal a new California law tightening vaccination requirements for school-age children may falter due to a shortfall in signatures needed to put the referendum on the ballot.

Heart effects of saturated fats may depend on overall diet

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:50:08 +0000

(Reuters Health) - While experts continue to debate the health effects of saturated fat, a new U.S. study suggests its link to heart disease depends on what else a person eats.

U.S. military 'golden hour' rule saved lives

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:35:01 +0000

(Reuters Health) - A mandate to get wounded U.S. soldiers to appropriate medical care within one hour of injury improved survival on the battlefield, according to a new study.

Low-nicotine cigarettes may reduce smoking, encourage quitting

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 21:49:12 +0000

(Reuters Health) - A large test of cigarettes with reduced nicotine finds that they help smokers cut down on the number of smokes they consume each day, at least in the short term, and that cigarettes with the lowest nicotine levels may even encourage smokers to quit.

New cholesterol drugs won't be budget busters: Express Scripts

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 21:42:18 +0000

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Express Scripts Holding Co said on Wednesday two costly new cholesterol fighters will not be "budget busters" for its clients and that most prescriptions for the potent drugs have been rejected because patients did not meet required medical criteria.

Phys Ed: Does Mindfulness Make for a Better Athlete?

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 20:05:55 +0000

Closely attending to our bodies through mindfulness meditation might help us to become better, calmer, athletic performers, a small study suggests.

Effectiveness of Talk Therapy Is Overstated, a Study Says

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 18:10:45 +0000

A new analysis found that talk therapy is effective for treating depression, but about 25 percent less effective than previously thought.

Well: Study Does Not Link Breast-Feeding With Child’s IQ

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 09:30:28 +0000

A new study suggests that breast-feeding has no effect on a child’s IQ from toddlerhood through adolescence.

Nursing Homes Bill for More Therapy Than Patients Need, U.S. Says

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 04:01:01 +0000

An inquiry by federal investigators found that nursing homes lined their pockets by routinely filing claims for the most expensive level of therapy no matter what was necessary.

Pilot Program Will Gauge Air Quality in New York Nail Salons

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 21:49:01 +0000

The program, which will use sensors embedded in desk lamps, is the latest in a series of initiatives by the city and state to protect salon workers from dangerous work conditions and labor abuses.

Wired Well: Take an Eye Exam on Your Laptop

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 20:14:45 +0000

An online eye exam taken at home is an easy alternative to the office visit, but only if your eyes are 18 to 40-years old.

Planned Parenthood’s Leader Pushes Back Against G.O.P. Critics

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 20:02:05 +0000

In testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Cecile Richards deplored what she called “outrageous accusations” that her organization profits from the sale of fetal tissue.

Missouri Finds Planned Parenthood Didn’t Mishandle Fetal Tissue

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 19:46:46 +0000

The state attorney general’s office investigated the organization’s St. Louis clinic after undercover videos were released by abortion opponents.

First Draft: Planned Parenthood to Offer Free S.T.D. Testing on National Pink Out Day

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 18:03:40 +0000

Fighting back against Republican attacks, Planned Parenthood is offering free testing for sexually transmitted diseases in 28 cities on Tuesday, “National Pink Out Day.”

Well: Yohimbe Supplement Labels Lack Accurate Information

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 17:54:17 +0000

Banned in several countries, it is sold in the United States despite often lacking correct details on quantity, or anything about side effects.

Concussions in a Required Class: Boxing at Military Academies

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 09:00:18 +0000

West Point says the sport instills the courage needed for combat, but some parents and neurologists are calling for alternatives.

On the Environment: How Many Deaths Did Volkswagen’s Deception Cause in the U.S.?

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 01:17:20 +0000

Public health researchers have formulas to calculate the lives lost from excess pollution.