July 2008 Archives

As women begin to enter menopause, their risk of developing a collection of heart disease risk factors appears to climb, a study has found.

Researchers found that among 949 U.S. women followed for nearly a decade, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome increased during perimenopause -- the years during which a woman's body begins to transition into menopause, usually starting somewhere in her 40s. . . .

Reuters - July 31, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL16324020080731?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Ordinary skin cells taken from patients with a fatal and incurable nerve disease have been transformed into nerve cells in a first step toward treating them, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

They transformed the cells from two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, into motor neurons -- the cells that waste away and die in ALS. . . .

Reuters - July 31, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN3141568520080731?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Two groups of researchers hunting for schizophrenia genes on a larger scale than ever before have found new genetic variants that point toward a different understanding of the disease.The variants discovered by the two groups, one led by Dr. Kari Stefansson of Decode Genetics in Iceland and the other by Dr. Pamela Sklar of Massachusetts General Hospital, are rare. They substantially increase the risk of schizophrenia but account for a tiny fraction of the total number of cases. . . .

The New York Times - July 31, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/health/research/31gene.html?ex=1375243200&en=3c09f766a5fad80a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

International researchers have identified three new DNA variations that increase the risk of schizophrenia and said on Wednesday they were some of the strongest genetic links yet found to the disease. . . .

Reuters - July 30, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL069923520080730?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Women who have diabetes before becoming pregnant are about three times as likely as other women to have a baby with at least one birth defect, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. . . .

Reuters - July 30, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN3048602720080730?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

If black America were a country, it would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with the AIDS  virus, the Black AIDS Institute, an advocacy group, reported Tuesday. . . .
Nearly 600,000 African-Americans are living with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, and up to 30,000 are becoming infected each year. When adjusted for age, their death rate is two and a half times that of infected whites, the report said. Partly as a result, the hypothetical nation of black America would rank below 104 other countries in life expectancy. . . .

The New York Times - July 30, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/health/research/30aids.html?ex=1375156800&en=e11841cfa001cc0e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

A diet rich in oily fish, which contains omega 3 fatty acids, may be why middle-aged men in Japan have fewer problems with clogged arteries than white men and men of Japanese descent in the United States, a study has found.

Reuters - July 29, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUST10934120080729?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

 Deaths from medication mistakes at home, such as actor Heath Ledger's accidental overdose, rose sharply over the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds.
The authors blame soaring home use of prescription painkillers and other potent drugs, which 25 years ago were given mainly in hospitals. . . .

baltimoresun.com - July 29, 2008

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.drugerrors29jul29,0,4209523.story?track=rss

Results of a new study suggest that taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may decrease the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults.

In the study, people at high risk for dementia who took statins were half as likely to develop dementia as those who did not take statins. . . .

Reuters - July 28, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON87480120080728?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Preventable medical errors during or after surgery cause 10 percent of surgery-related deaths and may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to a U.S. government report released on Monday. . . .

Reuters - July 29, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2848071220080729?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Individuals in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging -- a study launched in 2004 that is following 1,786 70- to 89-year-olds from Olmsted County, Minn. -- developed mild cognitive impairment at a rate of about 5.3% per year.

USATODAY.com - July 28, 2008

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-28-mild-cognitive-impairment-alzheimers_N.htm?csp=34

People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease who are more physically fit had less shrinkage in areas of the brain that are important for memory, researchers said on Sunday.

Fitness and exercise have been shown to slow age-related changes in the brain in healthy people. The latest finding suggests people with early Alzheimer's disease may still benefit. . . .

Reuters - July 27, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2743480420080727?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Researchers working on an artificial pancreas believe they are just a few years away from a nearly carefree way for people with diabetes to monitor blood and inject insulin as needed.

They believe they can link two current technologies -- continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps -- into a seamless package. . . .

Reuters - July 26, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2640595920080726?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday it will soon release long-awaited revised estimates of how many Americans become infected with the AIDS virus every year. . . .

Reuters - July 23, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2234848320080723?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Thousands of immigrants arrive in the United States sick with tuberculosis or at risk for the contagious and deadly disease, which points to the need to improve efforts to find them, researchers said on Tuesday. . . .

Reuters - July 23, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2227330820080723?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Culturally tailored diabetes education may help ethnic minorities with type 2 diabetes better control their blood sugar. . . .

Reuters - July 21, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON17312920080721?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

A once-a-day pill significantly shrank tumors in men with advanced prostate cancer who had not responded to other treatments, researchers said on Tuesday. . . .

Reuters - July 21, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL2184391820080721?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

The cholesterol fighter Vytorin sold by Merck & Co Inc and Schering-Plough Corp failed to meet the main goal of improving outcomes in a closely-watched heart study, according to data presented on Monday. . . .

Reuters - July 21, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSWNAB147220080721?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Cutting health costs by paying doctors more?
That is the premise of experiments under way by federal and state government agencies and many insurers around the country. The idea is that by paying family physicians, internists and pediatricians to devote more time and attention to their patients, insurers and patients can save thousands of dollars downstream on unnecessary tests, visits to expensive specialists and avoidable trips to the hospital. . . .

The New York Times - July 21, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/21medhome.html?ex=1374379200&en=cf14208671b16fdf&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Some doctors have long suspected that if the plaque that builds up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease could be removed, they could be saved. But a new vaccine that did just that suggests the theory is wrong. . . .

USATODAY.com - July 18, 2008

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-18-alzheimers-vaccine_N.htm?csp=34

Scientists have located an area in the brain that fails to "kick-in" for people with obsessive compulsive disorder and those at risk of developing the condition.
The discovery could allow researchers to diagnose the debilitating disorder much earlier and better track how drug treatments are working, they reported in the journal Science. . . .

July 17, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON77651820080717?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it. The kidney was removed through a single incision in his bellybutton, a surgical procedure Cleveland Clinic doctors say will reduce recovery time and leave almost no scarring. . . .

USATODAY.com - July 17, 2008

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-17-kidney-bellybutton_N.htm?csp=34

American medical care may be the most expensive in the world, but that does not mean it is worth every penny. A study to be released Thursday highlights the stark contrast between what the United States spends on its health system and the quality of care it delivers, especially when compared with many other industrialized nations. . . .

The New York Times - July 17, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/business/17health.html?ex=1374033600&en=1b05bff249cbfd9c&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Surgical removal of liver cancer may be a useful treatment and should at least be considered in patients with multiple tumors or vascular complications, according to a report in the journal Gastroenterology. . . .

Reuters - July 16, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON67732120080716?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Treatment to suppress outbreaks of genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is typically begun once a recurrence pattern is established, but new research suggests that treatment started shortly after diagnosis can better suppress recurrent outbreaks. . . .

Reuters - July 16, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL66378220080716?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Regular breast self-examination does not reduce death from breast cancer and may actually have a harmful effect by increasing the number of biopsies performed for benign disease, suggests an analysis of data from two large studies. . . .

Reuters - July 16, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL66382820080716?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

One of the largest studies of its kind shows just how sluggish American children become once they hit the teen years: While 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do. . . .

CNN.com - July 15, 2008

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/15/teen.fitness.ap/index.html?eref=rss_health

Obese women who carry most of their extra weight around the stomach are 70 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, an international team of researchers reported on Tuesday. . . .

Reuters - July 15, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1563037520080715?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Diabetes makes a person about three times as likely to develop tuberculosis, and it may be to blame for more than 10 percent of TB cases in India and China, researchers said on Monday. . . .

Reuters - July 15, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1442793820080715?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Getting a lot of exercise may help slow brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimer's disease, a preliminary study suggests. . . .

CNN.com - July 14, 2008

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/07/14/alzheimers.exercises.ap/index.html?eref=rss_health

Immune system proteins in the blood may reflect how abnormal proteins destroy brain cells in people with Huntington's disease, an incurable, inherited condition, British researchers said on Monday. . . .

Reuters - July 14, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1464473920080714?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

After a series of stinging investigations of individual doctors' arrangements with drug makers, Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, is demanding that the American Psychiatric Association, the field's premier professional organization, give an accounting of its financing. . . .

The New York Times - July 12, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/12/washington/12psych.html?ex=1373601600&en=b9deb1e1f25c5af9&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Congress has voted to block a cut in Medicare payments to doctors but has done nothing to solve the fundamental problem that caused the cut, and the issue will come back to haunt the next president and the next Congress, lawmakers and health policy experts say. . . .

The New York Times - July 13, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/washington/13medicare.html?ex=1373774400&en=a11c33804dd29451&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Researchers studying more than 100 families prone to autism said they had identified at least six new genes that appear to underlie the disorder -- and said they suggest it may be possible to treat it sometimes.

Their study, published in the journal Science, reinforces the common wisdom that autism is not just a single disease but can be caused by a range of genetic and environmental factors. . . .

Reuters- July 10, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1025798120080710?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

The American Medical Association, the largest physicians' group in the United States, apologized to black doctors on Thursday for a history of racial discrimination.
The AMA said it will work to increase the ranks of minority physicians and their participation in the association. . .  .

Reuters - July 10, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1026573820080710?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Nearly one in five food-induced anaphylactic reactions that occur in children with multiple food allergies will require two or more doses of epinephrine, rather than a single dose that is usually administered, new research suggests. . . .

Reuters - July 9, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL96051620080709?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Amgen's once-a-day pill to starve tumors can help many patients with hard-to-treat thyroid cancer, either by shrinking tumors or slowing their growth, researchers reported on Wednesday...

 

Reuters.com - 7-9-2008

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN0239431720080702?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

researchers reported on Wednesday they may have found a way to flush out herpes viruses from hiding -- offering a potential way to cure pesky and painful conditions from cold sores to shingles...

 

Reuters.com - 7-9-08

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN0229815620080702?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

A popular hormonal treatment for prostate cancer does nothing to extend the lives of men over 65 with early-stage tumors and may actually be harmful, according to a study published today...

BaltimoreSun.com - July 9 2008

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.prostate09jul09,0,3469008.story

 

Use of antibiotic drugs such as Bayer AG's Cipro can lead to tendinitis and ruptured tendons, U.S. health regulators said on Tuesday, calling for new strong warnings on the products.

The so-called black box warning would also apply to Bayer's Avelox, Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corp's Factive, Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd'sUse of antibiotic drugs such as Bayer AG's Cipro can lead to tendinitis and ruptured tendons, U.S. health regulators said on Tuesday, calling for new strong warnings on the products.The so-called black box warning would also apply to Bayer's Avelox, Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corp's Factive, Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd's Floxin, and Depomed Inc's Proquin. . . .

 Reuters - July 8, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0827883020080708?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Some children as young as two should be screened for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other heart disease risks, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The new policy statement issued on Monday recommends cholesterol screening of children and adolescents with a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease -- and giving cholesterol-lowering drugs to some if necessary. . . .

Reuters - July 7, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0742652920080707?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

A new type of vaccine that sneaks into the body and then self-destructs -- all without needles -- may offer a new way to protect against a range of diseases, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. . . .

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0744362220080708?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Food and Drug Administration officials are pushing for a "black box" warning about the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior with epilepsy drugs, just days ahead of a public meeting on the issue. . . .

Reuters - July 7, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSWBT00933720080707?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Treating high blood pressure in the very elderly may help reduce their risk of developing dementia, researchers said on Monday.

Blood pressure treatment in the over-80 set has already been shown to reduce risk of heart problems and fatal strokes. . . .

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0744423120080707?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems.

It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing. . . .

USATODAY.com - July 7, 2008

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-07-cholesterol-kids_N.htm?csp=34

The technology could one day help physicians to better tailor cancer treatments and monitor tumors in "real time," says Daniel Haber, director of the cancer center at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of a pilot study published online in today's New England Journal of Medicine. . . .

USATODAY.com - July 2, 2008

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-02-cancer-cells_N.htm?csp=34

U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday they may have found a way to flush out herpes viruses from hiding -- offering a potential way to cure pesky and painful conditions from cold sores to shingles.

Reuters - July 2, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN0229815620080702?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Diabetes drugs should face tougher safety standards that could cost manufacturers millions but protect patients from unforeseen heart risks, a government panel has recommended. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 14-2 on Wednesday that all new diabetes drugs should undergo longer studies to assure they don't increase risks of heart problems. The agency currently doesn't screen for heart risks associated with diabetes drugs. The New York Times - July 2, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/health/AP-Diabetes-Drugs-Heart-Risks.html

Chewing tobacco and snuff are less dangerous than cigarettes but the smokeless products still raise the risk of oral cancer by 80 percent, the World Health Organisation's cancer agency said on Tuesday.

The review of 11 studies worldwide showed people who chewed tobacco and used snuff also had a 60 percent higher risk of oesophagus and pancreatic cancer. . . .

Reuters - July 1, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKL0125176020080701?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Normal cells in the blood that play a role in healing wounds may also be creating the right conditions for cancer cells to spread, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They said fibrocytes, blood cells derived from bone marrow, could explain how healthy cells become habitats for cancer. . . .

Reuters - July 1, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0129536320080701?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

People with HIV in the developed world are no more likely to die in the first five years following infection than men and women in the general population, British researchers said on Tuesday.
The risk for people infected through sex creeps up after that, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that highlights the power of AIDS drugs introduced in the mid-1990s. . . .

Reuters - July 1, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON17351320080701?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

A red grape seed extract that packs the punch of red wine -- without the alcohol -- could help protect against memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease, research in mice suggests.

Rodents prone to developing Alzheimer's-like brain changes showed better cognitive function at 11 months of age -- when they would have been expected to already have some memory impairment -- if they were given the grape seed polyphenolic extract in their drinking water, Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and colleagues found. . . .

Rueters - July 1, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSARM16640120080701?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Exercise does not appear to reduce migraine attacks or their duration, although it may cut down on the intensity of the headache pain in those who suffer from migraines, according to published studies. . . .

Reuters - July 1, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSKRA16246720080701?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

The United States leads the world in rates of experimenting with marijuana and cocaine despite strict drug laws, World Health Organization researchers said on Tuesday. Countries with looser drug laws have lower rates of abuse, the researchers report in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine. . . .

Reuters - July 1, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0125478320080701?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

People who take part in weight-loss programs set up by their employers manage to lose at least modest amounts of weight compared to co-workers who do not take part, U.S. researchers said on Monday. . . .

Reuters - June 30, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN3041226120080630?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews