12/31/07
UVa. tests Viagra-like drug for women
A drug that could do for women what Viagra has done for men is being tested at the University of Virginia. The drug is a testosterone-laden ointment called LibiGel and it's intended to boost the libido of women who have lost interest in sex. It will be prescribed at UVa in coming months to women who are suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder...
12/31/07
Copper, silver tested as germ wards
Out with stainless steel, in with copper? It might be a new hospital trend — not for looks, but for germ-fighting. Some intensive-care units in New York and South Carolina are about to get copper fittings as part of a project to test if drug-resistant bacteria survive better on hospitals' ubiquitous stainless steel than on copper...
12/31/07
Doctors target germs' ability to cluster
Think of germs as gangsters. One thug lurking on a corner you might outrun, but a dozen swaggering down the street? Yikes. Bacteria make their own gangs, clustering quietly in the body until there's a large enough group to begin an attack. This is the next frontier in fighting drug-resistant superbugs. The idea: Don't just try to kill bacteria. The bugs will always find a way to thwart the next antibiotic...
12/31/07
Sleep disruptions may up diabetes risk
When Shakespeare called sleep the "chief nourisher of life's feast," he may have been well ahead of his time, medically at least. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center report that disrupting sleep damages the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels, potentially raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes...
12/28/07
Liver transplant tragedy
"You have undoubtedly read or heard the tragic story of Nataline Sarkisyan, and we know that all of our hearts go out to her family and friends during this sad time.
Our commitment, as always, is to assure that our members receive the highest quality health care, and we thought it important to make clear to all of you that in this case we fulfilled our responsibilities correctly and with the utmost integrity. More...
12/28/07
Year in Health
Persistent questions about the safety of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, a menacing microbe spreading throughout the U.S. and a globe-trotting TB patient garnered headlines this past year. A look back at the top health stories of 2007, More...
12/28/07
2 die from listeriosis
State health officials warned consumers not to drink milk produced by a Massachusetts dairy, saying it was the likely source of a bacterial illness that killed two men and sickened two others. More...
12/28/07
Teen brain key to understanding
Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor, helped draft an American Psychological Association brief for a 2005 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for crimes committed before age 18. More...
12/27/07
How to save your own child
Early one summer's evening, five parents gathered at a suburban Boston home. They had wine and fruit tarts, cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit. Laughter and hugs filled the room. More...
12/27/07
Medical clinics expanding care to needy
An out-of-work David Thomas walked into a Milwaukee food pantry just seeking groceries. Thomas learned he was a stroke waiting to happen and got blood pressure medicine along with his bread. More...
12/27/07
Here's to your safety
Persistent questions about the safety of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, a menacing microbe spreading throughout the U.S. and a globe-trotting TB patient garnered headlines this past year. A look back at the top health stories of 2007, More...
12/27/07
Moms Have greater health needs
Children whose mothers have a history of abuse by intimate partners have higher health care needs than children whose mothers have no history of abuse, according to a study conducted at Group Health, a Seattle-based health plan.
More...
12/26/07
Food pantries offering health care
An out-of-work David Thomas walked into a Milwaukee food pantry just seeking groceries. Thomas learned he was a stroke waiting to happen and got blood pressure medicine along with his bread. More...
12/26/07
Clinics expanding care to needy
An out-of-work David Thomas walked into a Milwaukee food pantry just seeking groceries. Thomas learned he was a stroke waiting to happen and got blood pressure medicine along with his bread. More...
12/26/07
Here's to your safety
Persistent questions about the safety of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, a menacing microbe spreading throughout the U.S. and a globe-trotting TB patient garnered headlines this past year. A look back at the top health stories of 2007: More....
12/26/07
Health care overhaul legislation
The proposal, which was approved by the California General Assembly on Monday, would require most state residents to obtain health coverage. Under the bill, residents with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level would receive state subsidies for coverage, and residents with incomes up to 400% of the poverty level would receive tax credits to ensure that health care premium costs do not exceed 5.5% of their incomes. Low-income residents would be exempt from the coverage mandate if they would be required More...
12/24/07
Purchase health insurance in any state
The Health Care Choice Act, which Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) plans to reintroduce on Wednesday, would allow U.S. residents to purchase health insurance in any state to "create a competitive, 50-state market for health insurance, likely making it cheaper," Merrill Mathews, executive director of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. More...
12/24/07
Year in Health: Here's to your safety
Persistent questions about the safety of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, a menacing microbe spreading throughout the U.S. and a globe-trotting TB patient garnered headlines this past year. A look back at the top health stories of 2007: More...
12/24/07
Judge overturns Maine law on Rx data
U.S. District Judge John Woodcock concluded that the law, which was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, would prohibit "the transfer of truthful commercial information" and "violate the free speech guarantee of the First Amendment." More...
12/24/07
Salsa your way to health, fitness
It's not "Dancing with the Stars," but rather the grand finale performance of the Atlanta Salsa Congress at the Waverly Renaissance Hotel ballroom. On a recent weekend, the events included everything from beginner salsa lessons to choreographed group recitals. More...
12/21/07
Health care action
Senior Senate Republicans "finessing their election-year message" are calling on the Senate Republican Conference to stress health care issues to help win over independent voters in their attempt to regain a majority in 2008, The Hill reports. Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), a close adviser to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), said health care "has replaced Iraq as the No. 1 item of anxiety and concern." More...
12/21/07
Capture emotions
In Tamara Jenkins' new movie The Savages, a middle-aged brother and sister find their self-absorbed, very separate worlds turned upside down when their long-estranged father reappears in their lives in the throes of dementia and unable to care for himself. More...
12/21/07
Breast cancer options
Most doctors don't talk about breast reconstruction with women before cancer surgery, depriving them of key information that can sway their decision about whether to have the whole breast or just a lump removed, new research suggests. More...
12/21/07
Are you a 'cyberchondriac'?
First-year medical students are some of the biggest hypochondriacs around. Bombarded with information about every disease under the sun, they start to imagine they have them all. In their minds, every mole is skin cancer. A nosebleed is surely a sign of a tumor. Headache? Must be skyrocketing blood pressure. More...
12/20/07
Holiday health insurance shopping
Holiday shoppers aren't just going to the mall this year. Millions are also going online to look for health insurance. There are many reasons why you may have "health insurance" on your holiday list this year. Early retirement. Between jobs. Going out on your own. Graduation from college.
If you're one of the estimated 47 million Americans without a health plan, gohealthinsurance.com offers the following eight simple tips to help you choose the right one, More....
12/20/07
Insured cancer patients do better
Uninsured cancer patients are nearly twice as likely to die within five years as those with private coverage, according to the first national study of its kind and one that sheds light on troubling health care obstacles. More...
12/20/07
Caring for aging parents
In Tamara Jenkins' new movie The Savages, a middle-aged brother and sister find their self-absorbed, very separate worlds turned upside down when their long-estranged father reappears in their lives in the throes of dementia and unable to care for himself. More...
12/20/07
Are you a 'cyberchondriac'?
First-year medical students are some of the biggest hypochondriacs around. Bombarded with information about every disease under the sun, they start to imagine they have them all. In their minds, every mole is skin cancer. A nosebleed is surely a sign of a tumor. Headache? Must be skyrocketing blood pressure. More...
12/19/07
Health care expansion legislation
The California General Assembly on Monday voted 46-31 along party lines to approve legislation proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D) that would require most state residents to obtain health coverage, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The $14 billion measure aims to cover more than 70% of the state's 6.6 million uninsured residents. More...
12/19/07
One doctor's prescription
The idea of returning to work would have many retirees dragging their feet. Being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week would send them running.
Not Hiram Ward, though, a soft-spoken doctor of 82. More...
12/19/07
Addicted doctors are allowed to practice
Troubling cases in which doctors were accused of botching operations while undergoing treatment for drugs or alcohol have led to criticism of rehab programs that allow thousands of U.S. physicians to keep their addictions hidden from their patients. More...
12/19/07
A killer cold
The vomiting, chills, fever -- "It must be the flu," he thought.
Within hours, Spencer's fever was 104 degrees. Within days, he was in the intensive care unit at Providence Portland Medical Center in Oregon with full-blown pneumonia. Spencer's doctor was afraid this sturdy teenage boy was going to die. More...
12/18/07
Candidates discuss health care
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.): Clinton on Friday at a news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, defended her recent criticism of the health care proposal announced by rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the New York Times reports. Clinton said, "I think contrasts are legitimate. My goodness, there are big differences between me and ... Sen. Obama on health care." Clinton has announced a health care proposal that would require all U.S. residents to obtain health insurance, but the Obama proposal would require coverage only for children, More...
12/18/07
Study unwraps hormone
The spirit of giving may be the hormone of giving, according to recent research.
A study by Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist at Claremont (Calif.) Graduate University, links the trait of generosity with oxytocin, a hormone released by the brain in response to social stimuli. More...
12/18/07
States not planning for flu season
Seven states have yet to participate in a federal program to buy antivirals for a potential influenza pandemic. Thirteen states do not have adequate plans to distribute vaccines and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile. More...
12/18/07
Turning from black to white
His once brown, even complexion is now mottled with pale patches around his eyes and mouth, along his nose and on his ears; his arms, shoulders and chest are speckled and blotched. More...
12/17/07
Expansion of health insurance
Six Democratic presidential candidates on Thursday during a debate in Johnston, Iowa, sponsored by the Des Moines Register and Iowa Public Television discussed health care and other issues, the New York Times reports, More...
12/17/07
Cancer's newest prescription
Jessie Gruman was just 20 when her world was shattered with a diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease.
"I was very, very distressed," she says about that difficult period in her life. "I lost lots of weight and I was frightened." More...
12/17/07
Keeping HIV rate down
Madagascar - On a back street in one of Antananarivo's seedier neighborhoods, Saholy clutches at the hood of her blue jacket, pulling it down against the light rain. She steels herself for more verbal abuse from her fellow street walkers plying their trade on the corners. More...
12/17/07
New respiratory virus
To start with, Kamryn was born seven weeks premature. She spent nearly a month in a neonatal intensive care unit to help her lungs develop. Two weeks after being released, she was rushed back to the hospital in an ambulance, struggling to breathe. More...
12/14/07
Candidates discuss health care
Nine Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday during a debate in Iowa sponsored by the Des Moines Register and Iowa Public Television discussed health care and other issues, the AP/Kansas City Star reports.
During the debate, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said that he would reduce federal spending for health care and other domestic programs by as much as 15%. More...
12/14/07
Kids and parents agree
Only 16% of mothers and 19% of fathers say their children this age have reached adulthood. And their kids don't dispute it: Just 16% consider themselves grown up in the online survey of 392 college students and their 590 parents. More...
12/14/07
Fewer breast patients may need chemo
Thousands of breast cancer patients each year could be spared chemotherapy or get gentler versions of it without harming their odds of beating the disease, new research suggests. More...
12/14/07
Scientists seek to help 'locked-in'
It's been described as the closest thing to being buried alive -- complete paralysis of the body, except for controlled movement of the eyes. More...
12/13/07
Discrimination during health care visits
For many Americans, poverty and lack of health insurance make it difficult to get necessary health and medical care. According to a new study, once they do visit the doctor, poor, uninsured people often report racial discrimination when communicating with health care professionals. More...
12/13/07
18- to 25-year-olds aren't adults
Only 16% of mothers and 19% of fathers say their children this age have reached adulthood. And their kids don't dispute it: Just 16% consider themselves grown up in the online survey of 392 college students and their 590 parents. More...
12/13/07
Common children's vaccine recalled
The recall announced Wednesday covers roughly 1.2 million doses of the vaccine against Hib, which causes meningitis, pneumonia and other serious infections, and a combination vaccine for Hib and hepatitis B. The Hib vaccine is recommended for all children under 5 and is usually given in a three-shot series, starting at 2 months old. More...
12/13/07
Should I test my breasts?
So you're scared of breast cancer. Smart lady. Nearly 200,000 women will learn they have breast cancer this year, and you don't want to be one of them. You're doing everything you can to make sure you're not next -- doing breast exams, getting mammograms -- but you think it would be great if you could get a test to see if you'll develop breast cancer. More...
12/12/07
Find Employment, Group Health Insurance
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined how the "transition into the workplace can be rocky for many childhood-cancer survivors -- especially those who have been treated with high doses of radiation and chemotherapy" because the "resulting cognitive and physical impairments can make it hard to keep a job." More...
12/12/07
NASA: Public health
From an orbit hundreds of miles above Earth, NASA's constellation of climate-research satellites may not be able to spot a flea in the desert Southwest. More...
12/12/07
U.S. cholesterol average is ideal at 199
For the first time in nearly 50 years, the average cholesterol level for U.S. adults is in the ideal range, according to a new government report. More...
12/12/07
Big strides thanks to aggressive medical care
Every step is precious now. Every movement is a gift. Every morning brings another sunrise, full of sweet promise. When Kevin Everett was a little boy growing up in Port Arthur, Texas, he would sit with his grandpa James Nico, and the older man would explain to him life's lessons. One of them was this: Don't ever be bitter. Just keep doing your best, even when things aren't looking so good. More...
12/10/07
Expand health care coverage
A universal health coverage proposal by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) would cost the state an additional $333 million over five years, but the state would generate enough new revenue under the proposal to cover the costs, state Human Services Secretary Pam Hyde said on Tuesday, the AP/Santa Fe New Mexican reports. Hyde on Tuesday outlined the preliminary cost estimates to the state Legislative Finance Committee. More...
12/10/07
Germ confusion runs rampant
If you believe everything you hear, you'd think the world is a cesspool of germs that threaten the safety of our children. Or that our overly sanitized kids should be exposed to viruses and bacteria to strengthen their immune systems. More...
12/10/07
Good bacteria gets popular
Bugs in baby food? Microbes in your milkshake? Relax, this is not the latest tainted food scare — it's a growing trend in foods designed to boost health, not make you sick. More...
12/10/07
Ease stress, improve fitness
A bottle of perfume, a box of candy or a set of pajamas are quick, easy gifts to buy and wrap during the holidays. This year, instead of giving something predictable, why not give the gift of health? The selections are endless, and prices range from expensive to downright cheap. Just imagine the reaction you'll get when you use your imagination. More...
12/07/07
Court ruling on policy cancellations
The California 2nd District Court of Appeal on Tuesday ruled that canceling individual health insurance policies for omissions or mistakes on applications after claims are submitted is "flatly prohibited" under state law, the Los Angeles Times reports. The decision could open the door to class-action lawsuits and changes in insurers' practices. More...
12/07/07
Premature heart attacks
A growing epidemic of childhood obesity worldwide will lead to an increase of premature heart attacks and strokes, say two studies out today. More...
12/07/07
Calls help couch potatoes walk
Fitness research shows that when a computer talks the talk, even couch potatoes can be persuaded to walk the walk. Researchers at Stanford University, who studied sedentary people for a year, found that automated exercise reminder phone calls had about the same get-up-and-go power as calls from human counselors More...
12/07/07
Transplant offers hope
Kimberly Lindsey marvels that her 3-year-old son Merrick doesn't need to take 10 different medicines anymore. He can safely frolic on the playground among the germs that lurk there. More...
12/06/07
Lawmakers unveil health care agenda
Colorado Republican state lawmakers on Monday unveiled a series of bills that would take incremental steps toward increasing the affordability of health care without raising taxes, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reports. The measures would: More...
12/06/07
Overweight children face premature
A growing epidemic of childhood obesity worldwide will lead to an increase of premature heart attacks and strokes, say two studies out today.
The very different studies offer twin perspectives on the potential impact of childhood obesity. More...
12/06/07
Rise in U.S. teen births
In a troubling reversal, the nation's teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, surprising government health officials and reviving the bitter debate about abstinence-only sex education. More...
12/06/07
Help! I'm not feeling better
When teacher Karen Myhre fell to the floor after taking attendance one morning, her third-graders knew exactly what to do: Ring the bell to alert the school office, and run to get the school nurse. More...
12/05/07
Physicians endorses two approaches
The American College of Physicians, the second-largest U.S. physician group, on Monday said that the U.S. should provide universal health coverage and could do so either through a single-payer health care system or a pluralistic approach, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The group based its recommendations on an analysis of health care systems in the U.S. and 12 other industrialized nations. More...
12/05/07
Being fit may outweigh being fat
If you are over 60, go take a hike or at least a brisk walk on a regular basis. It may help you live a few more years, even if you are a bit overweight or even obese, says a study out Wednesday. More...
12/05/07
Austrian wins $11,000 over anesthesia
The 62-year-old retiree in the southern Austrian province of Carinthia had demanded more than $57,000 in compensation for mental and physical suffering during the October 2002 operation, public broadcaster ORF reported. More...
12/05/07
Alarm on infant formula cans
Mothers sit propped against pillows and gym mats at the "Real Birth" baby clinic in New York City. It's a sea of unwashed hair, women of various ages and professions, complicit smiles and apologies for not looking more put together. The diverse women share a common drive: the desire to breast-feed their babies. They believe it's the best nutrition, but they have difficulty, for reasons ranging from low milk production to adopted babies to problems with some babies latching on. More...
12/04/07
Less likely to receive breast cancer test
An American Cancer Society study finds breast cancer patients who lack insurance, who come from areas with lower education levels, who are African American, or who are older are less likely to get a key diagnostic test to make appropriate treatment decisions. The study finds those groups are ten percent to three times more likely not to receive tests to determine if the breast cancer has spread to axillary (underarm) lymph nodes. An abstract of the study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference on the health disparities, held in Atlanta.
12/04/07
Under the knife
The anesthetized patient on the operating table is immobilized to prevent movement during surgery, but nobody on the medical team knows that behind those eyes taped shut is a mind that is still awake. More...
12/04/07
Try honey for children's coughs
A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better, according to a new study that relied on parents' reports of their children's symptoms. More...
12/04/07
Pros and cons of drinking
When you toast the New Year with a flute of champagne or down a glass of your favorite red wine on the weekends, it can actually be good news for your body: One glass a day (or less) can make your heart stronger and may boost your memory. More...
12/03/07
Families face 3 barriers to health care
There are so many problems in our health care delivery system and its financing structure that even families who have health insurance are having problems getting care as well as paying for it, according to a recent study by an Oregon Health & Science University family physician. The study, "Insurance Plus Access Does Not Equal Health Care: Typology of Barriers to Health Care Access for Low Income Families," More...
12/03/07
How to talk to a doctor
You are an empowered, assertive and knowledgeable patient. You can Google like nobody's business. More...
12/03/07
HIV rate being revised upward
Federal health officials are revising their estimate of how many people are infected by HIV each year, and advocacy groups say the number could rise by 35 percent or more. More...
12/03/07
'Heart School'
It's been a long time since 66-year-old Judy Borgula has seen the inside of a classroom, but a near-death experience forced her back to school -- "Heart School."
More...
12/01/07
Rapid test offers new weapon against chlamydia
A new rapid test for chlamydia, the world's most common sexually transmitted infection, has proved successful in trials and could help rein in a worrying rise in the disease, British scientists said on Friday...
12/01/07
We Can! Program Takes Aim at Childhood Obesity
The U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Association of Children's Museums are teaming up on a program to combat the obesity epidemic among America's children...
12/01/07
Reporter gets circumcised to fight AIDS
A southern African radio correspondent has been receiving a flood of text messages and cell phone calls — some from offended listeners and readers...
12/01/07
Bush urges additional AIDS money
President Bush urged Congress on Friday to approve an additional $30 billion for the fight against AIDS worldwide over the next five years, and announced he would visit Africa early next year to further highlight the need and his administration's efforts...
11/30/07
Lack of health insurance
Federal surveys overstate the number of Arizonans without health insurance, according to a study released today by the Center for Health Information & Research (CHIR) in the School of Computing and Informatics at Arizona State University. More...
11/30/07
Night-shift work
Like UV rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard shift will soon be listed as a "probable" cause of cancer. More...
11/30/07
Heart study expands to genetics
Mass. - Doctors didn't know cigarettes were bad and thought high blood pressure could sometimes be good when homemaker Helen Vaughn was lured by a 1948 newspaper ad to join one of history's most important medical studies. More...
11/30/07
Food allergies
That was our mantra, repeated for the umpteenth time as my husband and I cleaned up the sticky towels that littered the kitchen after 1-year-old Teddy's first sip of whole milk brought unrelenting projectile vomiting.
More...
11/29/07
Health insurance expansion
More than 20 groups on the Web site Facebook are "dedicated to advocating expanded government health coverage" and "many of them have hundreds of members," with some who "explicitly tie the issue to the 2008 elections," The Politico reports. According to The Politico, the number and size of the groups are "unsurprising when you consider the surge in interest in health policy among young people, one-third of whom are uninsured." More...
11/29/07
Unnecessary CT scans
Overuse of diagnostic CT scans may cause as many as 3 million excess cancers in the USA over the next two to three decades, doctors report today. More...
11/29/07
Work is linked to cancer
It was once scientific heresy to suggest that smoking contributed to lung cancer. Now, another idea initially dismissed as nutty is gaining acceptance: the graveyard shift might increase your cancer risk. More...
11/29/07
Avoid medication mistakes
When Dr. Albert Wu's wife, Diana Sugg, was pregnant with their first child, Sugg developed hepatitis and meningitis and was hospitalized. One evening while Wu was at the hospital taking care of his feverish wife, a nurse came in the room to give Sugg her antibiotics. More...
11/28/07
Rising Health Care Costs Is Real
In his opinion piece published earlier this month in the Wall Street Journal, John Graham makes the "spurious argument" that there is "no problem with our rising health costs because our economic productivity is very high and, after paying for health care, we still have on average more money left per capita in our economy than other countries," Arnold Relman of Harvard Medical School writes in a Wall Street Journal letter to the editor (Relman, Wall Street Journal, 11/26). More...
11/28/07
Obesity rates have leveled
U.S. adult obesity rates seem to have leveled off, at least temporarily, the government reported Wednesday. More...
11/28/07
FDA's Tamiflu proposal
Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG has accepted a recommendation by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel to put a stronger warning label on its flu treatment Tamiflu, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. More...
11/28/07
Caution at toy-shopping time
Amy Granelli started her holiday shopping weeks ago. As she aimlessly pushed her cart through towering aisles of toys she still found herself overwhelmed by choices. More...
11/27/07
Senators do not face high health care
The New York Times on Sunday examined how, when senators discuss health care reform, they "usually speak in abstract terms about soaring health costs and the plight of the uninsured," problems from which "members of Congress are usually insulated." According to the Times, senators have access to a number of health insurance options through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and they "are not normally exposed to the fears that strike many workers as employers reduce health benefits and insurers increase premiums year after year." More...
11/27/07
ATVs not safe for children
Kids who ride ATVs have an alarming number of potentially disabling injuries, a study reports.
All-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, weigh up to 600 pounds and can travel at speeds of 65 mph or more. The study adds to other evidence suggesting dangers faced by children who ride ATVs: The Consumer Product Safety Commission says 40,400 children were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2005 after ATV accidents. More...
11/27/07
Hospital makes brain surgery mistake
Rhode Island Hospital has been fined $50,000 and reprimanded by the state Department of Health after its third instance this year of a doctor performing brain surgery in the wrong side of a patient's head. More...
11/27/07
What it feels like to be a baby
As she picks him up, he's flooded with her scent and a dim memory of his other world -- the place where his body floated and he first recognized the scent that's hers alone. But now, two weeks after birth, he's in a vast, dry place called home. She brings him close to nurse and he roots with his mouth, guided in part by the smell of colostrum and the smell from the scent glands on her nipples. Her scent links him to everything he craves: food, warmth, touch. He latches on and the sweetness of the liquid is vaguely reminiscent of the smell and taste of amniotic fluid -- both are affected by his mother's diet. Already, sweet is his favorite taste. More...
11/26/07
More information to compare doctors
Most Americans are happy with their doctor or physician - but a clear majority also say they would like more information when choosing a health care provider. Three out of four Americans (74 percent) say that they wish they had better information to help them choose a doctor or hospital. More...
11/26/07
FDA panel to review Tamiflu's
A Food and Drug Administration panel on Tuesday will review reports of abnormal behavior and other brain effects in more than 1,800 children who had taken the flu medicine Tamiflu since its approval in 1999, including 55 in the USA. More...
11/26/07
Mental health hot lines
American farmers no longer have to stoically face all that Mother Nature and the economy can dish out. At least eight states offer free mental health hot lines to assist farmers and producers through difficult patches. During times of exceptional drought, such as the one that has covered the Southeast this year, the hot lines report a jump in calls from farmers needing emotional counseling and stress management. More...
11/26/07
Caution at toy-shopping time
Amy Granelli started her holiday shopping weeks ago. As she aimlessly pushed her cart through towering aisles of toys she still found herself overwhelmed by choices. More...
11/23/07
Three of four americans want more
Most Americans are happy with their doctor or physician - but a clear majority also say they would like more information when choosing a health care provider. Three out of four Americans (74 percent) say that they wish they had better information to help them choose a doctor or hospital. More...
11/23/07
Brain injuries not listed
At least 20,000 U.S. troops who were not classified as wounded during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have been found with signs of brain injuries, according to military and veterans records compiled by USA TODAY. More...
11/23/07
Flu shots for everyone
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said a flu pandemic was "one of the most severe risks" facing the country, telling lawmakers that he had signed an agreement to secure the delivery of enough pandemic flu vaccines to cover every citizen. More...
11/23/07
Picking a good plastic surgeon
Eager to fix breasts that weren't the same size and a rash that occurred where her breasts rubbed against her stomach, Trobaugh, then 28, went to see Adams in his office in Huntington Beach, California. She says she trusted him right away. More...
11/21/07
Health care proposal during forum
Presidential candidate New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) on Monday during a forum in Washington, D.C., organized by Families USA and the Federation of American Hospitals discussed his proposal to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, CQ HealthBeat reports. During the forum, Richardson said, "I absolutely believe that all Americans should have quality, affordable health care."
More...
11/21/07
Alzheimer's patients
Betty Proctor remembers the day she walked into her husband's nursing home and found him with another woman "all cuddled up in his arms." More...
11/21/07
Pedometers may encourage weight loss
A $20 fitness gadget stood up to multiple research studies, helping people walk an additional mile each day — but only if they logged their steps. Those who did lowered their blood pressure and lost a few pounds, an analysis found. More...
11/21/07
Stem cell debate
All sides involved in the controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells in research claimed vindication Tuesday after two teams of researchers reported having reprogrammed human skin cells to act like the stem cells, which have the potential of morphing into other cells and thereby curing disease. More...
11/20/07
Health insurance scams
The Wall Street Journal on Sunday examined the increasing number of small employers and individuals "searching for affordable health insurance" who fall "victim to scams and misleading offers." According to Mila Kofman, a Georgetown University associate professor who has studied the issue, more than 200,000 small businesses and U.S. residents since 2000 have purchased fraudulent health care plans and were left with hundred of millions of dollars in unpaid medical claims. More...
11/20/07
Healthful Thanksgiving meal
Thanksgiving is just two days away, and many of us are gearing up to eat, drink and get heavier. We'll indulge in our favorite foods and the heck with our diets. There's no reason to tinker with great-tasting traditions and make them more healthful — or is there? More...
11/20/07
Breakthrough uses no embryos
Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy. More...
11/20/07
Stem cell advance reported
Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy. More...
11/19/07
California health care reform plan
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) health care proposal and called for the plan to include culturally sensitive care and funds to address health disparities in the black community, the San Bernardino County Sun reports (Sorba, San Bernardino County Sun, 11/14). The plan would require all state residents to obtain health coverage and would provide income-based subsidies to low- and moderate-income Californians, More...
11/19/07
Thyroid cancer
Soon after Holly Russell-Milstein took her thyroid cancer medicine at Johns Hopkins University here on Oct. 18, she went into self-imposed isolation in a row house a short walk from the hospital. More...
11/19/07
Parents ordered to court for kids'
Md. - Scores of grumbling parents facing a threat of jail lined up at a courthouse Saturday to either prove that their school-age kids already had their required vaccinations or see that the youngsters submitted to the needle. More...
11/19/07
Recipe for stress
College senior Lisa Hamlett is looking forward to going home to Crossville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, but she hasn't always been so enthusiastic about spending Thanksgiving vacation with her parents. More...
11/16/07
The health of college students
A report released by the University of Minnesota Boynton Health Service is the first of its kind in the nation to conduct a comprehensive survey on the health of college students. About 10,000 college students completed the survey. Although the study is focused on students from 14 campuses in Minnesota, the health findings here reflect national health trends for college students, says Dr. Ed Ehlinger, the director and chief health officer of the university's Boynton Health Service. More...
11/16/07
Warning added to Avandia
The existing "black box" warning on the label of the widely prescribed diabetes drug Avandia will now include information about a potential increased risk for heart attacks, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. More...
11/16/07
New respiratory bug
A mutated version of a common cold virus has caused 10 deaths in the last 18 months, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Adenoviruses usually cause respiratory infections that aren't considered lethal. More...
11/16/07
Wounded warriors
He lost part of his skull in the blast and part of his brain was damaged. Half of his left arm was amputated and some of the fingers were blown off his right hand.
Ziegel, a 25-year-old Marine sergeant, knew the dangers of war when he was deployed for his second tour in Iraq.
More...
11/15/07
Reduce racial health disparities
UnitedHealthCare received the award for its Asian In-Language Provider Directory, which lists the ethnicities and language skills of medical workers. The directory, which aims to improve communication between physicians and non-English speaking patients, is available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. It also lists providers in California, Texas and Illinois, three states that have some of the highest numbers of Asian patients. UnitedHealthCare also has collaborated with HHS' Office of Minority Health for an effort that disseminates educational material to health care workers to help them offer more culturally competent care to patients, according to spokesperson Dan Miller.
UnitedHealthCare received the award for its Asian In-Language Provider Directory, which lists the ethnicities and language skills of medical workers. The directory, which aims to improve communication between physicians and non-English speaking patients, is available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. It also lists providers in California, Texas and Illinois, three states that have some of the highest numbers of Asian patients. UnitedHealthCare also has collaborated with HHS' Office of Minority Health for an effort that disseminates educational material to health care workers to help them offer more culturally competent care to patients, according to spokesperson Dan Miller. More...
11/15/07
Heart attack warning added to Avandia
The existing "black box" warning on the label of the widely prescribed diabetes drug Avandia will now include information about a potential increased risk for heart attacks, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. More...
11/15/07
Diabetes drug
The government slapped a prominent, though confusing, warning on the popular diabetes drug Avandia on Wednesday — telling patients that it may, or may not, increase the risk of heart attacks. More...
11/15/07
My pediatrician's not listening
Redrick says the pediatrician wanted to take blood every other day from her 2-week-old son, Matthew, to check on his jaundice. Redrick thought that the jaundice was improving and that it was unnecessary to cause her baby so much pain. More...
11/14/07
Rising health care costs
The number of U.S. residents who receive employer-sponsored health coverage "is continuing to shrink, raising anxiety among workers and invigorating a debate about whether insurance should be tied to jobs," USA Today reports. More...
11/14/07
Diabetes diet?
People with diabetes often fear that they'll never be able to eat good-tasting food again.
That's what registered dietitian and exercise physiologist Ann Albright found when working with those patients. "They sometimes felt like they were going to prison, and they were only going to drink water and eat toothpicks for the rest of their lives," she says. More...
11/14/07
U.S. sets record
More than 1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States last year — the most ever reported for a sexually transmitted disease, federal health officials said Tuesday. More...
11/14/07
Follow this eat-right plan
When cold and flu season comes around, many people head to their medicine cabinets in search of relief. But a trip to the kitchen may be the smarter move. More...
11/13/07
Paid medical leave legislation
USA Today on Monday examined the growing debate in Congress and across the U.S. on legislation that would provide paid medical leave to all workers. Proposals already have been introduced in 13 states, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families. San Francisco in November 2006 passed compulsory paid medical leave legislation, and the Washington, D.C. More...
11/13/07
Diabetes strikes younger
Lilly Branka, 5, a kindergartner in Medfield, Mass., and Richard Zarate, 12, a seventh-grader in San Antonio, live in different worlds, but they have something in common: diabetes. More...
11/13/07
Lobbying stalls generic drug
Legislation aimed at speeding the availability of cheaper generic drugs has stalled in Congress in the face of major lobbying by the drug industry. More...
11/13/07
4 biggest at-home hazards
Leah McCammon was just five days short of her first birthday when she was severely burned in her grandmother's bathtub. "My mother stepped out for just 30 seconds to get my other daughter from the living room," recalls Leah's mom, Shelly McCammon, an Atlanta, Georgia, interior designer. "In that time, Leah pulled herself up by grabbing the faucet and turned it on, sending 128-degree water splashing down." Three days later, Leah died. More...
11/12/07
Failure to reform U.S. health care
U.S. residents might think the fact that the nation "spends far more on health care per person than any other nation," yet has "lower life expectancy than most other rich countries," would "make the case for major reform of America's health care system ... irrefutable," More...
11/12/07
Diabetes 'revolution'
Diabetes expert John Buse recalls looking into his office's waiting room in the early 1990s and seeing it filled with people suffering the long-term complications of the disease. They would be blind, have legs missing from emergency amputations or be on kidney dialysis. More...
11/12/07
germ undermines body's defenses
The aggressive antibiotic-resistant staph infection responsible for thousands of recent illnesses undermines the body's defenses by causing germ-fighting cells to explode, researchers reported Sunday. Experts say the findings may help lead to better treatments. More...
11/12/07
Smoke-free college trend
When 19-year-old Reid Overton wants to smoke a cigarette on his college campus, he has to walk to a distant parking lot and get into his car, but he doesn't seem to mind. "Even as a smoker, I don't like to walk past a cloud of smoke," he says. More...
11/09/07
Children's health coverage pilot program
A new pilot project in West Virginia will offer health coverage to uninsured children who do not qualify for Medicaid or other government programs, the AP/Charleston Daily Mail reports. Under the "Every Child Matters" program, families will pay $30 per physician visit, and an "affordability fund" will cover a portion of the cost if a family cannot pay the entire fee. Sixteen community health center facilities across the state will participate in the program. More...
11/09/07
New mom's NYC
For bleary-eyed new moms, the image of Paula Radcliffe celebrating her astonishing New York marathon victory just nine months after giving birth is more than slightly surreal. There she was, one sinewy arm holding a baby, the other victoriously waving a British flag, ribs visible beneath a washboard-flat torso, not an ounce of visible fat on her sleek body. More...
11/09/07
$4.85B Vioxx settlement
Company officials estimated the deal, if accepted, would end 45,000 to 50,000 personal injury lawsuits involving U.S. Vioxx users who suffered a heart attack or ischemic stroke, the type in which blood flow to the brain is blocked. More...
11/09/07
Curb your hunger
How can you be hungry, you wonder, when you ate a mere hour and a half ago? The answer isn't so simple. Everything from stress to hormones to people, places, and situations can kick your appetite into overdrive. The good news: Whatever the cause, you can beat your hunger pangs. Read on for the latest stay-full strategies from the experts. More...
11/08/07
Risk of multiple conditions
Genetic tests to help people determine whether they have higher risks of developing a variety of conditions are becoming more widely available on a direct-to-consumer basis, the Wall Street Journal reports. However, skepticism, cost and privacy issues might dissuade people from seeking out the tests. According to the Journal, More...
11/08/07
Anti-smoking vaccine effective
A shot that robs smokers of the nicotine buzz from cigarettes showed promise in midstage testing and may someday offer a radically new way to kick a dangerous habit. More...
11/08/07
Anti-smoking shot holds promise
A shot that robs smokers of the nicotine buzz from cigarettes showed promise in midstage testing and may someday offer a radically new way to kick a dangerous habit. In a study, more than twice as many people given five of the shots stopped smoking than those given fewer or phony shots... More...
11/08/07
5 weird things about newborns
It's hard to believe now, but once upon a time, Michelle Duggar was a new mom. Now the Arkansas mother is famous for having 17 children, but she can still remember how her first child had a huge belly button when he was born 19 years ago. More...
11/07/07
Health care gift card
Pennsylvania-based health insurer Highmark, in partnership with Visa, has begun to market a new Healthcare Gift Card in an effort to encourage the use of medical services among certain populations, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The cards themselves cost $4.95, and consumers who purchase the cards can place between $25 and $5,000 on them for use at businesses that Visa has designated as related to health. Such businesses include physicians, dentists and pharmacies, as well as gyms (Toland, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/2). Consumers can purchase the cards online or through a toll-free telephone number. Highmark first will market the cards in Pennsylvania but likely will begin to market them nationwide in the future.
More..
11/07/07
'Don't let the bedbugs bite'
First come the bites, amazingly itchy, raised red welts that appear, literally, overnight. Then, you might notice scarlet spots on your sheets from smashed bugs or perhaps clusters of little black dots that you assume are dirt but are in fact constellations of fecal matter. More...
11/07/07
8-limbed girl has successful surgery
BANGALORE, India - Doctors in southern India completed a grueling 24-hour operation Wednesday on a girl born with four arms and four legs that surgeons said will give the 2-year-old a chance at a normal life. More...
11/07/07
Man sheds 87 pounds
"I was thin and fit my whole life," Welch remembers. "I was always active in sports such as running cross-country in high school and swimming on the swim team in college."
Things started to change in 1995 after he graduated from college. Welch got a job, moved out of his parents' house and began indulging in late-night meals with his friends.
More...
11/06/07
Medicaid fraud concerns
A recent raid by federal and state authorities on Tampa, Fla.-based health insurer WellCare was prompted by allegations that the company inflated mental health care spending so it could keep funds it should have refunded to the state's Medicaid program, according to a person familiar with details of the investigation, More...
11/06/07
Healing touch
Susan Iliff was out of the hospital within four days after open-heart surgery and never needed any pain medication.
She credited her speedy, painless recovery not just to her doctors, but also to an unconventional type of therapy she received at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif.: a daily dose of healing touch therapy. More...
11/06/07
Recall authority for FDA
The Food and Drug Administration would be empowered to order mandatory recalls of products deemed a risk to consumers under recommendations from an advisory commission created in response to concerns about recalls of dangerous toothpaste, dog food and toys. More...
11/06/07
5 foods in your diet
Bad reputations tend to stick, even with foods. Continued negative press about a fruit, vegetable, or beverage is enough reason for many of us to banish it. Or maybe we indulge on occasion, but with a measure of guilt. More...
11/05/07
Insurers targeting marketing efforts
Health insurance companies increasingly are focusing marketing efforts for individual policies on the estimated seven million uninsured U.S. residents between the ages of 50 and 64 -- a group they once had "a history of avoiding" because of costly claims for health conditions that frequently affect that age group, the AP/Boston Herald reports. According to some experts, financially secure adults who retire earlier than usual or require insurance after corporate cutbacks are helping drive this trend, which targets people in the years preceding their eligibility for Medicare. More...
11/05/07
New patient outreach program
Susan Iliff was out of the hospital within four days after open-heart surgery and never needed any pain medication.
She credited her speedy, painless recovery not just to her doctors, but also to an unconventional type of therapy she received at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif.: a daily dose of healing touch therapy. More...
11/05/07
Lack of sleep
Here's another reason to get the kids to bed early: More sleep may lower their risk of becoming obese. Researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child's chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent. More...
11/05/07
Soldier survives bizarre injury
It takes a few moments to notice the dent on the top of Sgt. Dan Powers' head, a place where he was stabbed with a nine-inch blade while patrolling the streets of the Iraqi capital. More...
11/02/07
Health care reform
America's Health Insurance Plans and Kaiser Permanente on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., held a briefing with a number of health insurance industry executives from the Netherlands and Switzerland to discuss proposals to expand coverage to all residents through the private sector, More...
11/02/07
A desperate gamble
A little boy, 18 months old, trains his solemn brown eyes on visitors to his room here at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, then, after a moment, breaks into a smile. More...
11/02/07
Heroin overdose program
Massachusetts officials next month will begin distributing kits to heroin addicts that include medication to treat overdoses. More...
11/02/07
Cold and flu season
With cold and flu season comes time-honored traditions for relief and prevention: Feed a fever, starve a cold. Wear warm clothes. Eat chicken soup. More...
11/01/07
Giuliani discuss health care
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.): Biden on Friday at a Manchester, N.H., forum sponsored by Divided We Fail, a campaign launched by AARP and other groups that seeks to focus the 2008 presidential election on health care and financial security issues, discussed his health care proposal, the AP/Wilmington News Journal reports. According to Biden, the proposal, which would cost between $80 billion and $110 billion annually, would not require U.S. residents to obtain health insurance. More...
11/01/07
Son's rare disorder
A little boy, 18 months old, trains his solemn brown eyes on visitors to his room here at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, then, after a moment, breaks into a smile. More...
11/01/07
HIV infection rate drops
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe has registered a 2.5 percent decline in HIV infection rates, and the number of AIDS deaths also is dropping, the government said Thursday, crediting its "tireless efforts" to fight the pandemic. More...
11/01/07
Your kid has a cold
On the popular parenting Web site urbanbaby.com, a writer asks whether it's OK to give an 18-month-old "a tiny bit of Robitussin" for her "cold/cough and fever." More...
10/31/07
Insurance rates may increase
A new study published in The Journal of Risk & Insurance explores the financial implications of banning insurance companies from accessing genetic information. Drawing on data that includes economic, demographic, and relevant family background information, the study simulates the market for 10-year life insurance plans that include breast cancer testing for women 35-39 years of age, examining the potential impact of keeping genetic test results away from insurers. More...
10/31/07
'Everywhere chemicals'
Consider the BornFree baby bottle. It's made from a plastic five times as expensive as the one routinely used for baby bottles. It has to be shipped all the way from Israel. And its retail price — $9.50 — is about triple that of a conventional bottle. More...
10/31/07
Vitamin D
A large new study found no sign that vitamin D lowers the overall risk of dying from cancer, injecting a note of caution to the latest vitamin craze. The exception: People with more vitamin D in their blood did have a significantly lower risk of death from colorectal cancer, supporting earlier findings. More...
10/31/07
Breast cancer survival
Her doctor thought she was too young to have cancer, but an operation found a lump bigger than anyone expected. Bueti got a breast cancer diagnosis at 31 and immediately underwent treatment.
10/30/07
Kaiser daily health policy report
Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.): Edwards on Sunday at a town hall meeting in Laconia, N.H., discussed a provision in his health care proposal that would delay direct-to consumer advertisements for new medications for two years, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. In addition, the provision would require ads for new medications to include more information about their side effects and comparative effectiveness and would increase penalties for pharmaceutical companies that use misleading ads. More...
10/30/07
Drive to cut mercury
Despite decades of government attempts to regulate it, ban it and erase it from household use, the poisonous metal mercury remains a threat to the environment and public health, especially to children and to women of childbearing age. More...
10/30/07
Young adults on cholesterol
Use of cholesterol and blood pressure medicines by young adults appears to be rising rapidly — at a faster pace than among senior citizens, according to an industry report being released Tuesday. More...
10/30/07
Housework, kid duty
Take Jenny and Marc Fink of Mayville, Wisconsin. They're champion scorekeepers. Both work -- Jenny as a freelance writer from home, Marc full-time-plus as a civil engineer with a long commute. Jenny also takes care of their four sons, ages 20 months to 9 years, and homeschools the two oldest. When Marc gets off work, he switches to full-energy-dad mode, hanging out with the kids before giving them baths and getting them to bed. More...
10/29/07
Health care issues in 2008 campaign
Anne Kinzel, Des Moines Register: A number of presidential candidates have promoted their health care proposals to Iowa residents, but "are they asking us what we actually want or are they just giving us 10-second sound bites to what is a 65-year-old issue?" Kinzel, an honorary board member of CodeBlueNow! More...
10/29/07
The lead threat
The house is not the biggest on the block, but Blanca de la Cruz's brick bungalow, on a quiet street south of downtown, is swept and tidy, with twin pots of vivid pink petunias hanging from the front porch. She keeps a close watch on her two boys, 9-year-old Saul and 3-year-old Miguel. More...
10/29/07
Autism screening
The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys. More...
10/29/07
A spooky but safe Halloween
Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween, says the National Safety Council. Keep your little gobblin out of danger with a safety checklist, starting with acostume that fits well. More...
10/26/07
Health care proposal
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (Del.) on Tuesday at Des Moines University announced a proposal to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, the Des Moines Register reports. The proposal, which Biden said would cost $80 billion to $120 billion annually, More...
10/26/07
Bush to veto kids' health
President Bush accused Democratic lawmakers on Friday of wasting time by passing legislation to expand children's health coverage, knowing that he would veto it again. At the same time, he criticized Congress for failing to approve spending bills to keep the government running. More...
10/26/07
Child health care persists
The Senate is the next stop for legislation to expand children's health coverage, revised by Democrats but rejected by President Bush as little changed from their earlier offering. More...
10/26/07
Breast cancer finds superhero
For the last few years I've thought I'd like to walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. The idea of doing something incredible with more than 2,500 other women for such a great cause seemed like the perfect goal for me. More...
10/25/07
63% Of U.S. Residents paying more
In a nationwide survey released on Wednesday, 63% of U.S. residents reported paying higher health care costs this year than they did in 2006, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The survey, released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, was conduced with market research firm Mathew Greenwald and Associates and included 1,000 adults interviewed between May 17 and June 10. More...
10/25/07
Teen births highest in Texas
Almost a quarter of teen births in Texas are to girls who have had a baby before, according to a state-by-state analysis of federal birth rate data to be released today.
More...
10/25/07
Losing AIDS battle
Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told Russians on Thursday that their country is losing the battle against HIV/AIDS because of government inaction and a lack of public awareness. More...
10/25/07
Pharmacy errors
When Chanda Givens found out she was pregnant, she did what most expectant mothers would do: She went out to fill her prescription for prenatal vitamins. More...
10/24/07
Presidential candidates discuss health care
Clinton on Sunday at the East Las Vegas Community Center held a discussion that focused on health care and invited audience members to discuss their problems with the U.S. health care system, More...
10/24/07
Apple a day
A new study shows an apple a day keeps the calories at bay. People who ate an apple about 15 minutes before lunch consumed almost 190 fewer calories than when they didn't have the apple. More...
10/24/07
Vaccine OK for very young
A nasal spray form of the annual flu shot can be given each year to children as young as 2, an advisory vaccine panel said Wednesday. More...
10/24/07
Fight, from the burn unit
Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviews the mother of a firefighter who was severely burned in the Southern California wildfires. Here is his report from UC San Diego's burn unit. More...
10/23/07
Candidates discuss health
Eight Republican presidential candidates on Sunday during a debate in Orlando, Fla., "duked it out" over health care and other issues, "united only in their attacks" on Democratic candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and her proposal to extend health insurance to all U.S. residents. More...
10/23/07
Gain a spouse
Young adults might want to change their wedding vows to say they are taking each other "for better or girth." More...
10/23/07
Women and double mastectomies
More women who have cancer in only one breast are getting both breasts removed, says research that found the trend more than doubled in just six years. It's still a rare option: Most breast cancer in this country is treated by lumpectomy, removing just the tumor while saving the breast. More...
10/23/07
Life with diabetes
Ann Curley is the assignment manager for the CNN Medical News unit. She has been a type I diabetic for 40 years. This is her story of life with diabetes. More...
10/22/07
Aetna revises reimbursement policy
According to a 61-page "national coverage determination" announced in July, Medicare will cover the medications, synthetic forms of the protein erythropoietin, More...
10/22/07
Extra poundage from a trip
Top weight-loss experts often travel, eating at restaurants, airports and meetings. This week they are being tempted by New Orleans' classic Cajun and Creole dishes, More..
10/22/07
cells could help diabetics
Scientists at Washington University have transplanted embryonic pig pancreatic cells into diabetic monkeys, which could have major implications for the treatment of diabetes in humans. More...
10/22/07
Students up and running
Khalil Colon was sweaty but smiling after 25 jumping jacks and 20 laps around the school gym. A year ago, the 9-year-old said, running made him feel "like I'm about to drop on the middle of the floor." More...
10/18/07
Having a baby costs
The cost of having a baby, from the first prenatal visit to the baby's birth, averaged roughly $7,600, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The total, in 2004 dollars, includes payments for hospital childbirth, prenatal office visits, prescription medicines, and other services. More...
10/18/07
Middle school to offer the pill
After an outbreak of pregnancies among middle school girls, education officials in this city have decided to allow a school health center to make birth control pills available to girls as young as 11. More...
10/18/07
Cold drugs for kids
Cold and cough medicines recently pulled from sale for infants and toddlers shouldn't be given to children as old as 5, either, pediatricians told government health advisers Thursday. More...
10/18/07
Surviving breast cancer
Actress Jaclyn Smith will never forget the day she found out she had breast cancer. And she'll never forget the lesson she learned in those very first moments of being a cancer patient. More...
10/17/07
Details of new contract with UAW
General Motors on Monday announced details of its new contract with United Auto Workers, which will save the automaker billions of dollars in retiree health care liabilities through the creation of a union-run voluntary employees' beneficiary association, More...
10/17/07
Alzheimer's program
A small group gathers at Picasso's Girl Before a Mirror in a hushed gallery at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan.
More...
10/17/07
Staph fatalities
More than 90,000 Americans get potentially deadly infections each year from a drug-resistant staph "superbug," the government reported in its first overall estimate of invasive disease caused by the germ. More..
10/17/07
FDA hearing on cough, cold meds
On a recent chilly Illinois morning, Dimitria Alvarez sat at her kitchen table and looked through her son Devon's baby clothes. "He was just so happy all the time," Alvarez remembered later with a smile. "He was so much calmer than my girls." More...
10/16/07
Schwarzenegger vetoes democrats' health
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Friday vetoed a health care overhaul measure (AB 8) proposed by legislative Democrats, the Los Angeles Times reports (McGreevy, Los Angeles Times, 10/13). The legislation would have expanded health insurance to about four million More...
10/16/07
L.A. fast-food biz
When the school day ends, Georgina Lopez and her friends head to a fast-food chain restaurant for a taco, unconcerned that city leaders wish they had a broader and perhaps healthier set of food choices. More...
10/16/07
Theories on aging brains
When aging hampers memory, some people's brains compensate to stay sharp. Now scientists want to know how those brains make do — in hopes of developing treatments to help everyone else keep up. More...
10/16/07
Healthful breakfast
More than any other meal, breakfast is an investment in good health. Eating in the morning helps you stay focused and energized through busy days. Breakfast increases the likelihood of meeting recommended daily doses for essential vitamins and minerals that help prevent disease. More...
10/15/07
Health issues in campaign
"Every Democratic and Republican presidential hopeful has come up with a health care plan for the nation" in response to a "collective acknowledgment that America's health care system is ailing," according to a Courant editorial. The "candidates are responding because constituents are asking for, and in many cases demanding, remedies," More...
10/15/07
Young people go vegetarian
Sierra Predovich pops carrot sticks and hummus the way most teens nosh on fries. Predovich, 17, of Redwood City, Calif., became a vegetarian at 13 and is among a growing number of children in the USA who are cutting meat from their diets, or at least cutting back. More...
10/15/07
Cancer death rates dropping
Good news on the cancer front: Death rates are dropping faster than ever, thanks to new progress against colorectal cancer. More...
10/15/07
Moms too stressed
Jennifer Lynch and Jennifer Gonzalez live nearly 900 miles apart. But they have much more in common than their first names: Each has three young children, each works outside the home and each admits she's stressed out. More...
10/12/07
California Gov. proposes Universal Health coverage
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday introduced a revised $14 billion proposal to require all state residents to obtain health insurance, financed in large part by leasing the California lottery to a private firm, the Los Angeles Times reports. Schwarzenegger's new plan largely maintains the framework of a proposal he outlined in January, "although it contains a number of concessions intended to appease labor unions, More...
10/12/07
Abortions in the world unsafe
Women are just as likely to get an abortion in countries where it is outlawed as they are in countries where it is legal, according to research published Friday. More...
10/12/07
Medicines pulled off market
Drug makers pulled cold medicines targeted for babies and toddlers off the market Thursday, leaving parents to find alternatives for hacking coughs and runny little noses just as fall sniffles get in full swing. More...
10/12/07
Does birth order matter?
The debate over the impact of birth order gained new urgency this summer when the results of a new study were announced: Firstborns' IQs tend to be higher than those of their younger siblings. More...
10/10/07
Protecting your health records
Many consumers take precautions against identity theft, but what about medical identity theft? In addition to financial peril, victims can suffer physical danger if false entries in medical records lead to the wrong treatment. More...
10/10/07
Hair-raising ideas
The most effective current solution for baldness is hair-replacement surgery, in which follicles are painstakingly moved in small bunches from the thick hair on the back of the head to the barren acreage on top. More...
10/10/07
Pollution cuts lifespans
Serbia - Poor air and water quality, and environmental changes blamed on global warming, have cut Europeans' life expectancy by nearly a year, Europe's environmental agency warned Wednesday. More...
10/10/07
Nursing an allergic baby
About the only thing I knew for certain when I had my daughter last December was that I would breast-feed. Every parenting book I'd read and every childbirth class I'd attended emphasized nursing's nutritional, developmental and emotional benefits for babies. More...
10/09/07
Uninsured U.S. residents 17.9%
The number of uninsured U.S. residents younger than 65 rose to 46.4 million people, or 17.9% of that population, according to a report released Thursday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the Kansas City Star reports. The report also included the following findings: More...
10/09/07
Ideas to cure baldness
The most effective current solution for baldness is hair-replacement surgery, in which follicles are painstakingly moved in small bunches from the thick hair on the back of the head to the barren acreage on top. More...
10/09/07
Treating mini-strokes fast
Treating patients quickly for mini-strokes could dramatically cut the risk of a major stroke later, report two studies that could change standard treatment and potentially save millions of people from stroke's damaging effects. More...
10/09/07
Boost your memory
You can't find your glasses (they're on your head), you forgot the morning staff meeting (it was an hour ago), and the kids are safely at school (but their lunches are still on the kitchen counter). Oh well, when you're crazy-busy, exhausted, or valiantly multitasking from morning till night, something's gotta give -- and it's usually your memory. Not to worry: More...
10/08/07
Clinton to launch health care ad
Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Thursday will begin to air a 30-second television advertisement statewide in Iowa and New Hampshire that portrays her as the candidate with the greatest ability to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, More...
10/08/07
Tea is steeped in health
Tea, something that people around the world enjoy consuming, might actually be good for you.
"The most fascinating thing is, to my knowledge, More...
10/08/07
Nobel in medicine
Two American scientists and a Briton won the 2007 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for groundbreaking discoveries that led to a powerful technique for manipulating mouse genes. More...
10/08/07
Kids fight pre-test jitters
Fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith wants her students at Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, to pay attention to a lesson on Greek mythology. More...
10/05/07
17 Million continuously uninsured
More than 17 million Americans under age 65 - almost a third of whom are middle income, could be considered continuously uninsured. This means that they have not had health insurance to help cover their medical bills for at least four years, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. More...
10/05/07
Smoking ban for apartments
Lawmakers in two California cities are discussing unprecedented legislation this month that would widen a growing voluntary movement by landlords and resident associations to ban smoking inside apartments and condos. More...
10/05/07
Clinics bring help on wheels
If she's lucky, it'll only be a few days. But it could be a several weeks before St. Mary's Health Wagon, a free mobile clinic that makes rounds in central Appalachia, arrives in this remote community in southwest Virginia to help the sick. More...
10/05/07
Dementia forces people off jobs
Four prominent neurologists say they cannot see how Sen. Pete Domenici can continue his work as a U.S. senator given his diagnosis with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, a type of dementia. More...
10/04/07
Information from long-term care
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) this week asked 11 long-term care insurers to provide information on their business practices in response to "troubling data," the New York Times reports. In a letter sent to Genworth Financial, Conseco, Penn Treaty American and eight other insurers, More...
10/04/07
E. coli outbreak
An outbreak of E. coli has sickened at least 10 people, including seven schoolchildren, and officials have ruled out school cafeteria food as a source. More...
10/04/07
Virtual colonoscopy
Having an X-ray to look for signs of colon cancer may soon be an option for those who dread the traditional scope exam. Two of the largest studies yet of "virtual colonoscopy" show the experimental technique works just as well at spotting potentially cancerous growths as the more invasive method. It's also quicker and cheaper. More..
10/04/07
Aalternative medicine treatments
Dr. Andrew Weil wasn't sure exactly how he hurt his knee; all he knew was that it was painful. But instead of turning to cortisone shots or heavy doses of pain medication, Weil turned to the ancient Chinese medicine practice of acupuncture. "It worked -- my knee felt much better," says Weil. More...
10/03/07
Presidential candidates discuss health
Clinton on Sunday at a campaign event in Oakland, Calif., discussed her proposal to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, as well as other issues, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports. The event marked one of several appearances in the San Francisco Bay Area that Clinton made over the weekend, More...
10/03/07
Banning smoking in apartments
Lawmakers in two California cities are casting votes this month on unprecedented legislation that would widen a growing voluntary movement by landlords and resident associations to ban smoking inside apartments and condos. More...
10/03/07
Bush vetoes child health
It was only the fourth veto of Bush's presidency, and one that some Republicans feared could carry steep risks for their party in next year's elections. The Senate approved the bill with enough votes to override the veto, but the margin in the House fell short of the required number. More...
10/03/07
Woman loses 95 pounds
For most of her adult life, the 31-year-old graduate student from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, has struggled with her weight. She started gaining as a teenager and by the time she graduated from high school, she was up to 215 pounds. More...
10/02/07
Mental health parity bill
The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday voted 27-13 to approve a bill (HR 1424) sponsored by Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) that would require most health insurers to provide equal levels of coverage for physical and mental illnesses, more...
10/02/07
Achievers less prone to Alzheimer's
A surprising study of elderly people suggests that those who see themselves as self-disciplined, organized achievers have a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's disease than people who are less conscientious. More...
10/02/07
U.S. labs mishandling deadly germs
American laboratories handling the world's deadliest germs and toxins have experienced more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003, and the number is increasing steadily as more labs across the country are approved to do the work. More...
10/02/07
5 healthy foods
If you want to know where American food traditions are headed, look back. Many of today's most healthful eating trends bear a strong resemblance to yesterday's: Nearby farms offering nutritious, peak-of-season produce; slow-cooked dinners that foster leisurely family meals; an emphasis on meatless dishes and minimally processed foods. More...
10/01/07
Voters see health as important
America is the only major industrial country to have a large number of its citizens without any health coverage at all; the number has been steadily growing during the last decade - today, estimates say that approximately one in seven Americans has no health cover. Add to this the growing number of 'under-insured' Americans and you have health as one of the major election issues. More...
10/01/07
War injuries strain vets
He was one of America's first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. More...
10/01/07
Heart attacks in kids
Beth Meter is a cardiac nurse who has seen plenty of heart attacks, so when her son complained of sudden crushing chest pain that spread to his arm, she was certain he was having one. More...
10/01/07
Key concern for vegetarians
It's lunchtime at Café Sunflower in Atlanta, Georgia. The kitchen is humming as the chef prepares the most popular item on the menu: sesame chicken. That's not what you'd expect at a vegetarian restaurant. But the so-called chicken is actually a seasoned soy product made to taste like the real thing. "It's a treat for vegetarians who miss meat," says restaurant owner Edward Sun. More...
09/28/07
Future of employer-sponsored health
The elimination of the employer-sponsored health care system is not economically responsible because part of the system remains functional, a panel of health care experts said on Friday at a briefing sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, CQ HealthBeat reports. More...
09/28/07
Medicare drug plans jumping 8.7%
Many seniors and the disabled enrolled in the Medicare drug program are likely to pay more next year, with the average premium for all stand-alone drug plans rising 8.7% to $40 a month, according to data released late Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. More...
09/28/07
Policy on cough suppressant
Government health officials on Friday gave drug companies until Oct. 31 to stop making and selling any unapproved medicines labeled for use by children younger than 6 that contain the painkiller and cough suppressant hydrocodone. More...
09/28/07
Treating depression
Investing in depressed employees -- quickly getting them treatment and even offering telephone psychotherapy -- can cut absenteeism while improving workers' health, a study suggests. More...
09/27/07
Clinton health care plan
The debate over health care among presidential candidates "should be about how to guarantee access either at the national level or through a federal go-ahead for states ... that have plans ready to implement and whether to penalize those who do not avail themselves of coverage, More...
09/27/07
Fewer seniors live in nursing homes
Despite the graying of the nation, the percentage of elderly living in nursing homes has declined, according to Census data released today. The downturn reflects the improved health of seniors and more choices of care for the elderly. More...
09/27/07
Alcohol raise cancer risk
All types of alcohol — wine, beer or liquor — add equally to the risk of developing breast cancer in women, American researchers said Thursday. More...
09/27/07
Commonly misdiagnosed diseases
Experts who study malpractice cases and autopsy reports say certain diseases are misdiagnosed over and over again. It's worth knowing what they are so you won't be a victim. More...
09/26/07
Funding for universal health care system
Both the state Senate and Assembly have passed legislation that would expand health insurance to about four million of the estimated 6.8 million state residents who lack coverage. The bill would require employers to contribute as much as 7.5% of their payroll to cover the cost of health insurance for employees or pay into a state pool that would provide coverage. The legislation would not require all state residents to obtain health insurance. More...
09/26/07
One 'Kid Nation,' under fire
Kid Nation, the TV reality show whose second episode airs Wednesday (CBS, 8 ET/PT), is igniting a firestorm of criticism from children's mental health and media experts, even as some parents of participants say the show made their kids better people. More...
09/26/07
New drug may make tumors self-destruct
Spain - Doctors are hopeful about a new drug to treat skin cancer by causing tumor cells to self-destruct by overloading them with oxygen. More...
09/26/07
Fixes for heavy bleeding, cramps, PMS
Katherine Sutherland, an OB-GYN in Mountain View, California, knows something about terrible periods -- and not just from her patients. She used to go through tampons every hour, excusing herself to go to the bathroom between appointments. Heavy bleeding made doing what she really loved --hiking -- especially difficult. Truth is, she wanted her period to go away altogether. More...
09/25/07
Prescription drugs prompts decrease in inflation
Annual inflation for prescription drug over the past 12 months totaled 1%, a decrease from 4.4% in 2005 and the lowest rate in the past 30 years, according to the Consumer Price Index released on Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the Department of Labor, More...
09/25/07
Physical exams may need checkup
Routine physical exams cost the U.S. health care system nearly as much as treating breast cancer, but that's not necessarily money well spent, a report said Monday. More...
09/25/07
ADA gives seal to Wrigley
The American Dental Association said Tuesday it has awarded its seal of acceptance to Wrigley sugar-free gums Orbit, Extra and Eclipse — based on studies funded at least partially by the maker of Wrigley gums, Chicago-based Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. More...
09/25/07
Period makeovers
Katherine Sutherland, an OB-GYN in Mountain View, California, knows something about terrible periods -- and not just from her patients. She used to go through tampons every hour, excusing herself to go to the bathroom between appointments. More...
09/24/07
Low-income workers obtain insurance
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) on Tuesday announced a three-phase plan to help low-income workers obtain health insurance through government subsidies, the Kansas City Star reports. The proposal aims to extend coverage within a year to 131,500 working adults with incomes up to 185% of the federal poverty level. More...
09/24/07
Boom lowers on boomers
Those babies now span ages 43 to 61. For this group, conditions such as arthritis, high cholesterol, cancer, sports injuries and obesity are more common than they are in younger adults, says geriatrician Neil Resnick, director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute on Aging. More...
09/24/07
Seniors balk at ban
It was just another morning at the senior center: Women were sewing, men were playing pool — and seven demonstrators, average age 76, were picketing outside, demanding doughnuts. More...
09/24/07
How one man conquered chronic pain
Timothy Connick was in agony for six years. In bed at night, it felt as if a pair of scissors was sticking out of his foot. "I turn over, and it's just like they're getting jammed in more." More...
09/21/07
Senate passes mental health legislation
The Senate on Tuesday night by unanimous consent passed legislation (S 558) that would require health insurers to provide the same level of coverage for treatment of mental illnesses as they do for physical illnesses, More...
09/21/07
Action on women's cancers
Mix Sharon Osbourne with Olivia Newton-John, toss in Grammy-winning artists and world-class figure skaters, and you've got Frosted Pink, a TV event to raise awareness of women's cancers and inspire action. More...
09/21/07
Doctors to separate conjoined twins
Doctors at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital said they would attempt to separate 2-year-old twin girls who are conjoined at the chest and abdomen. More..
09/21/07
If you see it, you'll eat it.
We are powerless to ignore the clarion call of the candy jar, the beckoning of the buffet, the summons of the snack cupboard. More...
09/20/07
Clinton's Health Insurance Proposal
The "essential elements" of the proposal "bear a strong resemblance to earlier proposals" by other Democratic presidential candidates, according to a Post editorial. However, the editorial states, the "most interesting" difference is that the Clinton proposal would "limit the tax deductibility of employer-sponsored health plans for the wealthiest Americans, More...
09/20/07
Flu vaccination program gets boost
Only a portion of those who should get flu shots each year actually do, including just one in five babies and toddlers, health officials said Wednesday. More...
09/20/07
Soccer is better than jogging
There's a new slogan for weight-watchers: Burn it like Beckham. A friendly game of soccer, a new study has found, works off more fat and builds up more muscle than jogging. more...
09/20/07
Have you been misdiagnosed?
In June 2004, Trisha Torrey found a golf ball-size lump in her torso. A surgeon removed it and gave her the grim news: cancer. And it wasn't just any cancer but an extremely rare type of lymphoma. More...
09/19/07
Universal health coverage proposal
The Mayo Clinic on Friday released a universal health care proposal that would require all U.S. residents to obtain health coverage and shift away from the current employer-sponsored coverage model, CQ HealthBeat reports (Walker, CQ HealthBeat, 9/14). The recommendations were drafted over 18 months of discussions with more than 400 health policy experts. More...
09/19/07
A precursor to anorexia
Whenever Leslie Lipton was handed a menu, she'd freeze. She suddenly would feel that all eyes were upon her, noticing and judging her eating habits. This was something she couldn't quite swallow when she was a teenager. More...
09/19/07
More should get flu shots
Only a fraction of the people who need flu shots the most are getting them — including just one in five babies and toddlers, say health officials who hope to boost those numbers as a record vaccine supply heads out this fall. More...
09/19/07
America's junk food
Adrian McHargh grew up active and skinny in Kingston, Jamaica. An enthusiastic swimmer, he had the pristine waters of the Caribbean for a playground until two years ago, when he and his family moved to America. More...
09/18/07
Two-tiered health plan
Michigan-based American Community Mutual Insurance is offering a new type of insurance plan that will have low monthly premiums and allow policyholders to purchase up to $5 million in additional health coverage in the event of serious illness or injury, the Wall Street Journal reports. The plan is being marketed to healthy U.S. residents between ages 19 and 34. More...
09/18/07
Exercise aids blood sugar levels
Good news for diabetics: Both aerobic exercise and strength training improve blood sugar levels. And lots of both provides the best results, a new study shows. More...
09/18/07
Health care spending highest in Northeast
Staying healthy is a costly business in the United States, particularly in the Northeast, government statistics show. More...
09/18/07
High-Fat diet kick Cancer
The women's hospital at the University of Wurzburg used to be the biggest of its kind in Germany. Its former size is part of the historical burden it carries — countless women were involuntarily sterilized here when it stood in the geographical center of Nazi Germany. More...
09/17/07
Senate hearing address universal health
Increasing access to medical care is not enough to solve the extensive and complex health needs of at-risk groups, health experts said on Tuesday during a panel sponsored by Health Affairs, CQ HealthBeat reports. Speakers said that factors including socioeconomic status, education and environment are bigger determinants of overall health care than access. A related report appears in the September/October issue of the magazine. Nicole Lurie, director of the RAND Center for Population Health and Health Disparities, More...
09/17/07
Questions about gene therapy
A few hours before she died this summer at the age of 36, Jolee Mohr lay in a Chicago hospital so swollen by internal bleeding and her failing kidneys that her husband decided against bringing their 5-year-old daughter to say goodbye. The girl wouldn't have recognized her mother. More...
09/17/07
Clinton unveils health care plan
Thirteen years after her first effort at improving the nation's health care was abandoned, Hillary Rodham Clinton offered a new approach that would require every American to have health insurance with federal assistance to help defray the cost. More...
09/17/07
Tattoo remorse fuels boom
The pharmaceutical sales representative from Atlanta, Georgia, says it doesn't fit in with her current lifestyle as the mother of a 2-year-old boy who just started to talk. "The other day I bent over and he said, 'What's that?' and it just confirms why I'm having it removed." More...
09/14/07
Legislative session on health care
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday called a special legislative session to reach a compromise on the issue of health care reform, the Los Angeles Times reports (McGreevy/Vogel, Los Angeles Times, 9/12). The state Legislature on Monday approved a bill (AB 8) that would expand health insurance to about four million of the estimated 6.8 million state residents who lack coverage, but Schwarzenegger said that he would veto the legislation. More...
09/14/07
Foot-and-mouth disease
British authorities confirmed the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease Wednesday at a farm on the outskirts of London, sparking concerns among anxious farmers hoping to avoid a repeat of a similar crisis that gripped their industry last month. More...
09/14/07
patients avoid long lines
An emergency room might be the last place you'd think would have do-it-yourself check-in. But Parkland Memorial Hospital has three self-service computer kiosks, similar to those used by airport passengers and hotel guests. More...
09/14/07
Deconstructing 'detox' diets
In recent years the number of diet developers and holistic healers hawking products to purge your body of harmful chemicals and foreign substances has exploded. More...
09/13/07
Health Care Reform Bill
The California Legislature on Monday approved a bill (AB 8) that would expand health insurance to about four million of the estimated 6.8 million state residents who lack coverage, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said that he would veto the legislation, More...
09/13/07
Senior sex raises eyebrows
The news that sexual interest and activity doesn't wane with the years may have shocked the kids and grandkids, but there are knowing nods and a few grumbles among the senior set and those who work with them. More...
09/13/07
MDs use experimental cooling
Doctors are following the playbook in treating Buffalo Bills football player Kevin Everett's severe spinal cord injury except in one notable regard: pumping icy cold saline into his veins to try to prevent further damage. More...
09/13/07
When a loved one is ill
One day in the hospital, Vladimir Atryzek overheard a nurse mention that his daughter, Molly, needed to have some bone marrow extracted. The nurse said she would be preparing Molly immediately for the potentially painful procedure. More...
09/12/07
Health Premiums Up 6.1 Per Cent
Employer sponsored health insurance premiums in the US went up on average by 6.1 per cent in 2007 compared to 2006, outstripping workers' pay (rose by 3.7 per cent on average) and overall inflation (up by 2.6 per cent). More...
09/12/07
Smokers may suffer depression
The emerging science suggests that decades-old "quit for your baby" messages are too simplistic an approach for many women — and that perhaps prenatal checkups should include screening pregnant smokers for mental health disorders that themselves require care. More...
09/12/07
Life expectancy hits 78
The life expectancy for Americans is nearly 78 years, the longest in U.S. history, according to new government figures from 2005 released Thursday. More...
09/12/07
The planet's healthiest countries
If you've vacationed in an international destination, you know that learning about its food is one of the best ways to become familiar with a new culture. But lately, Americans have also taken greater interest in global cuisine because of health benefits attributed to certain styles of eating. More...
09/11/07
Investigations of past claims practices
UnitedHealth Group officials on Thursday announced an agreement to pay $12 million to several states to settle allegations of past problems with the company claims payment system, More...
09/11/07
Lipodissolve proves popular
The American Society of Non-surgical Aesthetics, a trade group, estimates that 50,000 to 100,000 lipodissolve treatments have been performed in the USA and Europe. That's nothing compared with the 300,000 liposuction procedures performed last year in the USA, but the lipodissolve, More...
09/11/07
Drug reactions triple
Reports of dangerous side effects and deaths from widely used medicines almost tripled between 1998 and 2005, an analysis of U.S. drug data found. More...
09/11/07
Caring for your kids
For the first time in decades, cavities in kids are on the rise. As many as 28 percent of children ages 2 to 5 have cavities in their baby teeth. What can you do to keep your child's teeth healthy? Answers to your most pressing dental questions, for babies on up. More...
09/10/07
Knowledge would spur health care reform
New census data showing that the number of uninsured U.S. residents increased by 2.2 million in 2006 to 47 million "undoubtedly deserves the attention it is getting," but the "increasing size of the uninsured population is only a symptom of deeper problems in American health care, not the problem itself," More...
09/10/07
Doctors face rash of brain-damaged
The war in Iraq is not over, but one legacy is already here in this city and others across America: an epidemic of brain-damaged soldiers. More...
09/10/07
FDA considers additional food labels
Federal health officials on Monday considered whether adding symbols with nutrition information to food labels, like a traffic light system used in Britain, might help shoppers make healthier food choices. More...
09/10/07
Avoid school strain
By the second week of fifth grade my son Christopher's backpack already weighed 27 pounds. I know because we put it on the bathroom scale. A thick binder, two textbooks, a novel and miscellaneous supplies create a heavy burden for a 10-year-old who weighs only 77 pounds. More...
09/07/07
Universal health insurance proposals
Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah): Bennett spoke about the need to put the "health" back into "health care" during a meeting with members of the Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association, the Deseret Morning News reports (Collins, Deseret Morning News, 9/2). Bennett was promoting a bill (S 334) sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that would guarantee health insurance to all U.S. residents. It would allow private health insurers to provide coverage to individuals directly, rather than through employers (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/14). In his remarks, Bennett said, "Congress has refused to address health care in an intelligent way in over a decade" More...
09/07/07
'Cure' for nail biting
Do you find your fingers drifting into your mouth when you're nervous, anxious or just bored? Are your nails chewed to splinters or your cuticles gnawed to bleeding pulp? Nail biting is more than a bad habit. Doctors say it is one of the most common symptoms of stress or of an obsessive-compulsive disorder, especially for teenagers or younger children, and can lead to disfigurement and serious infection. More...
09/07/07
Bid to insure more kids
The Bush administration demonstrated Friday it will strictly adhere to new guidelines that limit the scope of a popular children's health insurance program. It rejected an application from New York to let more middle-income families participate. More...
09/07/07
Freshmen quizzed on alcohol
Like most incoming college freshman, 18-year-old Aleksandr Kazachkov cannot wait for the freedom and new friends, as well as the chance to prove that he can responsibly live on his own. But before he can officially call Cornell University in Ithaca, New York his home, he must complete an hour-long online alcohol prevention course. More...
09/06/07
68 percent of americans believe
Consumers overwhelming believe that greater emphasis on prevention is a solution to the nation's healthcare challenges, according to a new consumer survey conducted by International Communications Research (ICR) and commissioned by U.S. Preventive Medicine, a company developing programs to advance a culture of prevention throughout America. More...
09/06/07
Diagnosing gets a boost
Pediatrician Stephen Borowitz was walking the floors of the University of Virginia Children's Hospital with his residents when he was presented with an unusual case. More...
09/06/07
Girls' suicide rates jump
The suicide rate among preteen and teenage girls rose to its highest level in a decade, and hanging surpassed guns as the preferred method, federal health officials reported Thursday. More...
09/06/07
5 mistakes parents make
"One of the things that makes me cringe is when parents say to me, 'The first night home from the hospital she slept all the way through the night!' " says Dr. Lance Goodman, a pediatrician in Boca Raton, Florida. "I tell them, 'Oh no! She's not supposed to be doing that!' " More...
09/05/07
Retroactive cancellations of health plans
The California Department of Managed Health Care on Tuesday said new rules to prevent HMOs from retroactively canceling individual policyholders' coverage are taking longer than expected to draw up because of the variety of plans involved, the Los Angeles Times reports. In January, the agency, which regulates California HMOs, said it would introduce in the spring regulations to stop the practice of HMOs retroactively canceling coverage because of a failure to disclose pre-existing medical conditions. More...
09/05/07
Autoimmune diseases unravel
Just three months ago, Reagan Williams, 9, was dangerously sick with extremely high levels of sugar in her blood. Today she's back on her feet and enjoying her first days in fourth grade. More...
09/05/07
Generate new blood vessels
Having a bad heart doesn't mean you can skip exercise, doctors said Wednesday. In fact, it may even help your heart to repair itself. Research presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting showed that exercise sparks the creation of new heart vessels. More...
09/05/07
Mapping own DNA
Biologist-entrepreneur J. Craig Venter is part of a new kind of scientific explorer whose uncharted territory was his own genes. More...
09/04/07
Reform efforts in California
With "its potential to set a nationwide model," health policy experts, states and federal lawmakers are closely watching California's health reform efforts, USA Today reports. According to USA Today, proposals in California "could launch an even bolder experiment" than in Massachusetts because California's "problems are so much larger." More...
09/04/07
Autoimmune diseases unravel
Just three months ago, Reagan Williams, 9, was dangerously sick with extremely high levels of sugar in her blood. Today she's back on her feet and enjoying her first days in fourth grade. More...
09/04/07
Fat toddlers at risk
Pudgy toddlers have an alarmingly high rate of iron deficiency, and Hispanic youngsters are more affected than other groups, a new study finds. More...
09/04/07
'Sparky' knows lightning's threat
Sauers, 55, is well-known around the Savannah, Georgia, Port Authority, where he works, as the man who has survived being hit by lightning twice.
09/02/07
Asthma guidelines stress prevention, monitoring
Medications and lifestyle recommendations to improve daily asthma control and prevent attacks should be tailored to each patient based on age and the changing course of the disease, new guidelines released Wednesday say...
09/02/07
New study: Drug-coated stents not so bad
Drug-coated heart stents may not increase the risk of blood clots as much as previously thought, according to research presented Sunday at a meeting of cardiologists...
09/01/07
FDA: New Merck HIV-fighting drug is safe
A new HIV-fighting drug from Merck & Co. appears superior to options for patients who have stopped responding to available drugs, federal regulators said Friday...
09/01/07
U.N.: Malnutrition on the rise in Darfur
Malnutrition is increasing in Sudan's violence-wracked Darfur region along with lawlessness and the number of people fleeing their homes, a senior U.N. official said Friday. ..
09/01/07
FDA approves new smallpox vaccine
The approval of a new vaccine against smallpox was announced Saturday by the Food and Drug Administration, which says the shots could be made quickly if the virtually extinct virus reappears...
09/01/07
How four women quit smoking -- and you can too
Everybody knows that smoking isn't good for you. But if you're a woman? "Hands down, smoking is the absolute worst thing you can do to your body," says Phyllis Greenberger, president and CEO of the Society for Women's Health Research in Washington, D.C...
08/30/07
Employees have access to health benefits
Seventy-one percent of U.S. private-sector employees have access to employer-based health care benefits this year, and 52% of workers with access chose to participate in the plans, more...
08/30/07
Asthma guidelines
Medications and lifestyle recommendations to improve daily asthma control and prevent attacks should be tailored to each patient based on age and the changing course of the disease, new guidelines released Wednesday say. More...
08/30/07
Measles cases increasing
The number of cases of measles in Britain is increasing, health authorities said Thursday, as they urged parents to have their children vaccinated against the disease. More...
08/30/07
Five diagnoses for a second opinion
After Marci Smith was told she had a malignant brain tumor, she had surgery and then made an appointment with an oncologist to receive chemotherapy and radiation. More...
08/29/07
Little change in uninsured
While the proportion of Americans who have health insurance rose slightly -- rising from 15.3 percent of the population in 2005 to 15.8 percent in 2006 -- the increase in the number of uninsured is largely due to population growth and immigration. More...
08/29/07
It's banned but not gone
The symptoms followed the renovations by a matter of weeks. Almost immediately after a contractor used an open-torch flame to burn the lead-based paint off Tamara Rubin's colonial home in Portland, Ore., in 2003, her sons developed what appeared to be the flu. It turned out to be lead poisoning.
08/29/07
More attention to asthma
Breathing easier without limiting activities is the goal of new government guidelines that urge more attention to asthma sufferers' day-to-day symptoms, not just their severe attacks. More...
08/29/07
Virus increases mouth cancers
Men should be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted wart virus to protect them against a type of mouth and throat cancer, U.S. researchers said Monday. More...
08/28/07
Rising health care costs
The Congressional Budget Office in a report released Thursday said that the steady growth of U.S. health care costs is making the long-term budget outlook "daunting," even though the 2007 federal deficit is projected to be lower, More...
08/28/07
Obesity rates climb
Loosen the belt buckle another notch America: Obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year. No state showed a decline. More...
08/28/07
Ranked fattest state in nation
Experts say Mississippians need to skip the gravy, say no to the fried pickles and start taking brisk walks to fight an epidemic of obesity. More...
08/28/07
8 things no one tells you
Enough about the bright side. We do moms a disservice if we only gush about the countless truly terrific aspects of raising a child and neglect to mention the, well, harsher realities. It's useful to know that there are not-so-hot sides of the job, if only to take the edge off those inevitable pains of feeling exasperated, unnerved, more...
08/27/07
Healthy lifestyles for workers to lower costs
Employers must promote good public policy, healthy lifestyles among workers and must understand determinants of health to reduce health care costs, more...
08/27/07
Mastectomy patients mark this
It has been more than two years since she had a double mastectomy at age 49, and she's only now having breast reconstruction. More...
08/27/07
Obesity rates climb
Loosen the belt buckle another notch America: Obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year. No state showed a decline. More...
08/27/07
AeroClinic offers quick care
Stephen Plumlee started feeling dizzy and nauseated shortly after his flight from Sarasota, Florida, landed in Atlanta, Georgia. He was wheeled off the plane by paramedics, but instead of being taken to a hospital emergency room downtown, he was treated in the atrium of the busiest airport in the world. More...
08/24/07
CDC identifies two new norovirus strains
A 90-year-old nursing home patient died from the stomach flu last year, marking the first time U.S. health officials confirmed that the highly contagious bug is sometimes fatal...
08/24/07
FDA issues long-awaited sunscreen proposal
It may be the summer of '09 or later before beachgoers can count on finding sunscreens to protect against the deeper, penetrating rays linked to wrinkles and cancer...
08/24/07
Gastric Bypass Lowers Risk of Death
Whether one regards bariatric surgery — last-resort weight-loss operations such as gastric bypass and stomach stapling — as an essential treatment for obesity or as a failure of the fat person's will, the fact is, it works. Studies have shown that after surgery, patients often lose 50% or more of their excess weight — and keep it off — and symptoms of obesity-related conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea are improved or eliminated altogether. Now, two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) show another long-term benefit: a lower risk of death...
08/24/07
CDC: Reported whooping cough boom in question
A reported boom in U.S. whooping cough cases is now being questioned after health officials discovered a regularly used lab test misdiagnosed cases in suspected outbreaks in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Tennessee...
08/22/07
Presidential candidates discuss health care
According to former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), the "reason we don't have universal health care in America today is because of the insurance industry, the drug companies and their lobbyists." He added that "we ought to make it absolutely clear that we're not going to take money from ... these big corporate lobbyists that actually killed the health care effort that was done in the 1990s." More...
08/22/07
Don't call him Mr. Mom
Nice work if you can get it. That's the consensus of fairly affluent, well-educated fathers who stay home full time with their children, according to a pioneering study released over the weekend. More...
08/22/07
Kids' high blood pressure
More than 1 million U.S. youngsters have undiagnosed high blood pressure, leaving them at risk for developing organ damage down the road, a study suggests. More...
08/22/07
The best multivitamin
You've been told for years that popping a multivitamin every day might help you live longer. But the daily multi habit has been getting a bit of bad press lately. More...
08/21/07
Half of american support S CHIP
More than half of American adults support the State Children's Health Insurance Program for children and their parents who earn an annual income of up to $32,000 or approximately 200 percent of the federal poverty level for a family of three say researchers with the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. More...
08/21/07
Template for improving EMS
When Atlanta's emergency medical system needed rescuing, Mayor Shirley Franklin started performing CPR — in more ways than one. More...
08/21/07
Painkiller widely abused
When his craving for painkillers got to be too much, Steve Dotson lay down and let his wife drive a car over his leg. It hurt, but he could dismiss the pain with thoughts of the medicated bliss that would follow. More...
08/21/07
Outgrow separation anxiety
Wearing his new backpack and school uniform, 5-year-old Sebastian Grau looked pretty confident walking down the hallway of Austin Elementary in Dunwoody, Georgia, on his first day of kindergarten. But his parents tell a different story. More...
08/20/07
Workers & employers share the burden
The average yearly premium for employer-sponsored family coverage climbed from 6,772 dollars to 10,728 dollars between 2000 and 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. During the same period, the average annual premium cost for single-person coverage increased from 2,655 dollars to 3,991 dollars. More...
08/20/07
Eye exams keep kids focused
Gearing up for back-to-school generally involves buying notebooks, pens and new clothes, but eye exams are often not a priority. Experts recommend a yearly eye exam for all children and teenagers. More...
08/20/07
Pain medicine use has doubled
The amount of five major painkillers sold at retail establishments rose 90 percent between 1997 and 2005, according to an Associated Press analysis of statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration. More...
08/20/07
Dining Out with an Autistic
The thing about parenting an autistic child is that it's easy to forget how unique your universe is. At home, the endless rules and rituals dictated by my 13-year-old son Nate's disability feel natural. Not easy, but natural. More...
08/17/07
Universal health coverage bill
Under the legislation, private health insurers would provide coverage to individuals directly, rather than through employers, and employers initially would shift funds currently used to pay for coverage to employee wages. Over time, employers would have to pay the federal government a health insurance contribution. More...
08/17/07
Last state to offer e-prescriptions
Electronic drug prescriptions can be delivered to pharmacists in all 50 states for the first time this week as Alaska became the final state to join the technological bandwagon. More...
08/17/07
Codeine risk
Nursing mothers who take codeine should watch their infants for increased sleepiness or other signs of overdose, federal health officials warned Friday. More...
08/17/07
Lower your miscarriage risk
When Kori Morrison had her first miscarriage, she and her husband, Tom, were upset but still hopeful. After all, she knew that 15 to 50 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, and most of these women who've miscarried go on to have healthy babies. But in the next eight years, Morrison had four more miscarriages. Sadness and self-blame set in. More...
08/16/07
Changes to long-term care
Iowa Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss is considering requesting legislation that would give long-term care insurance policyholders similar rights as people with health insurance in dealing with insurers who deny claims or delay payments, more...
08/16/07
Seniors head south
After Jean Douglas turned 70, she realized she couldn't take care of herself anymore. Her knees were giving out, and winters in Bandon, Ore., were getting harder to bear alone. More...
08/16/07
Dust with retardant
A new federal study suggests that household dust containing a common flame retardant may be linked to an increase in cats getting sick from overactive thyroids. That could be a warning sign for how young children could get exposed to the chemical, more...
08/16/07
Know when to fire your doctor
Five years ago, when he started seeing his internist, everything was fine. But Groopman says that in time, the internist became more popular -- and hence more busy and harried -- right when Groopman needed him most. More...
08/15/07
Campaign to increase enrollment in kidcare
Florida state agencies will circulate applications and information about enrolling in KidCare at community events and school-related activities in an effort to enroll more qualified children in the program, the AP/Florida Times-Union reports. KidCare is Florida's version of SCHIP, More...
08/15/07
State Fairs bans trans fats
It sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen. Deep-fried Oreos, Twinkies, corn dogs, funnel cakes, french fries — all dripping tasty, greasy oils. More...
08/15/07
Diabetes drugs to include new warnings
The diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos will be labeled with severe warnings about a risk of heart failure to some patients, health officials said Tuesday. More...
08/15/07
Recalled toys with fewer tears
Toy recalls are no longer relegated to discount bins and no-name brands. The recent rash of toy recalls have included some A-list celebrities of the children's toy world, including Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, Polly Pocket and Barbie. In the last two weeks alone, Mattel has recalled over 100 types of toys totaling 10 million units. More...
08/14/07
Group drops lawsuit over Aetna
Consumer advocacy group Citizens for Economic Opportunity on Thursday dropped a lawsuit filed against Aetna over allegations that the company marketed limited-benefit health plans designed to mislead consumers about the level of coverage provided by the plans, more...
08/14/07
West Nile cases increase
The summer's sauna-like weather is making it a bad year for West Nile virus, a federal health official says.
By last week, 308 cases had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 192 at the same time last year, and "it's going to almost double every week for a few weeks," says Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, Colo. More...
08/14/07
Better tests for Lyme
President Bush's recently revealed treatment for Lyme disease makes him part of an unfortunate trend: The tick-borne infection is on the rise, with cases more than doubling in the past 15 years. The good news is that most patients, like Bush, take antibiotics for a few weeks and are cured, especially if they were diagnosed early. More...
08/14/07
Exhaustion, anger of caregiving
Do you take care of someone in your family with a chronic medical illness or dementia? Have you felt depression, anger or guilt? Has your health deteriorated since taking on the responsibility of caregiving? If your answer is yes to any one of these, you may be suffering from caregiver stress. More...
08/13/07
Mental health parity bill in senate
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), was on track to be passed by voice vote before the August recess after insurers, businesses and mental health advocates had reached a compromise. More...
08/13/07
Makers gears up in case of flu pandemic
A new flu vaccine plant here is set to begin operations as soon as next year, boosting the supply of vaccine for the annual flu season and providing a much-desired U.S. source of vaccine for use in a flu pandemic. More...
08/13/07
Fluid caused health issues
Patients of Duke University hospitals who were exposed to surgical tools cleaned in used hydraulic fluid still blame the mistake for their health problems despite a Duke-commissioned study that suggests otherwise. More...
08/13/07
The right form of birth control for you?
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that permanently makes a man unable to father a child (sterile). It involves severing and sealing the two tubes (vasa deferentia) that carry sperm from your testicles to your seminal fluid (semen). After the procedure, your semen will not contain sperm, so when you ejaculate during sexual intercourse, you'll be unable to get a woman pregnant. More...
08/10/07
Health insurance a public, not private
"Health care is a classic public good that should be supported by a social compact: The healthy should pay into the system to underwrite care for those who need it now, both as a matter of civic morality and self-interest, more...
08/10/07
Smoking declines
As Congress weighs the biggest federal cigarette tax hike in history, a USA TODAY analysis finds that higher state taxes on smokers have produced sharp declines in consumption. More...
08/10/07
Virus outbreak contained
KAMPALA, Uganda - An outbreak of a deadly Ebola-like disease at a mine in western Uganda has been contained, health officials said Thursday. More...
08/10/07
Prevent breast cancer
MRI scans may offer a new way to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages and perhaps even prevent cancer among high-risk women, European researchers said Thursday. More...
08/09/07
Coverage options for young adults
In 2005, adults ages 18 to 24 were the least likely of any age group to have health insurance, and a study released in 2006 by the Commonwealth Fund found that almost two in five college graduates lack coverage at some time during the first year after they leave school.
08/09/07
Heat-related illnesses
As temperatures soar past 100 across the country, doctors say that adults and children must heed the warning signs of heat-related illnesses. More...
08/09/07
Imported seafood claims
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it is checking whether shipments of Chinese seafood on an agency watch list were properly cleared for public consumption without being tested for banned drugs or chemicals. More...
08/09/07
Five breast-feeding mistakes
When Erika Clowes was pregnant, she figured breast-feeding would be a breeze. After all, she'd read all the books and taken all the classes. After an easy birth, she brought home her baby, Charlie, and waited for paradise to begin. More...
08/08/07
Federal employee health coverage
The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce on Thursday held a hearing to discuss benefits for federal government workers. More...
08/08/07
Mothers start a food fight
Susan Rubin sounds passionate and angry as she describes the junk-food free-for-alls she has seen at schools across the nation. More...
08/08/07
Shutting down burn centers
U.S. hospitals are increasingly shutting down their burn centers in a trend experts say could leave the nation unable to handle widespread burn casualties from a fiery terrorist attack or other major disaster. More...
08/08/07
Overseas health troubles
Kristin Reinhardt still has the green pills in their original packaging, covered with Chinese characters, a souvenir from a 2004 trip to China that left her at the mercy of local medical practices after her travel party was struck with a stomach bug on a riverboat cruise. "I ended up with these Chinese herbs that flat out made me nervous," says the San Diego, California, resident. More...
08/07/07
Data on income, poverty and health
The U.S. Census Bureau will release the consolidated 2006 report on money income, poverty and health insurance coverage for the nation at a news conference on Aug. 28, 2007 at 10 a.m. More...
08/07/07
Beachgoers at risk
Beaches across the country closed or posted warnings to swimmers a record number of times last year because of high levels of harmful bacteria, evidence that communities should do more to keep vacation beaches clean and safe, according to a national environmental group. More...
08/07/07
Adult binge drinkers prefer beer
ATLANTA - Binge drinkers are more likely to have a beer can in hand than a shot glass, new research shows. More...
08/07/07
Stubborn Kids
From her earliest breaths, my daughter Alexis was a force to be reckoned with. As an infant, she shooed away the cereal spoon; as a toddler, she rebounded from her bed all night long. When she was in preschool, her teachers would tell us that her strong will made her a natural leader. More...
08/06/07
Puerto rico medical fraud
Over 80 doctors and licensing board administrators from Puerto Rico have been indicted by a US federal grand jury for taking part in a large scale fraud that helped unqualified doctors in the self governing US territory obtain medical licenses through alleged bribery and deception. More...
08/06/07
'Natural orifice' surgery
Lynn Masterson hurt in a most unusual place after gallbladder surgery June 16. "I had actually had more pain and decreased mobility with my tongue," says Masterson, 47, a radio station traffic reporter. That's because her surgeon pulled her gallbladder out through her mouth. More...
08/06/07
flu vaccine donation destroyed
Pakistani health officials destroyed the quarter-million doses of vaccine, worth $2.6 million, because the expiration date had passed, The Chicago Tribune reported Sunday. More...
08/06/07
Help for birthing moms
The lights were dimmed, soft music was playing and a scented candle burned on the counter. In the center of it all was Julie Trotter -- moaning through hard labor contractions. More...
08/03/07
Unfair business practices
"The focus of today's hearing is of great importance to the medical community given that 52 percent of physician practices in this country have three or less physicians, and account for 80 percent of outpatient visits. More...
08/03/07
Some doctors refuse services
Doctors are becoming more assertive in refusing to treat patients for religious reasons, expanding the list of services they won't provide beyond abortion to include artificial insemination, use of fetal tissues and even prescribing Viagra. More...
08/03/07
House OKs prescription drug imports
The House passed legislation Thursday effectively permitting the importation of lower-cost prescription drugs from places such as Canada, Australia and Europe. More...
08/03/07
stem cell fraud produced
Remember the spectacular South Korean stem cell fraud of a few years ago? A new analysis says the disgraced scientist actually did reach a long-sought scientific goal. It's just not the one he claimed. More...
08/02/07
Tax credit proposal to help U.S.
Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) on Tuesday in Rochester, N.H., plans to announce a proposal that would provide U.S. families with tax credits of as much as $15,000 to purchase individual health insurance policies, more...
08/02/07
drugs denied to patients in Medicare D
Medicare patients who rely on "off-label" use of drugs for pain, rare diseases and other conditions are often barred from getting them through the new prescription drug program, says a patient advocacy group in a report out Thursday. More...
08/02/07
Senate near vote on kids' health
A bipartisan measure to add 3 million lower-income children to a popular health insurance program headed for a final Senate vote after a much broader and more expensive version passed the House over stiff Republican opposition. More...
08/02/07
Must-haves for effective rehab
"I love that moment, right before I put the glass pipe to my lips," Sixx writes in his upcoming book "Heroin Diaries." More...
08/01/07
More than 4 in 10 adults
As the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall approaches, new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation of its household survey of people in the New Orleans area shows that more than four in 10 (43 percent) adults reported at least one health care access problem in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. More...
08/01/07
Hospitals bleeding money
Five New Orleans hospitals that have carried much of the city's medical burden since Charity Hospital was closed by Hurricane Katrina are hemorrhaging money, officials are prepared to testify at a congressional hearing Wednesday. More...
08/01/07
1 joint equals up to 5 cigarettes
New Zealand - A single joint of marijuana obstructs the flow of air as much as smoking up to five tobacco cigarettes, but long-term pot use does not increase the risk of developing emphysema, new research suggests. More...
08/01/07
The new face of fitness
Sixty used to be old -- or at least it seemed to be.
In the '80s, seniors had TV role models like the Golden Girls, Matlock and "Murder She Wrote's" mystery-writing sleuth, Jessica Fletcher. More...
07/30/07
Children lack health insurance
About 11% of U.S. children lack health insurance, according to the 18th annual "Kids Count" report released on Wednesday, more...
07/30/07
Outpatient surgery
James McCusker says he'd think twice before having surgery outside hospital walls again. When he opted to have a sinus procedure at an outpatient surgical center in Norwalk, more...
07/30/07
Diabetes drug should be pulled
The widely used diabetes drug Avandia should be pulled from the market because of heart risks, a federal scientist said Monday. More...
07/30/07
'Mommy guilt'
Caring for a 5-month-old son and a nearly 4-year-old daughter seems like a full-time job for Amy Little, but the Dunwoody, Georgia, mother also works 40 hours a week in sales at AT&T. More...
07/27/07
Inaccuracies in insurers
Physicians who have been rated on quality care and cost efficiency standards say data used to create the ratings often are incorrect and physicians often have no way to correct them, more...
07/27/07
Ideal body weight
For years, people looked up their weight on tables drawn from insurance company statistics. While those are still around, this is a newer, more accurate way to calculate what is truly a healthy weight range for you. More...
07/27/07
Agent Orange
Exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam may lead to high blood pressure in some veterans, but the evidence is limited and only suggestive, the Institute of Medicine said Friday. More...
07/27/07
Picking the right hospital
Chuck Toeniskoetter says he's alive today because of a nurse and a paramedic who came to his aid when he collapsed one snowy day high atop a mountain. More...
07/26/07
Universal Health coverage
One proposal, co-authored by Ezekiel Emanuel of NIH and Victor Fuchs of Stanford University, would create a government-provided voucher system that offers a standard package of benefits similar to employer-sponsored coverage and would be funded by a value-added tax; More...
07/26/07
From bad example to good
A landmark new study that shows obesity is socially contagious rings true to Bonnie Crawford, 30, of Beaverton, Ore. More...
07/26/07
LA medical marijuana clinics
Federal agents raided 10 marijuana clinics Wednesday, the same day city leaders introduced a measure calling for an end to the crackdown on the dispensaries allowed under state law. More...
07/26/07
How to be an informed
Chuck Toeniskoetter says he's alive today because of a nurse and a paramedic who came to his aid when he collapsed one snowy day high atop a mountain. More...
07/25/07
Cure For Alzheimer's A Step Closer
Scotland, say they have developed a compound that has effectively stopped the disease from destroying brain cells. They say that the compound also seems to improve damaged memory and cognitive ability. More...
07/25/07
Part of the cure
Jonathan Fine became a patient advocate in 2004 when he realized communication between doctor and patient is often the first casualty of a major illness. More...
07/25/07
Tobacco under FDA control
A Senate panel is nearing a vote on a proposal to put tobacco under Food and Drug Administration regulation despite objections that such a move would only entrench the market position of the nation's No. 1 tobacco company. More...
07/25/07
Couple loses 580 pounds
When Maggie Sorrells looks at her husband, Andy, she doesn't see the man she married. In fact, most days, she doesn't even recognize herself. More...
07/24/07
Soft drinks linked to heart disease
A new US study has found that drinking more than one soft drink a day, whether regular or diet, may be linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease. More...
07/24/07
Action on early Alzheimer's
Of the 5 million people in the U.S. with Alzheimer's, about half are in the early stages of the disease, and some, like Richard Taylor, can still talk about the fear that goes along with daily memory loss. More...
07/24/07
Curbing AIDS spread
Men without the procedure have a greater risk of contracting the virus from infected female partners. More...
07/24/07
Women & eating disorders
Kelli Smith was nervous as she walked into the treatment center, seeking help at last for her anorexia. Looking around at the other patients, she was struck by how young they seemed. More...
07/23/07
System needs innovation
"In almost every sector of our economy, brilliant, effective innovators have forced sluggish U.S. industries to become more productive," More...
07/23/07
Health care fret over work
A bright girl with dark curls crowning her face, Matisse Reid has been sick all her life with a rare disorder that prevents her body from absorbing nutrients. More...
07/23/07
HIV infections outpace treatment
Access to life-extending HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries has improved during the past three years, more...
07/23/07
How to stop worrying
My first sitter, Maggie, spoiled me forever. We met, I adored her, she adored the baby, I hired her, and a love affair began. I left for work on her first day without a second thought -- really! More...
07/20/07
Mental health parity needed
It is "unconscionable" that U.S. residents with mental illnesses "face unequal and unfair insurance barriers, more...
07/20/07
Legs syndrome is real
Scientists have linked certain genes to restless legs syndrome, more...
07/20/07
Healthier foods for kids
Mark Smith is convinced he can turn a generation of junk-food eaters into die-hard devotees of what he calls, more...
07/20/07
In Army burn unit
The five badly burned soldiers arrived around 11 p.m., sedated and swathed in bandages from head to foot, more...
07/19/07
Halve premiums would cut number of uninsured
Government subsidies that reduce health insurance premiums by 50% would decrease the number of uninsured U.S. residents by 3%, more...
07/19/07
Ingesting the placenta
Debi French was dreading the birth of her fourth child. She wanted the baby, more...
07/19/07
Clinics overuse lab
Fertility clinics are overusing a laboratory technique and costing infertile couples and some insurers hundreds of extra dollars, more...
07/19/07
Battle your insurance company
They managed to reverse nearly all the insurance company's denials. How'd they do it?
07/18/07
Opponents Of Universal Health Care System
Opponents of universal health care systems maintain that uninsured U.S. residents, more...
07/18/07
Health centers offer safety net
Americans are used to hearing bad news about their health care system, More...
07/18/07
Police food imports
President Bush on Wednesday established a high-level government panel to recommend steps to guarantee, More...
07/18/07
TB patient
Before the surgery even began, hospital officials spent a lot of time preparing us for the idea that this operation was not only risky for the patient, more...
07/17/07
Bush To Consider Reauthorization
President Bush should not threaten to veto Senate legislation to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, more...
07/17/07
Workers using drugs
One in 12 full-time workers in the United States acknowledges having used illegal drugs in the past month, the government reports. More...
07/17/07
Safer cigarettes
The federal agency charged with keeping food and drugs from harming people may soon be asked to take a consumer product, more...
07/17/07
TB traveler having surgery
The Atlanta lawyer diagnosed with tuberculosis, who caused an international health scare after traveling to Europe and back, more...
07/16/07
Adults with chronic illnesses
Uninsured adults with common chronic illnesses had greater health expenditures and more frequent physician office visits and hospitalizations, More...
07/16/07
Telling a baby's sex?
Jolene Sodano spent more than $200 to make herself crazy for a big chunk of her third pregnancy. More...
07/16/07
Food-labeling effort
Shoppers are in the dark about where much of their food comes from despite a five-year-old law, More...
07/16/07
Keep your ticker in top shape
Creating custom food plans for patients isn't the hard part of Bethany Thayer's job. More...
07/13/07
Employers Offer Health Plans
The "growing effort by employers to both shift additional medical costs to workers and provide incentives for workers
07/13/07
Scatological humor
Several dieters who are taking the new over-the-counter fat-blocking pill, Alli More...
07/13/07
Diabetes drug side effect
In the month after a surprising analysis revealed possible, More...
07/13/07
Surviving summer camp
For parents, sending kids off to summer camp is an emotional balancing act: More...
07/12/07
Workers 'Wellness' Programs
Monday introduced legislation that would provide a tax credit to businesses that offer wellness programs for their employees, More...
07/12/07
New fat-blocking pill
Several dieters who are taking the new over-the-counter fat-blocking pill, Alli, More...
07/12/07
Cancer risk
Older Chinese women who eat a Western-style diet loaded with meats and sweets appear to have a greater risk for breast cancer, More...
07/12/07
Overweight kids face long-term problems
Overweight children are stigmatized by their peers as early as age 3 and even face bias from their parents and teachers, More...
07/11/07
Employers pay toward insurance premiums
In a letter on Thursday urged the commissioner of the state health care finance division to issue emergency regulations, More...
07/11/07
U.S. food is a tall order
Half of grocery shoppers are making an effort to buy U.S. food products, but it isn't easy, More...
07/11/07
comprehension may decrease with age
It's no laughing matter: a new study suggests older adults have a harder time getting jokes as they age. More...
07/11/07
Woman drops 110 pounds
Carrying 227 pounds on her tiny 5'2" frame, the 51-year-old mother and wife could barely squeeze into her plus-size clothing. More...
07/10/07
Comparison Web Site Can Be Useful
Thousands of people have used Web sites created by health insurers and providers to compare prices, More...
07/10/07
'addiction' explain explosion of obesity?
Obesity has long been blamed on weak willpower, More...
07/10/07
Anti-smoking pill
Single pill appears to hold promise in curbing the urges to both smoke and drink,
07/10/07
Antidepressants most prescribed drugs
The story of a woman who didn't like the way her husband was handling the family finances.
07/09/07
Utah allows new enrollment
Utah SCHIP on Monday began accepting new applications for enrollment, More...
07/09/07
Advances can't guarantee happy endings
Babies' first photos all tend to look alike: the newborn snoozing in the arms of a proud parent, More...
07/09/07
Patch to treat dementia
The first skin patch to treat the dementia that can plague Alzheimer's patients gained federal approval, More...
07/09/07
Nerve-snip spur weight loss?
It's far from clear whether cutting the vagus nerve really helps. More...
07/07/07
Organ donors fears
People who donate their kidney or part of their liver to help someone else may themselves encounter difficulty, More...
07/07/07
Fewer HIV cases in India
The experts' consensus was that India had the most HIV cases in the world — 5.7 million — and that number could rise if aggressive measures weren't adopted. More...
07/07/07
Coroners get help
The fully clothed corpse lay face down, floating in a swirl of water where the south bank of Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown Houston. More...
07/07/07
Guide to sun safety
While even one sunburn may double the chance of eventually developing melanoma, More...
07/06/07
Providers Lack Understanding
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act "is misunderstood by medical professionals" More...
07/06/07
People doubt feds
The public has little faith the government is adequately screening visitors to the country or could cope with an outbreak of an infectious disease, More...
07/06/07
Trans-fat-free oil
Burger King said Friday it will use trans-fat-free cooking oil at all its U.S. restaurants by the end of next year, More...
07/06/07
The new marijuana on campus
The prescription drugs allegedly found in Al Gore III's possession this week are favorites among young people, More...
07/05/07
Medical Students Mobilize In Support Of Single-Payer Healthcare Reform
Members of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) joined nurses, and more in a historic hearing on the negative health impacts of the for-profit private insurance industry.
07/05/07
AP: Nutrition education ineffective
The federal government will spend more than $1 billion this year on nutrition education. More...
07/05/07
Wash. to set medical marijuana limits
Washington state answers a pressing question: How much marijuana constitutes a two-month supply?
07/05/07
Expert tips help you avoid the ill in grill
You've lit the grill, marinated the meat, and gathered your family and friends for a savory feast -- summer tradition at its best. But beware: More...
07/03/07
Opinion Pieces Criticize Proposed SCHIP Expansion
Legislation that would provide an additional $50 billion to expand SCHIP "is the thin edge of the wedge to achieve the longtime goal, More...
07/03/07
Top exercisers of the '80s still have all the moves
When aerobic dancing took off in the 1980s, exercisers went for the burn and sweated to the oldies. More...
07/03/07
Poor sense of smell may be Alzheimer's
Difficulty identifying common smells such as lemon, banana and cinnamon may be the first sign of Alzheimer's disease, More...
07/03/07
Fireworks injury scar fades, memory doesn't
The scar has faded over his left eye, but the fireworks injury that Tony Wittmann suffered when he was 17 taught him a lesson that he hasn't forgotten. More...
07/02/07
Elderly Examines Alzheimer's Disease, Health Insurance
"Caregivers Struggle With Denial, Disintegration": Alzheimer's disease "often forces caregivers to step in and make decisions, More...
07/02/07
facts on the safety of Chinese seafood
With news that the Food and Drug Administration has restricted imports of five kinds of seafood from China, More...
07/02/07
Mass. seeks cheap health care for adults
When Massachusetts was crafting a landmark health care law that officially took effect on Sunday, More...
07/02/07
injury scar fades, memory doesn't
The scar has faded over his left eye, but the fireworks injury that Tony Wittmann suffered when he was 17 taught him a lesson that he hasn't forgotten. More...
06/29/07
Opinion Pieces Address Health Insurance Mandates
McClatchy/Charlotte Observer on Monday featured two opinion pieces that address individual mandates to purchase health insurance. More...
06/29/07
Prepare yourself now to help care for parents
Maybe you're not caring for elderly parents now. But you might be soon. More...
06/29/07
Air travelers should exercise legs
The World Health Organization recommended Friday that passengers on long flights exercise their legs. More...
06/29/07
Tricks to help you eat healthfully on the road
Amid the rush and stress of business travel, nutrition is often pushed aside. More...
06/28/07
U.S. Struggling to Treat War Wounded
More than 800 of them have lost an arm, a leg, fingers or toes. More...
06/28/07
Antidepressants Rated Low Risk in Pregnancy
Taking an antidepressant like Prozac may increase a pregnant woman’s risk of having a baby with a birth defect, More..
06/28/07
Stem cells created from eggs
Scientists say they've created embryonic stem cells by stimulating unfertilized eggs, More...
06/28/07
Echinacea may prevent colds
Echinacea may not only help reduce the symptoms of a cold but may help prevent infection with some cold viruses, U.S. researchers said Monday. More...
06/27/07
42.5% Of Texas Young Adults Uninsured
Thursday examined how Texas is "the state with the nation's highest rate of uninsured," More...
06/27/07
Injured man's awakening called 'miracle'
Eighteen days after his wife instructed doctors to disconnect food and water tubes, More...
06/27/07
Too much video gaming not addiction, yet
A report prepared for the AMA's annual policy meeting had sought to strongly encourage, More...
06/27/07
Researcher looks for sexuality clues
His premise reflects a growing belief among Americans, More...
06/26/07
Efforts To Enroll Massachusetts In Health Insurance
American Public Media's "Marketplace" on Tuesday included a discussion with "Marketplace", More...
06/26/07
Doctors often shift focus from patients to themselves
Internist Howard Beckman used to try to inspire older patients by talking about his active mother, More...
06/26/07
Kidney, heart disease spur each other
Hearts and kidneys: If one's diseased, better keep a close eye on the other. More...
06/26/07
Boost your nutrition with healthy recipe additions
Slipping in healthful nutrients here and there can transform an ordinary diet into a nutritional all-star. More...
06/25/07
About 1.8M Veterans Are Uninsured
Lawmakers on Wednesday at a hearing of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs discussed, More...
06/25/07
kids face 'big challenge' of obesity
Basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal says he understands why so many kids today are too heavy. More...
06/25/07
Court weighs Alzheimer drug access issue
Pharmaceutical companies and Alzheimer's patient advocates went to, More...
06/25/07
U.S. struggles with breadth, depth of war injuries
More than 800 of them have lost an arm, a leg, fingers or toes. More...
06/22/07
Ends Freeze On PeachCare Enrollment
Board of Community Health on Thursday voted unanimously to lift an enrollment freeze on PeachCare, More...
06/22/07
List compares hospitals' heart-related death rates
In a bid to improve hospital performance, the federal government on Thursday posted, More...
06/22/07
New treatment promising for Parkinson's
An experimental treatment for Parkinson's disease seemed to improve symptoms, More...
06/22/07
New pain cures, with a focus on women
You've got achy shoulders from carrying the kids, the groceries, or your incredibly heavy handbag. More...
06/21/07
Institute Study Finds Fewer Children Uninsured
The number of uninsured U.S. children shows fewer kids than previous estimates who are uninsured, More...
06/21/07
Estrogen may help arteries of women in their 50s
Estrogen pills reduce the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries of postmenopausal women in their 50s, More...
06/21/07
15-year-old performs surgery in India
The 15-year-old son of two doctors performed a filmed Caesarean section birth under his parents', More...
06/21/07
Brain gets a thrill from charity
Knowing your money is going to a good cause can activate some of the same pleasure centers, More...
06/20/07
Health Care Plan Includes Drug Patent Process Overhaul
Sen. John Edwards offered details of his universal health care proposal, More..
06/20/07
Multi-use lasers cast doctors in new light
They can reshape the cornea to give patients 20/20 vision. More...
06/20/07
Bush ready to veto stem cell measure
President Bush has chosen to use his veto pen three times, More...
06/20/07
illnesses often misdiagnosed in U.S.
As Monyjuch runs around his family's apartment outside Atlanta, More...
06/19/07
Can motion sensors predict dementia?
Tiny motion sensors are attached to the walls, More...
06/19/07
Advocates Raise Concerns About SCHIP Reauthorization
The effort in Congress to pass legislation to reauthorize SCHIP, More...
06/19/07
Medicine is extending lives
Advances in medical care over the last three decades have reduced heart disease and extended lives, More...
06/19/07
Students make extra bucks as medical guinea pigs
College students are known for finding creative ways to earn money, More...
06/18/07
Prevent Penalties From Health Insurers
A delegation of Michigan physicians later this month at the annual meeting of, More...
06/18/07
Gene may be key to longevity
Scientists have inched closer to one day developing a drug that will extend the human life span. More...
06/18/07
Skipping insulin for weight risky
Like many teenage girls, Lee Ann Thill was obsessed with her appearance. More...
06/18/07
dentists restore smiles to abuse survivors
Susan Kauffman can't stop smiling. Not only does she have a perfect set of teeth, More...
06/15/07
Report Examines Retirement Trends
Most U.S. workers nearing retirement want to reduce their workloads gradually, More...
06/15/07
Military mental health system poor
The military's mental health system has "fallen significantly short" More...
06/15/07
3 hepatitis C cases linked to NYC doctor
4,500 people who were treated by an anesthesiologist to get tested for hepatitis C, More...
06/15/07
Celebrate parenting differences
It's right before bedtime and Sylvia is about to flip out about something ? More...
06/14/07
Health Care Across The US, Says State Scorecard Report
A new State Scorecard report shows that the states of the US, More...
06/14/07
Disability claims related to obesity could rise
400-pound Stephen Grindle claimed he was fired as a driver for Watkins Motor Lines, More...
06/14/07
Kellogg to raise nutrition of kids' food
Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker, More...
06/14/07
Don't worry so much about scary diseases
What's scarier than mad cow disease? More...
06/13/07
March Of Dimes Study Unveils Cost Of Having A Baby
For women insured through large employer private plans, More...
06/13/07
South lags in report card on health care
Where you live may help determine how long you live, More...
06/13/07
Feds to ponder risks of weight-loss drug
Federal advisers are considering whether a proposed weight-loss drug raises the risk of depression, More...
06/13/07
Business travelers exposed to health risks
Having traveled about 2 million miles for business during his career, More...
06/12/07
Full Coverage For Substance-Abuse Treatment
Employer-sponsored health plans in 2006 provided limited coverage for substance-abuse treatment, More...
06/12/07
Alzheimer's in someone so young?
Patty Smith was a top sales consultant for BB&T bank in Washington, D.C., More...
06/12/07
FDA cracks down on body parts companies
Federal regulators say they have dramatically boosted inspections of companies that harvest cadaver body parts for transplant, More...
06/12/07
Botanicas offer herbal remedies
It's the ultimate in one-stop shopping: a place to pick up advice, get your aura cleansed, More...
06/11/07
Company Will Seek To Reduce Health Care Costs
General Motors will make efforts to reduce health care costs a priority this year, More...
06/11/07
TB is best battled at the source
Until a few weeks ago, many Americans had never heard of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, More...
06/11/07
Court to focus on vaccine-autism link
Thousands of families that allege vaccines caused their children's autism are preparing for their day in court, More...
06/11/07
Type 1 diabetes can strike at any age
A year before turning 50, Michele Thomas learned she had type 1 diabetes, More...
06/08/07
New York Group Lobbying For Health System Changes
The Westchester County Association is lobbying the New York Legislature to establish rules that would require health insurance, More...
06/08/07
'Post' son brings little-known syndrome into focus
Until he was 16, Quinn Bradlee practically lived in the hospital. More...
06/08/07
Patient gets second set of lungs
patient whose double lung transplant operation was stopped after a plane carrying donor organs crashed into Lake Michigan, More...
06/08/07
Working out at lunch?
Since squeezing fitness pursuits into an already busy day isn't easy, it makes sense to use the lunch hour for double duty. More....
06/07/07
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights
Summaries of articles addressing health care coverage for young adults, More...
06/07/07
son brings little-known syndrome into focus
Until he was 16, Quinn Bradlee practically lived in the hospital, More...
06/07/07
Democrats push veto fight on stem cells
Democrats are spoiling for their second veto fight of the spring, More...
06/07/07
A Leap Forward for Stem Cells
After plodding along at a snail's pace over the past five years, stem-cell research, More...
06/06/07
Pediatrics Offers Health Insurance Program Recommendations
A new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement, More...
06/06/07
1,600 roller-shoe injuries last year
Accidents from trendy roller shoes are far more numerous than previously thought, More...
06/06/07
Congress reviews flaws in TB response
U.S. border officials told Congress on Wednesday, More...
06/06/07
Your guide to fibroid fixes
Cece Clark's fibroids had gotten so bad that she often had to lie down, More...
06/05/07
Merger Of Pennsylvania Health Insurers
Approved the planned merger of not-for-profit health insurers, More...
06/05/07
Diabetics face risk on drug choices
For Mayo Clinic patients with type 2 diabetes, the decision about which drug to try is in the cards. More...
06/05/07
Chemo and surgery may help colon cancer
Chemotherapy before and after surgery to remove liver tumors can help keep the disease in check. More...
06/05/07
Class targets middle-schoolers
Teenagers who are refreshingly sensible for their age, More...
06/04/07
Potential Health Care Expansion
First of three meetings to develop a plan to expand health care coverage. More...
06/04/07
Ginseng may relieve cancer fatigue
Ginseng has been used in Chinese medicine to promote health for 2,000 years. More...
06/04/07
Liver cancer breakthrough found
They have found a pill that improves survival, More...
06/04/07
male breast cancer patient
It started with a pain behind the nipple. More...
06/01/07
Developing Universal Health Coverage Plan
"in developing and selling" his universal health coverage proposal, More...
06/01/07
free video game for young cancer patients
A video game that helps young cancer patients deal with their disease, More...
06/01/07
628 sickened by recalled peanut butter
The number of people sickened since August by peanut butter, More...
06/01/07
I have proof officials said I posed no risk
An Atlanta lawyer infected with a rare, often fatal form of tuberculosis, More...
05/31/07
Blue Cross Of California Launches Ad Campaign
Blue Cross of California, the state's largest health insurer, More...
05/31/07
CDC scrambling to find fliers for TB
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Julie Gerberding said Wednesday, More...
05/31/07
Cancer expected to skyrocket
Asia is bracing for a dramatic surge in cancer rates, More...
05/31/07
TB patient moved to Denver hospital
The man infected with a drug-resistant form of potentially fatal tuberculosis, More...
05/30/07
Proposal To Reduce Health Care Costs
A health care cost-cutting plan that she said could save $120 billion, More...
05/30/07
Sinus sufferers applaud nasal washing
It's a sloppy endeavor, says Todd Templin, but he and others who perform nasal rinsing swear, More...
05/30/07
TB under federal quarantine
A form of tuberculosis so dangerous he is under the first U.S. government-ordered quarantine, More...
05/29/07
BlueCross BlueShield Of South Carolina Launches
BCBS will cover patients' procedures organized through Companion Global, More...
05/29/07
College students ace Get Healthy 101
After a diagnosis of obesity, former 'fat kid' gets serious, More...
05/29/07
Dutch show has kidney donation contest
A Dutch reality show that claims to be trying to draw attention, More...
05/29/07
Lack of mental health care
In the three months after Marine Maj. John Ruocco returned from Iraq, More...
05/28/07
Liability Coverage Expanded
Liability coverage expanded for pro bono care, More...
05/28/07
Hospitalized with bird flu
19-year-old Chinese soldier has been hospitalized, More...
05/28/07
Army adds lifesaving to basic training
The Army will begin teaching combat lifesaving instruction, More...
05/28/07
Tandem cycling:
When Tracey Trumbull and his wife, Cathy, go for a bike ride, More...
05/25/07
More Insurers Offer Group Dental Plans
An increased number of insurers have begun to offer group dental, More...
05/25/07
Doctor shortage adds to Africa's AIDS woes
A shortage of doctors and nurses in Africa is now one of the biggest obstacles, More...
05/25/07
TV linked with poor diabetes control
Diabetic children who spent the most time glued to the TV, More...
05/25/07
Separating sunscreen fact from fiction
Next time you're scanning the aisles for your summer sun protection, More...
05/24/07
House Members Introduce Legislation
Thursday introduced a bill (HR 2371) that would expand access to dental care More...
05/24/07
Drug study on kids won't require consent
Children in 11 major cities who suffer life-threatening seizures, More...
05/24/07
Big hospitals better for preemies
Thousands of sickly newborns could be saved each year if, More...
05/24/07
Docs try to diagnose autism
Within days of their birth, healthy babies will look you in the eye. More...
05/23/07
Senate Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. More...
05/23/07
Does where you live determine if you'll live?
At 8:35 a.m. on Good Friday, paramedics raced Eugene Cummiskey into Yale-New Haven Hospital More...
05/23/07
FDA approves period suppression pill
The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to women's monthly periods indefinitely won federal approval Tuesday. More...
05/23/07
Outsmart Your Toddler: 5 tricks
The battle lines were drawn: It was me against him, More...
05/22/07
Alaska Lawmakers Approve Bill That Would Expand SCHIP Eligibility
The Alaska Legislature on Tuesday approved legislation More...
05/22/07
Diabetes drug called potential death risk
Nine months ago, the drug company Glaxo-SmithKline posted a study along with dozens of others on an obscure company website. More...
05/22/07
Diabetes pill tied to heart risks
A widely used diabetes pill raises the risk of heart attacks and possibly death, More...
05/22/07
Don't let disabilities or age rob you of a stylish home
At the Atlanta Home Show, a three-room installation showed off trendy new building supplies More...
05/21/07
States balk at cancer vaccine mandate
For a time, Georgia was poised to become the latest state to require preteen girls to More...
05/21/07
The path to health, happiness
In 1982, his wife died in a car accident during a severe rainstorm. More...
05/21/07
California Democrats Propose Employer Health Insurance
Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly on Tuesday proposed legislation that would require employers to spend, More...
05/21/07
Swim classes aren't just for kids
Blowing bubbles in the water is fun when you're a child, but for Stacey Mueller, More...
05/18/07
Obama Promises Universal Health Insurance If Elected President
arack Obama (D-Ill.) on Monday at an event in Trenton, N.J., said that the U.S. would have universal health insurance by the end of his first term as president More...
05/18/07
Still no answers in '06 lettuce E. coli outbreak
Thursday after work was Terri Kaiser's favorite night: It was bowling night with her three sisters. More...
05/18/07
Police chief tells town he has Alzheimer's
People in Lexington, Ill., got a surprise when they opened their water bills last week and read the enclosed community newsletter: More...
05/18/07
Conference ponders Lincoln's survival
Abraham Lincoln might have survived if today's medical technology existed in 1865. More...
05/17/07
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Orders Humana To Revise Medicare Plan Sales Practices
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland on Monday said that she has ordered health insurer Humana to take corrective action More...
05/17/07
Applebee's nixes trans fat frying oil
Restaurant-chain operator Applebee's International Inc. said Thursday that it is no longer using trans fat More...
05/17/07
Lawmakers push for change in food safety oversight
Spurred by deadly outbreaks of E. coli and other food-borne pathogens, a group of U.S. lawmakers More...
05/17/07
Chemical can cause cancer when ingested
The chemical featured in the 2000 movie Erin Brockovich, hexavalent chromium, More...
05/16/07
Blue Cross Reaches Deal In Lawsuit Over Policy Cancellations
Blue Cross of California on Friday agreed to stop canceling individual health coverage unless it can prove that policyholders "intentionally misrepresented" More...
05/16/07
Pack extra nutrition with these expert tips
In 2005, the government's revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans introduced the term "nutrient density," More...
05/16/07
Apple-shaped? Dieters' destiny may be in their physiology
The most effective weight-loss diet for you may depend upon your physiology, More...
05/16/07
Study: Vitamins tied to prostate cancer
There's more worrisome news about vitamins: Taking too many may increase men's risk of dying from prostate cancer. More...
05/15/07
Wisconsin Gov. Doyle Unveils Prescription Drug Program To Replace SeniorCare
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) on Wednesday announced a new prescription drug program More...
05/15/07
To pick up your pace, pick up a pole
Spending hours in a gym wasn't giving Susan Huynh of Los Angeles, California, More...
05/15/07
Tragedy spurs celebs to give ailing kids their own songs
Seven-year-old Ronald Sterling of New York City loves baseball, hot dogs, doughnuts with sprinkles and Sesame Street. More...
05/15/07
Blood pressure rising around the globe
The numbers are a shock: Almost 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, More...
05/14/07
Shareholders Must Encourage Ford To Support Universal Health Care System, According To Op-Ed
Ford Motor has been "silent on how universal health care would address what is an overwhelming financial burden to the company," More...
05/14/07
Faith lifts weight, refocuses life
When Anthony Harper, 50, went to a doctor's appointment earlier this year, the physician was wowed by Harper's 77-pound weight loss More...
05/14/07
Acclaimed urologist dies at 92
John K. Lattimer, a world-renowned urologist who treated celebrities, More...
05/14/07
To pick up your pace, pick up a pole
Spending hours in a gym wasn't giving Susan Huynh of Los Angeles, California, the results she was looking for, so on the advice of a friend, More...
05/10/07
Cervical cancer vaccine less effective in sexually active
A vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer significantly cut the risk of precancerous changes in women who had not already been infected with the cancer-causing virus types targeted by the vaccine, a study reports today. More...
05/10/07
tired, fat? It could be your thyroid
Most people say they're tired when they skip their morning run or nod off during their favorite 9 o'clock sitcom. But if you want to know about real bone-crunching fatigue, the kind that chains you to your bed, ask someone with a thyroid disorder. More...
05/10/07
Young girls more likely to be fat
As every Western nation struggles with child obesity, the Swedes are puzzled by an unusual blip in the data: Why are little girls more likely to be fat than little boys? A recent study by researchers at Sweden's Uppsala University showed that today's 4-year-old girls were six times as likely to be obese compared to 20 years ago — a bigger jump than among boys. More...
05/10/07
Coalition Could Foster Health System Change
The prospects for fundamental change in the health care system improved Monday when three dozen businesses, including some of the country's largest employers, announced their support for universal health insurance," More...
05/09/07
Bill Clinton announces AIDS drug deals
Former President Bill Clinton announced agreements with drug companies Tuesday to lower the price in the developing world of AIDS drugs resistant to initial treatments and to make a once-a-day AIDS pill available for less than $1 a day...
05/09/07
'Slacker Moms' urge other mothers to chill
There's a backlash brewing among the Other Mothers. They, too, love their kids and want to raise them right. More...
05/09/07
Perry won't veto virus vaccinations bill
Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday said he won't veto a bill that would block state officials from following his order that all sixth-grade girls be vaccinated against a virus that causes cervical cancer. More...
05/09/07
Teen cancer patient's blog celebrates life
From Miles Levin's big smile, you'd think he was just another happy teenager. He nods supportively when his pals brag about their college acceptances and throws a gentle arm around a girlfriend who has ringlets of long, brown hair. But at night, this 18-year-old blogs from a world as sobering as his chalk-white skin and shiny bald head. More...
05/08/07
Washington State Governor Signs Bill To Expand Health Insurance
ashington state Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) on Wednesday signed into law a bill that will expand health insurance to more residents and reduce health care costs in the state, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Woodward, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/2). The legislation -- based on 16 recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access -- will: More...
05/08/07
Childhood trauma widespread, study finds
About two-thirds of U.S. children will go through a traumatic event in their childhood but few are likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder, U.S. researchers said Monday. More...
05/08/07
Study: Outdoor smoke gets in your lungs
People may inhale high levels of secondhand smoke even on outside patios and sidewalk cafes, a new study shows. More...
05/08/07
Bill Clinton announces AIDS drug deals
Former President Bill Clinton announced agreements with drug companies Tuesday to lower the price in the developing world of AIDS drugs resistant to initial treatments and to make a once-a-day AIDS pill available for less than $1 a day. More...
05/07/07
Store ads spur teens to smoke, U.S. study finds
The more cigarette marketing teens are exposed to in retail stores, the more likely they are to smoke, researchers reported on Monday in a U.S. study they said supports even tighter restrictions on tobacco ads...
05/07/07
Postmaster's special delivery: A lean new life
For seven years, Larry Spera of Sicklerville, N.J., walked at least 5 miles a day on his route as a postman. "I could eat whatever I wanted and still stay in relatively good shape," he says. More...
05/07/07
Disfiguring skin disease plagues Afghanistan
The 10-year-old Afghan girl has big eyes, a shy smile and a dark lesion speckled with blood on her right cheek. More...
05/07/07
Lethal injection creator: Maybe it's time to change formula
When Gary Gilmore was choosing between the firing squad and the electric chair in 1977, Dr. Jay Chapman remembers discussing the inhumanity of each option with his colleagues at the Oklahoma state medical examiner's office. More...
05/05/07
Artist creates 'emotional maps' of cities
As cartography projects go, Christian Nold's approach to charting the peaks and valleys of urban landscapes is decidedly unconventional. More...
05/05/07
Association Of British Insurers Move To Make Cancer Cover Clearer Broadly Welcomed By Cancerbackup
Today's proposal by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) that all providers of private medical insurance (PMI) clearly explain how they cover cancer through common policy definitions has been hailed as a campaign success by the information charity, Cancerbackup. More...
05/05/07
Better brain-injury tests planned for troops
The Pentagon must use computers to screen troops before and after they go to Iraq or Afghanistan to better determine whether they suffered traumatic brain damage in combat, according to a plan by a congressional brain-injury task force. More...
05/05/07
20 million chickens held because of feed
Federal officials on Friday placed a hold on 20 million chickens raised for market in several states because their feed was mixed with pet food containing an industrial chemical. More...
05/04/07
Number Of Uninsured Illinois Residents Increases, According To Analysis
The number of uninsured Illinois residents in 2005 increased by about 2% to 1.8 million, compared with 2004, according to an analysis of U.S. Census information released Friday by the Gilead Outreach and Referral Center, the Chicago Tribune reports. More...
05/04/07
CDC offers tips on using masks against flu
If someone sneezes in your face during a flu pandemic, you might be better off if you're wearing a face mask than if you're not, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More...
05/04/07
Masks may not help against super-flu
If a super-flu strikes, face masks may not protect you. Even so, the government says people should consider wearing them in certain situations, just in case. More...
05/04/07
DNA mutation boosts heart disease risk in whites
A treasure hunt for genes has found that up to three-quarters of people of European descent have DNA that raises their risk for heart disease -- and these genes are close to a stretch of DNA linked to diabetes. More...
05/03/07
Indiana Lawmakers Approve Cigarette Tax Increase To Fund Health Insurance Plan
The Indiana Legislature on Sunday passed a bill (HB 1678) that would increase the state cigarette tax by 44 cents to fund a health insurance program for low-income, uninsured residents, the Indianapolis Star reports. The House voted 70-29 to approve the measure, and the Senate voted 37-13 in favor of the legislation. More...
05/03/07
Mentally ill die 25 years earlier, on average
Adults with serious mental illness treated in public systems die about 25 years earlier than Americans overall, a gap that's widened since the early '90s when major mental disorders cut life spans by 10 to 15 years, according to a report due Monday. More...
05/03/07
Study: Hormones may ward off dementia
New research suggests that hormone therapy taken soon after menopause may help protect against the mental decline of dementia, even though it raises that risk in elderly women. More...
05/03/07
Sneaky little slim-down tricks
Begin lunch and dinner with a veggie-rich salad or broth-based soup, says Pennsylvania State University satiety expert Barbara Rolls, author of "The Volumetrics Eating Plan." "That lets you fill up first on a big volume of low-calorie food and ends up displacing some of the foods you'll eat next -- the choices that are usually higher in calories." More...
05/02/07
Universal Health Coverage Seemed 'Inevitable' In Early 1900s, Columnist Writes
Mandatory health insurance in the U.S. seemed "inevitable" in the early 1900s, but a "mighty resistance movement of some [of] the unlikeliest political bedfellows in history" partnered to defeat the proposal, Wall Street Journal columnist Cynthia Crossen writes in an opinion piece. More...
05/02/07
Deaths from heart attacks drop
A sharp drop in heart attack deaths in more than a dozen countries coincides with global efforts to make sure patients receive proven treatments, doctors report today. More...
05/02/07
FDA seeks antidepressant warning
Young adults beginning treatment with antidepressants should be warned about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, federal health officials said Wednesday. More...
05/02/07
What your child's doctor wishes you knew
At the end of every appointment with a patient, I usually feel one of two ways: "Wow! We really accomplished a lot in 15 minutes." Or: "Wow. Where did it all go wrong?" More...
05/01/07
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Health Care Developments In Three States
The Florida House on Wednesday voted 98-14 to approve legislation that would overhaul KidCare, the state's SCHIP, the AP/Florida Times-Union reports (Royse, AP/Florida Times-Union, 4/25). The bill would streamline the program's enrollment process; provide more early screening services for beneficiaries; fund community awareness campaigns; allow people to enroll in the program throughout the year; More...
05/01/07
Fishing for fast, easy nutrition? Consider canned
We love fish. Americans are eating more than ever. And there are compelling reasons why. In light of the positive health benefits associated with fish, we're looking for creative ways to incorporate it into our diets. More...
05/01/07
Teen girls more likely than boys to abuse prescriptions
Females are bucking the traditional drug abuse trends when it comes to prescription drugs such as antidepressants and tranquilizers. More...
05/01/07
Doctors: Pot triggers psychotic symptoms
New findings on marijuana's damaging effect on the brain show the drug triggers temporary psychotic symptoms in some people, including hallucinations and paranoid delusions, doctors say. More...
04/30/07
Legislation Would Encourage Care Plan For Cancer Survivors
Lawmakers earlier this week held a briefing to promote a bill (HR 1078) that would encourage physicians to develop a personalized "survivorship care plan" for cancer survivors, CQ HealthBeat reports. More...
04/30/07
Researchers study benefits, risks of teen weight-loss surgery
Seventeen-year-old Amanda Munson gained confidence and energy as she lost 40 of her 296 pounds after weight-loss surgery and her diabetes went into remission. More...
04/30/07
No more hiding behind the fat for emotional eater
Rhoads, who weighed just under 330 pounds at the time, was pre-diabetic and had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. More...
04/30/07
Tooth decay is on the rise for kids
Tooth decay in young children's baby teeth is on the rise, a worrying trend that signals the preschool crowd is eating too much sugar, according to the largest government study of the nation's dental health in more than 25 years.
More..
04/27/07
Supplemental Spending Bill Would Allow SeniorCare To Continue
The $124.2 billion supplemental appropriations bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan approved on Monday by a House and Senate conference committee includes a provision that would allow Wisconsin to continue to operate SeniorCare, a prescription drug program for low-income seniors, for 30 additional months...More
04/27/07
Tamiflu maker to reduce output of anti-viral drug
Roche, which makes the flu-fighting drug Tamiflu, says it will scale back production because supply now exceeds worldwide demand. More...
04/27/07
FDA rejects Merck's Vioxx successor
The move was widely expected, after a panel of FDA advisers two weeks ago voted 20-1 against approving the drug, Arcoxia. More...
04/27/07
Break your kid's whining habit
When it comes to torture, we could all learn a thing or two from kids. Who knows better than they how to extract most anything they want within minutes of applying the technique? I'm talking about whining, of course -- that grating mewling that causes us to do anything (anything!) just to make it go away. But you can break the habit. And the rewards of victory can be rich for both of you. More...
04/26/07
Women And Health Coverage: The Affordability Gap
As 'Cover the Uninsured Week' approaches, a new Commonwealth Fund report by researchers at the National Women's Law Center finds that even women with health insurance coverage are more likely than insured men to go without needed health care because of costs. Also, a higher percentage of women than men struggle with medical bills. More...
04/26/07
Palliative workers team up to ease the pain
Ellen Ryan's cancer has sown illness throughout her body — her breast, her brain, her bones — and worry throughout her family. More...
04/26/07
Nuns reunite to mark 1967 calcium study
Sister Suzanne Vandenheede likes tomato soup. The 76-year-old nun from Omaha's Servants of Mary likes it so much she's been known to eat it for lunch every day for a week or more. And when she has, she's practically licked the bowl clean. More...
04/26/07
'Pot 2.0':U.S. marijuana growing stronger
The marijuana being sold across the United States is stronger than ever, which could explain a growing number of medical emergencies that involve the drug, government drug experts on Wednesday. More...
04/25/07
Presidential Candidate Edwards Promotes Universal Health Coverage Proposal In Iowa
Presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) on Sunday in Iowa called for universal health insurance to allow all U.S. residents to have access to quality care, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports. In a speech to an audience of about 400, Edwards promoted his universal health insurance proposal, under which employers have to provide health insurance for employees or contribute 6% of their payrolls to a fund that would help individuals purchase coverage. More...
04/25/07
Food games: Teach kids 'fake' vs. 'real'
Pediatrician David Ludwig, 49, invites overweight children to play a food game on their first visit to his weight-control clinic at Children's Hospital Boston. More...
04/25/07
Nutrition standards urged for school food
Millions of children soon could be saying goodbye to regular colas, candy and salty snacks during school hours. More...
04/25/07
Re-work your workouts, spend less time in the gym
When it comes to multitasking, you've got it down. But if exercise is often bumped off your to-do list by everything else vying for your attention, why not make workout time your me time? More...
04/24/07
SCHIP Is A Success And Should Be Expanded Say Opinion Leaders
A survey of US health care opinion leaders suggests there is wide agreement that the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has been successful in increasing access to health care for low income children and reducing the numbers of ininsured children. They also agree that coverage should be expanded. More...
04/24/07
Approval would do a Berlin Heart good
The fight to save the life of 6-year-old Joseph Greenwood, who is recovering from a heart transplant, has required a medical arsenal. More...
04/24/07
Fat workers cost employers more
Overweight workers cost their bosses more in injury claims than their lean colleagues, suggests a study that found the heaviest employees had twice the rate of workers' compensation claims as their fit co-workers. More...
04/24/07
Breast-feeding link to adult weight challenged
While breast-feeding has many benefits, it won't prevent a child from becoming fat as an adult, says a new study that challenges dogma from U.S. health officials. More...
04/23/07
Arizona Health Care Plan For High-Risk Residents Requests $8M To Cover Deficit
Healthcare Group of Arizona, a state-sponsored health care plan, is requesting $8 million in state funds to continue providing coverage for 25,000 state residents, according to officials, the Arizona Daily Star reports. Healthcare Group offers coverage to state residents who are self-employed or work for businesses with fewer than five employees. More...
04/23/07
She lost 'a person and a half'
Kemichelle Taylor, 33, of Mobile, Ala., has lost 215 pounds since August 2003, a feat she credits to "sheer will, determination, discipline and the grace of God." More...
04/23/07
Columnist chronicles life with cancer
A sense of humor helps, Lauren Terrazzano says, when you're dying of cancer. If there's a heaven, the newspaper columnist wrote recently, she plans to have a drink with John F. Kennedy Jr., who crashed near Martha's Vineyard, and then "thwack him on the head for flying that night in the fog." More...
04/23/07
Class trains doctors for the toughest conversation
It's been more than a decade since her 13-year-old daughter, Maria-Victoria, died in a car accident, but Lynda Boucugnani will never forget the doctor who delivered the news. "I remember he sat down, but his first words were, 'Your daughter is deceased.' That just struck me as so cold, so cold," says Boucugnani. The experience was horrendous, she says. "I expected a little bit more compassion ... there was no, 'I'm sorry,' no touching my hand. These things would have meant the whole world to me." More...
04/20/07
Prescription Drug Costs Cause Some High-Deductible Plan Members To Stop Treatment, According To Report
Some patients enrolled in high-deductible health plans fill fewer prescriptions for medications rather than switching from brand-name drugs to generic versions, according to a report released on Tuesday by Express Scripts, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Express Scripts reviewed the health care claims of two national employers that began offering high-deductible plans in January 2006. Researchers compared the first nine months of 2006 with the first nine months of 2005 in terms of prescription claims. More...
04/20/07
Groups work to make child flu vaccinations a priority
Doctors and parent groups are joining forces to increase the number of children who get flu vaccine, and to make childhood flu vaccination a greater public health priority. More...
04/20/07
Military expanding Calif. amputee center
Where some see scarred stumps and horrific wounds, Peter Harsch sees carbon-fiber feet, hydraulic legs and bionic knees. More...
04/20/07
Columbine survivor: After the roller coaster, 'normal'
As Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson got ready for bed Monday night, she planned an escape route from her Tuesday morning theology class at Denver Seminary. The 25-year-old Columbine survivor wanted to be ready. More...
04/19/07
Genetic Discrimination Bill Would Increase Insurance Access, CBO Report Finds
A bill (HR 493) that would ban discrimination against U.S. residents based on the results of genetic tests would allow 600 more residents to obtain access to health insurance, according to report recently released by the Congressional Budget Office, CQ HealthBeat reports. The report also estimates that the legislation would cost the federal government less than $500,000 annually from 2008 through 2017 (Spieler, CQ HealthBeat, 4/13). Under the bill, employers could not make decisions about whether to hire potential employees or fire or promote employees based on the results of genetic tests. More...
04/19/07
Groups work to make child flu vaccinations a priority
Doctors and parent groups are joining forces to increase the number of children who get flu vaccine, and to make childhood flu vaccination a greater public health priority. More...
04/19/07
Record 132M flu shots planned for fall
Flu vaccine manufacturers expect to have a record 132 million doses ready for the 2007-2008 flu season, and there could be even more available if a fifth company joins their ranks, officials said Thursday. More...
04/19/07
Organic vs. conventional: What do experts say?
The organic market is growing at a steady pace of nearly 20 percent annually, and that translates into organic alternatives in nearly every grocery aisle -- from snack foods to frozen meals to baked goods. "Everyone wants to be healthy and these foods convey an aura of health," says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of "What to Eat." Here, experts compare some of the benefits and drawbacks of going organic. More...
04/18/07
NPR Examines Sen. Wyden's Support For Health Care System Change
In the final report of a five-part weekly series on health care reform, NPR's "Morning Edition" on Monday examined Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) efforts to expand health insurance in the U.S. Wyden in December 2006 introduced the Healthy Americans Act, a universal coverage proposal under which insurers would provide coverage to individuals directly, rather than through employers. More...
04/18/07
Analysis: Antidepressant benefits outweigh risk for kids
Authors of a new comprehensive analysis of antidepressants for children and teenagers say the benefits of treatment trump the small risk of increasing some patients' chances of having suicidal thoughts and behaviors. More...
04/18/07
Study urges caution on anemia drug use
A flawed Medicare payment plan encourages aggressive use of a risky and costly anti-anemia drug on many kidney dialysis patients, say researchers who warn the system should be changed. More...
04/18/07
5 fixes to help you stand up to back pain
Are you sitting up straight? Super -- because if you slump, slouch, or hunch through the day, you may join the 80 percent of Americans who will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Recent research confirms that what you do every day can trigger soreness or spasms. So whether you're at home Googling for a great deal on Jimmy Choos or sashaying down the street in those heels, you can save yourself some discomfort by babying your back. Here's how. More...
04/17/07
Does less trans fat make food healthier?
major change in the national diet is underway: Heart-damaging trans fat is rapidly disappearing from grocery aisles and restaurant food, too. But are its replacements really healthier? More...
04/17/07
WHO: Access to HIV treatment improves
By the end of 2006 some 2 million people in low and middle-income countries were receiving the anti-retroviral drugs that help treat the symptoms of HIV, according to WHO's annual progress report. More...
04/17/07
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Mutated nerve cells called glial cells may secrete the poisons that cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, researchers are reporting. More...
04/17/07
Genetics may dictate racial cancer rates, outcomes
Minorities are much more likely to develop and die from cancer than the general U.S. population, with previous research pointing to lack of health insurance, poverty, cultural barriers, and limited access to good medical care as causes. More...
04/16/07
Newly fit youth minister inspires health, too
Claypoole weighed almost 300 pounds when his doctor told him he was going to develop heart disease and diabetes. "Both of my parents have serious heart conditions and diabetes. My mother had her leg amputated last year from diabetes," says Claypoole, a youth minister at Praise Cathedral Church of God in Greer, S.C. Two of his brothers have diabetes. More...
04/16/07
Democrats slowed in efforts on Medicare
Deep cuts in Medicare's managed care programs seemed a sure bet last winter when Democrats, not exactly fans of health maintenance organizations, began to seek money to expand health coverage for poor children. More...
04/16/07
EPA agrees to cut lead in kids' products
Companies that make or distribute toys, zippers and other children's products will face tougher government scrutiny to keep out any lead that could poison and kill children or harm their brain development. More...
04/16/07
On the road? Don't skip your workout
Early morning meetings and late-night business dinners make it almost impossible for Trisha Curtin to fit in a workout on the road. "It's been a huge challenge to do any type of exercising other than walking from building to building," says Curtin, who works in planning and distribution for a department store. More...
04/13/07
Interracial marriages surge across U.S.
The charisma king of the 2008 presidential field. The world's best golfer. The captain of the New York Yankees. Besides superstardom, Barack Obama, Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter have another common bond: Each is the child of an interracial marriage. More...
04/13/07
Howard: No HIV-positive immigrants
Prime Minister John Howard said Friday that people with HIV should not be allowed to migrate to Australia, and that the government was investigating whether it could tighten existing restrictions. More...
04/13/07
Dr. Gupta: The lessons I learned in 'Chasing Life'
When I began researching "Chasing Life" a year and a half ago, I wanted to write a book about immortality. Futurists are envisioning a time when science is able to beat death, and I was fascinated by what that would mean, both physiologically and philosophically. More...
04/12/07
FDA: 'Cocaine' energy drink marketed illegally
This Cocaine is an energy drink produced by a Las Vegas company. It contains no actual cocaine, but is being marketed as "The Legal Alternative" to the illegal drug, according to its website. Its logo appears to be spelled out in a white powder that resembles the drug. More...
04/12/07
New home in old age — seniors compelled to move
SAN FRANCISCO — Life is just starting for Evelyn Simon. After 63 years of calling Houston home, she's nestled into new living quarters in a new town, where she's busy making new friends. More...
04/12/07
FDA scientist blasts proposed pain drug
WASHINGTON - A painkiller proposed as a successor to Vioxx may substantially increase the risk of stroke and heart attack and is no more effective for pain relief than other drugs of the same class, a federal drug safety expert said Thursday. More...
04/12/07
Human growth hormone use rises, but is it legal?
"I just didn't feel good any more. I wasn't sleeping. I just didn't feel right," she said. She took her concerns to Kansas City, Kansas, endocrinologist, Dr. Jackie Springer, who prescribed replacement hormones, including a daily injection of human growth hormone, or HGH, after two rounds of blood testing. More...
04/11/07
Study finds 'mind-boggling' increase in morbidly obese
The prevalence of American adults who are 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight has risen dramatically since 2000, a study released Monday shows...
04/11/07
Senate-backed stem cell bill faces veto
Senate supporters of embryonic stem cell research refused to take another no for an answer Tuesday, advancing politically popular legislation that is assured of passage, yet doomed for the second straight year to a veto that Congress cannot override...
04/11/07
Insect-based flu vaccine shows promise
Genetically engineered flu vaccine made from yellow striped caterpillars instead of hen eggs has been shown for the first time to keep people from getting the flu, scientists say...
04/11/07
When modern life pumps up the volume, give your ears some TLC
Whoever's rocking your iPod today, do yourself a favor and turn it down. Those tiny earbuds pump music directly into the ear canal, making it easier to do permanent damage. Live music or sports, power tools, and even hair dryers can spell trouble for your hearing, too...
04/10/07
Diabetes can lead to host of consequences
Charlie Steele wishes someone had grabbed him by the lapels years ago and warned him what might happen if he ignored his diabetes. More...
04/10/07
Bush would veto stem cell research bill
President Bush will again veto a bill to subsidize stem cell research using human embryos, but would sign an alternative that permits public funding for studies on embryos incapable of developing into fetuses, the White House said Tuesday. More...
04/10/07
Supplements: No evidence they slow aging
Every morning, Dr. Frank Pinto pops not one or two vitamins, not just a handful, but more than two dozen dietary supplements, washing each one down with a sip of water. More...
04/09/07
Extract may help treat bladder infection
An herbal extract that is sold in health food stores and promoted as an allergy and fat loss aid may improve treatment of bladder infections when it is taken with antibiotics, research suggests...
04/09/07
Study suggests walking, yoga help women deal with menopause
A little exercise, even just a long walk, may go a long way toward helping women feel better while going through menopause...
04/09/07
Are humans hard-wired for faith?
The accounts of intense religious and spiritual experiences are topics of fascination for people around the world. It's a mere glimpse into someone's faith and belief system. It's a hint at a person's intense connection with God, an omniscient being or higher plane. Most people would agree the experience of faith is immeasurable...
04/09/07
No scientific evidence diet supplements work
Every morning, Dr. Frank Pinto pops not one or two vitamins, not just a handful, but more than two dozen dietary supplements, washing each one down with a sip of water...
04/06/07
Bird flu kills Indonesian teen, toll at 73
An Indonesian teenager died of bird flu in the bustling capital, bringing the toll in the country hardest hit by the virus to 73, a health ministry official and doctor said Friday...
04/06/07
Bacteria in peanut butter linked to leak
Moisture from a leaky roof and faulty sprinkler helped salmonella bacteria grow and contaminate peanut butter at its Georgia plant last year, sickening more than 400 people nationwide, ConAgra Foods said...
04/06/07
Study suggests walking, yoga help women deal with menopause
A little exercise, even just a long walk, may go a long way toward helping women feel better while going through menopause...
04/06/07
'Age management' is a controversial new medical focus
Clothia Roussell draws inspiration from the prophets. "I've read in the Bible how we're supposed to live to see 120, and those prophets lived to be 400 or 500 years old," said the 49-year-old homemaker...
04/05/07
Public housing kicks smoking habit
Tenants in some public housing complexes can no longer light up in the one place that seemed safe from smoking bans: their own homes...
04/05/07
Expert: Risky teen behavior is all in the brain
A new review of adolescent brain research suggests that society is wasting billions of dollars on education and intervention programs to dissuade teens from dangerous activities, because their immature brains are not yet capable of avoiding risky behaviors...
04/05/07
Computers questioned as mammogram aid
A good mammogram reader may do just as well at spotting cancers without expensive new computer systems often used for a second opinion, a new study suggests...
04/05/07
Eggs will raise your cholesterol, and other myths
Avoid eggs. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Eating carbs will make you fat. Nutritional advice such as this has been touted for years -- but is it accurate?
04/04/07
Study: Hormone therapy up heart risk for some
The older a postmenopausal woman is, the more likely hormone therapy will increase her risk of heart disease, especially if she is still having hot flashes, according to a new analysis of data from a landmark government study...
04/04/07
Exercise may fend off arthritis in women
Get moving, Grandma! Exercise isn't just about improving your heart and fighting flab that comes with aging. It may also be the answer to preventing stiff, achy joints that can lead to debilitating arthritis. An Australian study suggests the more time older women spend exercising, the better their chances are of staying pain-free from one of the biggest chronic conditions plaguing developed countries...
04/04/07
Food irradiation rules may be relaxed
The government proposed Tuesday relaxing its rules on labeling of irradiated foods and suggested it may allow some products zapped with radiation to be called "pasteurized."
04/04/07
Man's best friend does downward facing dog
By the end of a recent yoga class, many participants were passed out on their mats, in a position their instructor calls the "upward facing belly pose."
04/03/07
Vaccine cuts repeat ear infections
A Wyeth vaccine to fight common bacterial diseases has produced significant and unexpected drops in repeat ear infections and the need for inserted ear tubes in children since its U.S. introduction in 2000, researchers reported Monday...
04/03/07
Is it aging or Alzheimer's?
At first Cathryn Jakobson Ramin didn't pay much attention to the forgetfulness that first surfaced in her late 30s and early 40s. More...
04/03/07
Researchers try to predict epilepsy
WASHINGTON - Survivors of traumatic brain injuries — from car-crash victims to soldiers wounded in Iraq — face an extra hurdle as they recover: Thousands of them will develop epilepsy months or years later. The risk is especially high for certain kinds of war injuries. Studies of Vietnam veterans suggest up to 50 percent, says Dr. Nancy Temkin of the University of Washington. More...
04/03/07
Overweight people more likely to get asthma
Obese and overweight people are 50 percent more likely to get asthma than those of normal weight, suggesting that weight loss could help reduce the number of asthma cases, U.S. researchers said Monday.
more...
04/02/07
Pregnant moms' weight affects toddlers
NEW YORK - The standard advice for how much weight a woman should gain during pregnancy may need to change, according to a rigorous and provocative study suggesting that even accepted weight gains may raise the risk of having an overweight toddler. More...
04/02/07
'Former fat girl doing the Ironman' has lost 160 pounds
Bonnie Crawford, 29, of Beaverton, Ore., is convinced that if she can lose weight, anyone can.
Four years ago, she weighed more than 350 pounds. Since then, she has shed more than 160 pounds and now participates in triathlons — running, biking, swimming. Her husband, Preston, 32, has lost 150 pounds. More...
04/02/07
Mom, son work to change views of birthmarks
Donna Ducker started panicking within minutes of her son Evan's birth. "They said, 'There is something we need to tell you about your baby,'" she remembers. More...
04/01/07
Seafood poisoning rises with warming
Bowls of piping hot barracuda soup were the much-anticipated treat when the Roa family gathered for a casual and relaxing Sunday meal...
04/01/07
Constipation drug pulled at FDA's request
Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis AG will stop selling a drug to relieve constipation after it was linked to higher chance of heart attack, stroke and worsening heart chest pain that can become a heart attack, U.S. government health officials said Friday...
04/01/07
AIDS program works to build on successes
The U.S. global AIDS initiative has provided therapy and brought testing and counseling to millions around the world. Now the challenge is to move from emergency to sustained efforts, the Institute of Medicine said Friday...
04/01/07
Say 'ah' to acupuncture
I don't usually stick my tongue out at my doctor. But that is exactly what Bianca, a clinic intern at the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley, California, has asked me to do...
03/30/07
Report: U.S. AIDS program proves success
The U.S. global AIDS initiative has provided therapy and brought testing and counseling to millions around the world. Now the challenge is to move from emergency to sustained efforts, the Institute of Medicine said Friday...
03/30/07
Feds start review of NIH policies
Federal health investigators are undertaking a broad review of conflict-of-interest policies at the National Institutes of Health, with potentially wide ramifications involving the agency's oversight of nonfederal scientists who conduct research with government money...
03/30/07
Pollen coats Southern states in yellow sheen
A yellow haze of pollen descended on the Southeast in the past week, coating cars and porch furniture and making people miserable in one of the worst allergy seasons in years...
03/30/07
Easter worry: CDC cites salmonella threat from chicks
Three salmonella outbreaks among people who had come in contact with baby chicks and other birds, sometimes given to children as springtime pets, made 81 people ill last year, U.S. health officials said Thursday....
03/29/07
Doctors baffled by patients not taking prescriptions
Former U.S. surgeon general C. Everett Koop often is quoted as saying, "Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them."
03/29/07
Trial ordered on Fen-phen settlement
A law firm that negotiated a huge settlement with the makers of the diet drug fen-phen has been ordered to stand trial over whether it manipulated the deal in a way that increased the lawyers' share of the money...
03/29/07
Circumcision recommended to fight HIV
U.N. health agencies recommended Wednesday that heterosexual men undergo circumcision because of "compelling" evidence that it can reduce their chances of contracting HIV by up to 60 percent...
03/29/07
Eat a lot of beef? It may affect your son's sperm
U.S. women who eat a lot of beef while pregnant give birth to sons who grow up to have low sperm counts, researchers reported Tuesday...
03/28/07
Children's ads show lots of junk food
In a child's buffet of food commercials, more than 40 percent of the dishes are candy, snacks and fast food. Nowhere to be found: fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry or seafood...
03/28/07
Girl's overdose death raises questions
In the final months of Rebecca Riley's life, a school nurse said the little girl was so weak she was like a "floppy doll...
03/28/07
The South has the sniffles from pollen
A yellow haze of pollen descended on the Southeast in the past week, coating cars and porch furniture and making people miserable in one of the worst allergy seasons in years...
03/28/07
Study: Kids get steady diet of junk food ads
In a child's buffet of food commercials, more than 40 percent of the dishes are candy, snacks and fast food. Nowhere to be found: fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry or seafood...
03/27/07
Pizza as health food?
It's the junk food junkie's wildest dream come true -- pizza as health food...
03/27/07
Indonesia ends bird flu sample boycott
Indonesia will resume sending bird flu virus specimens to the World Health Organization immediately, the health minister said Tuesday, ending a four-month standoff health officials feared could potentially put the entire world at risk. ..
03/27/07
Aspirin benefits older women, but talk to doctor first
Aspirin in low to moderate doses may lower the risk of death in women, particularly those who are older and prone to heart disease, a 24-year study of nearly 80,000 women suggests...
03/27/07
Food allergies: One bite can be deadly
Caryl Schivley says her son, Brenton, was always very careful about what he ate -- until last September 1, when he was at a friend's house and took a cookie from a bowl on the kitchen table...
03/26/07
Clinton touts universal health care plan
Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed Monday to create a universal health care system if elected, saying she "learned a lot" during the failed health care effort of her husband's presidency...
03/26/07
Drugs for 'good' cholesterol fail tests
The hot new strategy of trying to prevent heart disease by raising good cholesterol had more setbacks Monday as new studies showed that experimental drugs didn't work and also had safety problems...
03/26/07
Study: Chocolate improves blood vessel function
Chocoholics were given further reason to rejoice Saturday when a small clinical study showed that dark chocolate improves the function of blood vessels...
03/26/07
ACL injuries growing problem for young female athletes
First she heard the pop, then she felt the pain. Sixteen-year-old Lindsey Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in her knee during the last game of the 2005 soccer season. She's been sidelined ever since...
03/24/07
Probe can't pinpoint how E. coli got into spinach
A nationwide E. coli outbreak last summer has been traced to spinach from a single California field processed on a single day, according to a report released Friday...
03/24/07
Heart stent makers brace for results of new study
Wall Street analysts and many doctors expect another potential setback for makers of stents when results of a blockbuster study Tuesday will answer whether an artery-opening procedure plus drugs is better than medication alone for lower-risk heart patients with chest pain...
03/24/07
Edwards shows new face of cancer
Just two decades ago, a breast cancer diagnosis was something a patient most likely wouldn't share beyond close family and friends. Even the word "cancer" was barely spoken out loud. And no wonder: It raised immediate thoughts of a death sentence...
03/24/07
Predicting allergy season eludes experts
A late freeze put a snowy exclamation point on a fairly mild winter for much of the United States, and experts say it's hard to predict what this weird weather means for allergy sufferers...
03/23/07
Study: Alcohol, tobacco worse than some drugs
New "landmark" research finds that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than some illegal drugs like marijuana or Ecstasy and should be classified as such in legal systems, according to a new British study...
03/23/07
Girl's overdose death raises questions
In the final months of Rebecca Riley's life, a school nurse said the little girl was so weak she was like a "floppy doll." The preschool principal had to help Rebecca off the bus because the 4-year-old was shaking so badly. And a pharmacist complained that Rebecca's mother kept coming up with excuses for why her daughter needed more and more medication. None of their concerns was enough to save Rebecca...
03/23/07
Officials: Spinach E. coli source uncertain
After a six-month investigation, U.S. and state officials said Friday that they could not conclude how spinach became infected with toxic E. coli bacteria that killed three and sickened 205, but said wild pigs and well water were possible sources...
03/23/07
Predicting allergy season eludes experts
A late freeze put a snowy exclamation point on a fairly mild winter for much of the United States, and experts say it's hard to predict what this weird weather means for allergy sufferers...
03/22/07
Man who had 3 hearts leaves Pa. hospital
A 46-year-old man whose body was powered by three separate hearts in the span of a month walked out of the hospital Thursday and said he felt like competing in a triathlon. "I feel like a million dollars, actually," said patient Gary Onufer. "I feel like a whole new person."...
03/22/07
Edwards: Wife's cancer returns, campaign goes on
Elizabeth and John Edwards on Thursday described her cancer recurrence as a chronic condition that she'll have the rest of her life...
03/22/07
Cosmetic surgery rates up; breasts most popular
More people than ever got cosmetic plastic surgery in the United States in 2006, with breast enlargements the most popular procedure, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported Thursday...
03/22/07
Study: Flu outbreak in U.S. could spark recession
A severe flu pandemic "would almost certainly lead to a major economic recession," according to a new report from a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization...
03/21/07
Heart risk high for firefighters
Firefighters face a far greater risk of dying of heart problems while battling a blaze than was thought, suggests a large U.S. study that offers more evidence of their need to stay in shape...
03/21/07
Healthy coffee lovers, drink up!
Coffee lovers who are in good health may have little reason to cut back, at least as far as their blood pressure is concerned, a new study suggests...
03/21/07
Black-white life expectancy gap shrinking
The life expectancy gap between whites and African-Americans in the U.S. has narrowed since 1993, thanks largely to declines in homicide rates, HIV mortality, accidental deaths and heart disease mortality among women, a new report shows...
03/21/07
ADHD drug use for youth obesity raises ethical questions
He was 30 pounds overweight, and blood tests showed he was headed toward Type 2 diabetes. His parents say Alex was already physically active and eating a healthy diet. They didn't know what to do...
03/20/07
Toddler improving on experimental smallpox drug
An experimental pill appears to be helping a toddler who had a near-fatal skin reaction to his father's smallpox shot, doctors said Monday...
03/20/07
Antibiotics overprescribed for sinus ills, study finds
U.S. doctors may be over-prescribing antibiotics for sinus infections, which are often caused by viruses and not bacteria, according to a study released on Monday...
03/20/07
Report: More than 5 million living with Alzheimer's
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, a 10 percent increase since the last Alzheimer's Association estimate five years ago -- and a count that supports the long-forecast dementia epidemic as the population grays...
03/20/07
Three secrets to a good night's sleep
Whenever I tell friends that my mattress is decades old and that I have low-back pain, their eyes pop open. This repeated facial expression has prompted me to think that, yes, there could be a connection. Another clue is an experience I had recently when sleeping on a fabulously comfortable hotel mattress. My husband tried to pry my fingers from the mattress corners, but I wouldn't budge. I wanted to live there. Time for a new mattress...
03/19/07
When given the tools, kids can control allergy symptoms
Peri and Bailey Johnson might as well set their sights on medical school. Only 7 and 5 years old, respectively, the two can recite a laundry list of allergy and asthma drugs, work a nebulizer like a registered nurse and help their parents dose out their medications...
03/19/07
Eating Disorders: A Midlife Crisis for Some Women
You starve yourself, shedding pounds, and it feels too good to ever stop. Or you eat lots -- as much as you want, more than you want -- and then sneak away from your loved ones to purge it all...
03/19/07
States push online fitness programs
Arleen East started the year in a rut — overweight, sedentary and plagued by bouts of depression only deepened by her unflattering extra bulk. Since those dark days of winter, the 47-year-old single mother has dropped 16 pounds from her 5-foot-7 frame. She's down to 192 and is pressing ahead with her goal to slim down to 145...
03/19/07
In Gambia, AIDS cure or false hope?
At the only hospital in the capital of this tiny West African nation, a 3-year-old AIDS patient named Suleiman receives his daily dose of medication -- a murky brown concoction of seven herbs and spices served out of a bottle that once contained pancake syrup...
03/17/07
Chest presses, not breaths, better CPR
Chest compression — not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation — seems to be the key in helping someone recover from cardiac arrest, according to new research that further bolsters advice from heart experts...
03/17/07
DNA 'glitches' tied to autism
Little glitches in the DNA of people with autism suggest that the disease might be caused by as many as 100 different genes, researchers reported Thursday...
03/17/07
CDC: Few Americans meet fruit, veggie guidelines
Fewer than a third of American adults eat the amount of fruits and vegetables the government recommends, a trend that's remained steady for more than a decade, health officials said Thursday...
03/17/07
Despite prevalence, HPV remains a mystery
Nearly every working day, Dr. Elizabeth Poynor encounters anxious young women who come to her New York City office with an HPV diagnosis...
03/15/07
Chickenpox vaccine effects fade over time
Merck's chickenpox vaccine Varivax not only loses its effectiveness after a while, but it has also changed the profile of the disease in the population, U.S. researchers reported Wednesday...
03/15/07
Death risk higher for weekend heart attacks
Heart attack patients have a slightly higher risk of death if they go to the hospital on the weekend, when they are more likely to miss or wait longer for crucial treatments, one of the largest studies of the issue finds...
03/15/07
Study: Prescription drugs a problem on campus
About half of U.S. college students binge drink or abuse drugs, and the number who abuse prescription medication such as painkillers is up sharply, a report released Thursday found...
03/15/07
Unchecked in prison, hepatitis C threatens outside world
The most dangerous thing coming out of prison these days may be something most convicts don't even know they have: hepatitis C...
03/13/07
Voluntary rules ask growers to combat food poisoning
The government has new rules for preventing food poisoning in fresh-cut produce, but companies don't have to follow them...
03/13/07
Soft drinks associated with diabetes, report finds
A review of published studies shows a clear and consistent relationship between drinking sugary (non-diet) soft drinks and poor nutrition, increased risk for obesity -- and increased risk for diabetes...
03/13/07
Study shows why exercise boosts brainpower
Exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss, U.S. researchers reported Monday...
03/13/07
10 myths about the pill busted
One day you're told that birth-control pills sap your sex drive and make you fat. The next day they're hailed as an easy way to eliminate your period and lower the risk of ovarian cancer...
03/10/07
Stroke mortality rises on weekends
If you have a stroke, try to have it between Monday and Friday...A Canadian study released Thursday found that patients hospitalized for the most common kind of stroke on weekends had a higher death rate than those admitted on weekdays...
03/10/07
Massage: It's real medicine
Having your honey rub your back is sweet, but it's tough to compete with the hands of a pro. A good massage therapist can make you feel like a new person. And now research suggests massage can ease insomnia, boost immunity, prevent PMS, and more. Maybe that's why hospitals are making it a standard therapy...
03/10/07
Study: No need to ban cell phones in hospitals
Calls made on cell phones do not affect hospital medical devices, U.S. researchers said Friday, but store anti-theft alarms might make implanted heart devices misfire...
03/10/07
Kroger responds to denied 'morning after' pill request
Kroger Co. said Friday it was reiterating its drug policies to all of its pharmacists after a Georgia woman claimed she was denied the "morning after" pill at one of the company's stores...
03/06/07
Mom and Dad: Here's how to make rules that stick
We recently renovated our house, giving our girls new ways to test authority. Just minutes after we moved back in, Lucy, 4, was sliding down the early-1900s banister, while Olivia, 9, headed to our pristine family room carrying a bag of Goldfish crackers and dropping crumbs along the way...
03/06/07
Experimental bird flu vaccine could be doubly promising
An experimental pandemic flu vaccine appears to protect against infection with bird flu at very low doses and also protects against a variant strain of the virus that doesn't match the one in the vaccine, researchers reported Monday in Hong Kong...
03/06/07
Americans urged not to take aspirin to prevent colon cancer
People at average risk for colon cancer shouldn't take aspirin or painkillers such as ibuprofen to try to prevent the disease, a federal task force advises, because of the risk of bleeding and other potential health problems....
03/06/07
Obesity surgery triples among U.S. teens
The number of U.S. children having obesity surgery has tripled in recent years, surging at a pace that could mean more than 1,000 such operations this year, new research suggests...
03/05/07
Obese woman unaware of pregnancy until near birth
A woman who weighs more than 400 pounds (180 kg) said on Sunday she did not know she was pregnant until two days before giving birth this week to a healthy baby boy...
03/05/07
Obesity May Trigger Earlier Puberty for Girls
Childhood obesity may lead to earlier onset of puberty for girls, a U.S. study concludes...
03/05/07
Norovirus sickens more than 100 at university
Fairleigh Dickinson University's Florham Park campus was recovering Monday from a norovirus outbreak that sickened more than 100 students last week, school officials said...
03/05/07
Study: Ibuprofen best for treating kids' pain
The first head-to-head study of three common painkillers found that ibuprofen works best, at least for kids with broken bones, bruises and sprains...
03/04/07
Heart recipient conquers Andes climb
Kelly Perkins, a 45-year-old Californian who had a heart transplant more than a decade ago, has added a dangerous free climb in the Andes to a string of mountaineering feats...
03/04/07
FDA to review safety of cold meds for kids
Many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies can harm toddlers and preschoolers, charge critics who are pushing the government for stricter warnings to prevent life-threatening overdoses...
03/04/07
Souped-up CT scans may help speed chest pain diagnosis
Millions of people with chest pain enter emergency room limbo, spending up to 24 hours waiting for tests to tell whether a heart attack really is brewing or it's something less dire...
03/04/07
For Lent, many parishes are lightening up
For years, Lent meant huge chunks of fried fish on Fridays for George Ehrman, a longtime parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe in this northeast Ohio town...
03/01/07
Hip-Surgery Complications More Common in Obese Women
Obese people, especially women, are more likely to suffer complications following hip replacement surgery, Swiss researchers say...
03/01/07
Life expectancy rates rise in Japan
Life expectancy for Japanese women — already the longest in the world — has risen by nearly one year, the Health Ministry said Thursday, citing the latest census data...
03/01/07
French government wants food warnings
Less fat, less sugar, less salt: Even the mostly svelte French are cracking down. Beginning Thursday, the government ordered food ads to carry cautions telling the French to stop snacking, exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables...
03/01/07
FDA links plant to to salmonella strain
Beyond the Sylvester, Ga., plant, the strain also has been isolated from open jars of the company's peanut butter and some of the 370 people who have fallen ill in the outbreak, the FDA said...
02/28/07
Prince Charles says ban McDonald's food
Prince Charles suggested Tuesday on a visit to the United Arab Emirates that banning McDonald's fast food was crucial for improving people's diets, a British news agency reported...
02/28/07
FDA urged to OK first bird-flu vaccine
U.S. health advisers recommended Tuesday that the government approve the first bird flu vaccine as a stopgap measure, despite evidence it wouldn't protect most people...
02/28/07
Feds say 20 million have form of HPV
One in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 is infected with the sexually transmitted virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer, according to the first broad national estimate...
02/28/07
Antioxidants don't help you live longer
Antioxidant vitamins taken by tens of millions of people around the world won't lead to a longer life, according to an analysis of dozens of studies that adds to evidence questioning the value of the popular supplements. The large review of separate studies on thousands of people found no long-life benefit from vitamins A, E and C and beta carotene and selenium...
02/27/07
New scans may speed chest pain diagnosis
Millions of people with chest pain enter emergency room limbo, spending up to 24 hours waiting for tests to tell if a heart attack really is brewing or if it's something less dire. A computerized heart scan may start easing the wait, giving doctors a faster picture of clogged arteries to help determine who can go home — within just four hours — and who needs more care. If these souped-up CT scans pan out — and major studies of several thousand chest-pain sufferers are to begin soon — they may do more than send the worried well home faster...
02/27/07
Study: Garlic won't lower cholesterol
Garlic doesn't do much for the breath and it stinks for lowering cholesterol. That's the conclusion of the most rigorous, head-to-head study of raw garlic and popular garlic supplements, despite promoters' claims to the contrary...
02/27/07
U.S. food safety inspections languishing
The federal agency that's been front and center in warning the public about tainted spinach and contaminated peanut butter is conducting just half the food safety inspections it did three years ago...
02/27/07
Keep your joints healthy: A complete guide to staying strong
About 21 million adults have osteoarthritis -- the wear-and-tear condition that causes achy joints and may eventually lead to can't-get-up-from-the-sofa pain...
02/26/07
FDA tests bird-flu vaccine effectiveness
In clinical trials, the two-shot series appears to provide protection to just 45 percent of adults who received the highest dose of the Sanofi Aventis SA vaccine...
02/26/07
Mother defends obese child's junk food diet
The mother of a 196-pound eight-year-old boy, who could be taken into care because of his weight, has defended her refusal to stop feeding him junk food...
02/26/07
Drugs help smokers quit, even if not first time
Smokers who use pills to try to kick the habit should keep trying, even if the drugs do not work at first, a U.S. researcher advised Saturday...
02/26/07
Nine secrets to a healthier heart
If that's your reaction when you hear all of the healthy-heart messages during American Heart Month in February, here's a wake-up call: Fact is, heart disease kills far more women each year than cancer does...
02/23/07
Girl Scouts cut trans fats from cookies
For much of the country, it's Girl Scout cookie time again. And this year, all those cookies, not just the Thin Mints and a few others, will come nearly free of harmful trans fats...
02/23/07
Studies: Circumcision reduces HIV risk
In an "extraordinary development" in the fight against AIDS, a medical journal article published Friday says that conclusive data shows there is no question circumcision reduces men's chances of catching HIV by up to 60 percent...
02/23/07
Illinois senate OKs stem cell research
The Illinois Senate voted Friday to spend state tax dollars on embryonic stem cell research, despite objections from those who argue the research destroys human life...
02/23/07
Salmonella found in peanut butter jars from Georgia plant
A week after ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled peanut butter from its Georgia plant after a salmonella outbreak, the Center for Disease Control confirmed the presence of the dangerous germ...
02/22/07
Official: Avian flu confirmed in Moscow
The H5N1 bird flu strain has been confirmed in eight suburban Moscow districts, a top Russian veterinary official said Thursday, as experts enforced a quarantine in several villages and sought to keep the disease from spreading...
02/22/07
ADHD drugs to carry new guides on heart, mental risks
Drugs prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will include guides to alert patients and parents of the risks of mental and heart problems, including sudden death...
02/22/07
'Miracle baby' goes home after extra day in hospital
Parents of one of the world's smallest premature babies got to take her home Wednesday for the first time since she was delivered last fall...
02/22/07
EU may need 2 years to prepare for flu
Sweden - It will take at least two years before the European Union is fully ready to deal with a flu pandemic, the bloc's disease control agency said Thursday...
02/21/07
Merck drops its push for vaccine mandate
Merck, maker of the first vaccine against cervical cancer, has decided to stop lobbying for state laws to mandate the shot as a condition of school entry, a company executive said Tuesday...
02/21/07
Leadership blamed for shabby Army hospital building
Army Secretary Francis Harvey blamed a failure of leadership for substandard conditions in a building that is part of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and vowed Tuesday to move quickly to fix the problem...
02/21/07
Moms' 6 biggest sleep mistakes, and how to fix them
You are how you sleep. It's the one-third of your life that most affects the two others. Of course, when your kids are young and you need lots of energy to get through the day, getting a good night's rest can be challenging...
02/21/07
FDA orders stronger asthma drug warning
The government ordered stronger label warnings for an injected asthma medication Wednesday because of reports some patients taking the drug, marketed as Xolair, had suffered a delayed and potentially life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis...
02/19/07
Peanut butter plant probed in salmonella outbreak
Government and company scientists went through one of the nation's largest peanut butter plants Friday, trying to figure out how salmonella got into batches of the spread...
02/19/07
Some cocoa may improve brain blood flow
A nice cup of the right kind of cocoa could hold the promise of promoting brain function as people age...
02/19/07
Lead-laden lunchboxes OK'd by government
In 2005, when government scientists tested 60 soft, vinyl lunchboxes, they found that one in five contained amounts of lead that medical experts consider unsafe -- and several had more than 10 times hazardous levels...
02/19/07
Changes coming to meat, poultry inspections
The first major changes to food inspection in a decade will increase federal scrutiny of meat and poultry plants where the danger from E. coli and other germs is high or where past visits have found unsafe practices...
02/15/07
On-the-job naps might cut risk for heart problems
New research on napping provides the perfect excuse for office slackers, finding that a little midday snooze seems to reduce risks for fatal heart problems, especially among men...
02/15/07
Doctors: Overuse sports injuries widespread in kids
With child athletes becoming increasingly competitive and training more rigorous at younger ages, orthopedic doctors said they are seeing an alarming rise in sports injuries simply from kids overdoing it...
02/15/07
Flu outbreak closes N.C. school system
Three schools closed until Monday because of an outbreak of flu-like symptoms, an official said Thursday...
02/15/07
Peanut butter recalled over salmonella
ConAgra Foods Inc. told consumers to discard certain jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter after the spread was linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people nationwide...
02/14/07
Research links vasectomy with higher dementia risk
Men who have had a vasectomy may face an increased risk of developing a rare type of dementia marked by a steady loss of language skills, researchers said Tuesday...
02/14/07
Loving with all your ... brain
Close your eyes for a minute and envision all the romantic parts of the human body...
02/13/07
FDA warns of intestinal twisting in infants given diarrhea vaccine
The government warned on Tuesday of potentially life-threatening twisting of the intestines in infants vaccinated against a virus that is the leading cause of early childhood diarrhea...
02/13/07
Dying babies saved with wrong-blood-type heart transplants
Connor Geddes was 13 days old when surgeons gave him a new heart that didn't match his blood type -- deliberately...
02/13/07
WTC health problems cost $393 million annually
Respiratory ailments, mental trauma and other problems that arose after the September 11 attacks are costing the U.S. health care system $393 million per year, according to an analysis that city officials released Tuesday...
02/13/07
Newer breast cancer drugs save lives, study finds
Women who switch from the breast cancer pill tamoxifen to a newer class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors live longer, Italian researchers reported Monday...
02/10/07
CDC finds dramatic rise in drug deaths
Unintentional fatal drug overdoses in the United States nearly doubled from 1999 to 2004, overtaking falls to become the nation's second-leading cause of accidental death, behind automobile crashes, the government reported...
02/10/07
Drug czar: Use of illegal drugs is down
Illegal drug use in the United States has dropped sharply since 2001 but abuse of prescription drugs remains a problem, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said Friday...
02/10/07
P&G to launch 5-minute tooth whitener
Procter & Gamble Co., convinced that there's plenty of growth left in the tooth-whitening market, soon will launch a new version of its Crest Whitestrips aimed at folks who would like a brighter smile, but don't want to spend a lot of time on it...
02/10/07
Medicaid cuts could affect students
Democrats have made it clear: They don't support recommendations from President Bush that would shave an estimated $77 billion from government health programs for seniors and the poor. But Bush doesn't need lawmakers' support for some of the changes that he wants to make to Medicare and Medicaid. He could get about $23 billion in savings over the next five years by issuing new federal regulations...
02/07/07
Experts: Jealousy is a powerful force
Sexual jealousy is sometimes considered a petty emotion. But jealousy — and the pain of thwarted love — are powerful forces, experts say...
02/07/07
Overuse of skin numbing creams can cause death, FDA says
People who use large amounts of skin-numbing creams and lotions, often in conjunction with cosmetic procedures, are at risk of irregular heartbeats, seizures and even death, U.S. health officials warned Tuesday...
02/07/07
Weight-loss surgeries more common for teens, younger
As the popularity of stomach surgery has skyrocketed among obese adults, a growing number of doctors are asking, "Why not children, too?"
02/07/07
Wal-Mart and unions unite on health care
Executives from Wal-Mart and three other major U.S. employers on Wednesday joined hands with union leaders in setting a goal of providing "quality, affordable" health care for millions of workers by 2012...
02/06/07
Regulator doubts calorie-burning claims of Enviga drink, made by Coke, Nestle
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Monday that his office was investigating claims by Coca-Cola (KO) and Nestle that their new drink can burn calories, saying it may amount to "voodoo nutrition."
02/06/07
Adolescents at risk from poor diet, inactivity
Most adolescents do not get enough exercise each day or maintain a healthy diet, according to researchers who analyzed the diet and exercise behaviors of 878, adolescents, 11 to 15 years old, and found that nearly 80 percent had multiple physical activity and dietary risk behaviors...
02/06/07
Nearly 1 million toy ovens recalled
Toymaker Hasbro and the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Tuesday recalled 985,000 Easy-Bake toy ovens after finding that kids' hands and fingers can get caught in the oven's opening, thereby posing serious risk of burns...
02/06/07
FDA approves new breast cancer test
Women with early stage breast cancer won a new gene test Tuesday to help predict whether they'll relapse in five or 10 years, information that could influence how aggressively they fight that initial tumor...
02/04/07
S.D. billionaire donates $400 million
Around here, T. Denny Sanford is not known just for the billions he made in banking — he's also known for the millions he has donated...
02/04/07
More kids having weight-loss surgery
As the popularity of stomach surgery has skyrocketed among obese adults, a growing number of doctors are asking, "Why not children, too?"...
02/04/07
Erectile dysfunction affects 18 percent of U.S. men
There's more bad news for those pudgy couch potatoes, junk food junkies and TV devotees -- and this time it really hits them where it hurts...
02/04/07
Cervical cancer vaccine meeting roadblocks
Girls jumping rope chant "one less, one less," in TV commercials for the new cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, vowing they will be one less cancer patient...
02/02/07
Rash of child flu deaths under study
Nine children have died of flu this season in Alabama, an unusually high number that has some experts worried, a pediatrician said Thursday. Dr. Richard Whitley of the University of Alabama at Birmingham said he had sent samples from the children to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for analysis...
02/02/07
Heart disease often misdiagnosed in women
When Jean Horgan complained of heart palpitations, her doctor told her it was just nerves.
"I was told, 'Go home and take tranquilizers. You'll be fine, you're under stress.' "
Much later, another doctor -- one specializing in women's health -- ordered an echocardiogram, an ultrasound test of her heart. The EKG showed Horgan had a heart condition, and she needed medication...
02/02/07
CDC practices for the 'Big One'
This was the Big One, a deadly flu epidemic. But fortunately it was a fake. So when U.S. health officials made some missteps in their largest-ever drill to prepare for a national outbreak of a deadly new flu, no one died...
02/02/07
Sex issues may signal other health risks
Doctors shouldn't shy away from asking patients about their sex lives, a new research paper advises. Researchers say problems in the bedroom can translate into serious medical conditions, and ignoring sexual dysfunction may mean missing early indicators for heart failure, depression or other ailments, according to a paper published in Friday's issue of The Lancet...
02/01/07
Students begin living flu experiment
Can wearing a face mask and regularly cleaning hands stop the spread of deadly bird flu? Students at the University of Michigan started a living experiment this week to find out...
02/01/07
U.S. doctors warn of poisoning from hand gels
At least two people have become intoxicated by drinking hand-sanitizing gels, a potentially deadly habit, doctors reported Wednesday...
02/01/07
Air-polluting particles hurt women's hearts a lot
The fine grit in polluted air boosts the risk of heart disease in older women much more powerfully than scientists realized, a big federally funded study has found, raising questions of whether U.S. environmental standards are strict enough...
02/01/07
Satisfaction guaranteed: How certain foods help you feel full
Many of us worry about overeating when we sit down for a meal. But what, beyond overindulgence, makes people feel full -- and how can we leverage foods' filling powers to help control portions?...
01/30/07
EU considers continent-wide restrictions on public smoking
The European Union was expected to launch a debate Tuesday that could lead to a EU-wide ban on smoking in public places...
01/30/07
McDonald's starts cutting out trans fats
McDonald's said on Monday more than 1,200 of its U.S. restaurants have switched to a trans fat-free frying oil, though no time line has been set for when the rest of its hamburger chain would be using the new product...
01/30/07
FDA OKs contraceptive for acne control
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new use of Bayer Schering Pharma AG's drug YAZ to allow it to be used to treat moderate acne in women who also want to use an oral contraceptive for birth control, the company said Monday.
01/30/07
Doctors sell hip resurfacing to boomers
Doctors are beginning to offer a new alternative to hip replacement, one aimed at younger, athletic baby boomers who've worn out their joints too soon. Now they no longer have to wait until they hit their 60s for a fix...
01/29/07
Potential insomnia aid studied
Researchers studying a disease that causes people to suddenly drop off to sleep are trying to turn what they have learned into a new way to help insomniacs get some shut-eye...
01/29/07
Japan confirms 2nd case of H5N1
An outbreak of bird flu at a poultry farm in southwestern Japan was caused by the H5N1 strain, farm ministry officials said on Saturday, confirming the second such case in Japan this month...
01/29/07
'Yoga lite' stretches into public schools
In Tara Guber's ideal world, American children would meditate in the lotus position and chant in Sanskrit before taking stressful standardized tests...
01/29/07
The daddy-baby connection: everyday ways to help them bond
When Melanie, a happy new mom, and her baby, Jason, recently came into my office for his two-week checkup, she had more worries about her husband than questions about the baby. "I feel so close to Jason, but I'm afraid Nick doesn't," she said. "How can I help them to bond?"...
01/26/07
Spot in brain may control smoking urge
Damage to a silver dollar-sized spot deep in the brain seems to wipe out the urge to smoke, a surprising discovery that may shed important new light on addiction. The research was inspired by a stroke survivor who claimed he simply forgot his two-pack-a-day addiction _ no cravings, no nicotine patches, not even a conscious desire to quit...
01/26/07
New York to tout official city condom
Available soon: an official New York City condom. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration wants to reduce rates of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, and part of the strategy is the aggressive promotion of free condoms. Officials say more people will use them if they have jazzy packaging...
01/26/07
Federal advisers endorse 5-in-1 childhood vaccine
A five-in-one vaccine that could reduce the number of jabs children receive is both safe and effective, federal health advisers said Thursday...
01/25/07
From 500 pounds to a new and rewarding life
I was 34 and had always struggled with my weight, but for 15 years, I had allowed it to get out of control. I ate as if it were my hobby. I was unable to do the simplest physical activity. I made excuses to avoid having to go out in public, for fear of being ridiculed. I tried to hide myself, as if someone so large could actually hide...
01/25/07
'Cardio Tennis' offers new workout
It looks like just another tennis workout as balls sail by and sometimes directly at pro instructor Tony Palafox...
01/25/07
New birth control pills could win approval
New birth-control pills that are less effective in preventing pregnancy than the original contraceptives of the 1960s still could win federal approval if they promise other benefits, under a recommendation by health advisers...
01/25/07
Study: H.S. football players overweight
Heavy tackles and 300-pound nose guards are common in pro and college football. Now a study shows the trend toward beefier, overweight linemen is emerging at the high school level...
01/25/07
Obama calls for universal health care
"The time has come for universal health care in America," Obama said at a conference of Families USA, a health care advocacy group...
01/23/07
As illnesses rise among Ground Zero workers, officials debate site as cause
Deborah Reeve got a cold, a cough and a fever that wouldn't go away. It was more than two years after she had left recovery efforts at Ground Zero...
01/23/07
Antidepressants may raise fracture risk for those over 50
The most popular pills for depression might substantially raise the risk for bone breaks in older people, a drawback that should be considered when the drugs are prescribed, Canadian researchers say...
01/23/07
Experts use weather to predict disease
Doctors hoping to predict disease outbreaks may want to tune into more weather forecasts...
01/23/07
FDA scrutinizes birth control drugs
The government is considering setting higher standards for birth control drugs used by millions, saying that newer pills appear to be less effective at preventing pregnancy than those approved decades ago...
01/22/07
Salt can be hard to shake
Open your pantry or refrigerator and it's everywhere. Not just in the pretzels and potato chips, but in your cereal, deli meats, canned soups, salad dressing and even your milk...
01/22/07
Daydreaming is brain's default setting, study finds
Daydreaming seems to be the default setting of the human mind and certain brain regions are devoted to it, U.S. researchers reported Friday...
01/22/07
More students shun cafeteria junk food
The cafeteria lunch line at Columbus Elementary School moves quickly as students grab portions of carrots, celery, apples and oranges. French fries and hamburgers, once cafeteria staples, aren't even offered...
01/22/07
FDA proposal allows gluten-free label
Foods made without a protein found in wheat, rye and barley could be labeled gluten-free under a proposed rule released Monday by federal health officials...
01/20/07
Measles deaths drop by 60 percent
Global measles deaths have dropped by 60 percent, health authorities announced in a report Friday, and one senior official called it a "historic victory" for public health...
01/20/07
Anti-smoking milestone reached in U.S.
Thirty years after it began as just another quirky movement