Health advisers revive Merck’s Vioxx
• Drug News • Feb 18 05
Merck & Co. Inc.‘s withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx may return to the market after U.S. health advisers narrowly voted it was safe enough to…
Lead in environment causing violent crime - study
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Feb 18 05
Lead left in paint, water, soil and elsewhere may not only be affecting children’s intelligence but may cause a significant proportion of violent crime,…
Women with heart disease not taking aspirin
• Heart • Feb 18 05
Only about half of women with cardiovascular disease are taking aspirin, investigators report, and rates of use are particularly low among black women and…
Older women take to Tai Chi for exercise: study
• Chinese Medicine • Feb 18 05
The gentle, flowing movements of tai chi may offer older women an exercise program they can live with, researchers said Friday.
In a study…
Diabetes heart risk higher for women than men
• Diabetes • Feb 18 05
Women with diabetes run a greater risk of dying from heart disease than do men with diabetes, Australian researchers report.
“More aggressive treatment of…
Finnish study shows handset radiation within limits
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
A Finnish survey of some of the world’s most popular mobile phones found the amount of radiation they emit is well below agreed limits…
Vietnam to test bird flu vaccine on people
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
Vietnamese scientists will conduct human tests of a new vaccine against the deadly bird flu virus that has claimed 13 lives in recent weeks,…
Bird flu can produce other diseases, doctors say
• Infections • Feb 18 05
The bird flu virus can produce a deadly encephalitis, diarrhoea and other symptoms that do not look like the classic respiratory disease, an international…
UN still deeply divided on cloning declaration
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
U.N. diplomats failed to reach agreement ahead of Friday’s deadline on a nonbinding declaration that would urge governments to adopt laws on human cloning…
Metalworking fluids linked to breast cancer risk
• Cancer: Breast • Feb 18 05
Women with jobs that involve metalworking fluids may have a somewhat higher risk of developing breast cancer, a preliminary study suggests.
Metalworking fluids help…
Senate passes ban on genetic discrimination
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously approved legislation to bar health insurers and employers from discriminating against people with a genetic predisposition to disease.
…
Aid group fears over 1,000 Afghan child deaths
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
More than 1,000 Afghan children may have died of cold-related illnesses in a snow-bound Afghan province and the toll could rise if more relief…
New HIV strain shakes up New York gay community
• AIDS/HIV • Feb 18 05
A potentially virulent strain of the HIV virus found last week in a New York man has the gay community worried about a new…
Suicide pacts a grim and growing trend for Japan
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Feb 18 05
“Everything’s horrible, I want to die,” read the message in the Japanese Internet chat room. “Who will die with me?”
In a grim new…
UK warns about 350 food products with cancer risk
• Cancer • Feb 18 05
Britain’s food safety watchdog advised people Friday not to eat some 350 food products that have been inadvertently contaminated with an illegal dye that…
New vaccine may help fight leukaemia: study
• Drug News • Feb 18 05
An experimental vaccine that boosts the immune system has produced good results in treating patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), Italian scientists said on…
Measles a key concern in tsunami-hit Aceh - WHO
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
Preventing a widespread measles outbreak is a top priority in tsunami-stricken Aceh province, with other health concerns centred on water-and insect-borne diseases, World Health…
S. Africa reports 57 pct jump in deaths, AIDS blamed
• AIDS/HIV • Feb 18 05
South Africa reported a 57 percent jump in reported deaths between 1997 and 2002 on Friday, providing a startling - if indirect - picture…
Genome map offers first look at human differences
• Genetics • Feb 18 05
The first published map of human genetic differences offers a major step toward truly personalized medicine, from predicting who will get what disease to…
Painful bladder condition relieved by lidocaine
• Urine Problems • Feb 18 05
People with a bladder condition called interstitial cystitis can find immediate relief with a solution developed by a doctor at the University of California,…
Thousands flee as plague kills 61 in Congo
• Public Health • Feb 18 05
An outbreak of plague in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 61 diamond miners and infected hundreds more, the World Health Organization (WHO)…
Remicade improves diabetes-related eye condition
• Drug News • Feb 18 05
The arthritis drug Remicade is showing promise for the treatment of a potentially blinding eye condition called macular edema that can afflict people with…
Media violence may affect kids in short term
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Feb 18 05
Watching violent TV and playing violent video games appears to temporarily affect kids’ thoughts and feelings, increasing the likelihood that they’ll behave aggressively, according…
Dry Skin, Allergy or Something More Serious?
• Allergies • Feb 18 05
The cold winter months cause many of us to itch and scratch what appears to be dry skin. But is it weather-related, an allergic…
Agents arrest medical marijuana grower on federal charges
• Tobacco & Marijuana • Feb 18 05
Federal agents arrested a controversial medical marijuana grower Wednesday following an early morning search of his Upper Lake home and marijuana farm.
Federal Drug…