Thalidomide OK for severe childhood arthritis
• Children's Health • Dec 17 04
Thalidomide, the drug that caused a spate of birth defects back in the 60s, may redeem itself as a treatment for children with a…
Heart rhythm disturbance in epilepsy may be fatal
• Epilepsy • Dec 17 04
Among some people with epilepsy, potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities can occur during a seizure, British investigators report. It is possible that these dangerous…
Celebrex trial stopped after heart attacks
• Drug Abuse • Dec 17 04
A government-sponsored trial of Pfizer Inc.‘s blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex for preventing tumors was halted after patients taking the medicine had more than twice…
Magnets seen helpful for osteoarthritis
• Arthritis • Dec 17 04
Magnetic bracelets seem to provide “clinically useful” pain relief from osteoarthritis, UK investigators report.
Even after numerous studies, the effect of magnets on chronic…
Eat “supermeals” to protect heart: experts
• Dieting • Dec 17 04
Eating meals that include all ingredients known to improve cardiovascular health could add years to your life, according to new study findings released Friday.
…
42 million Americans not screened for colon cancer
• Cancer • Dec 17 04
About 60 percent of Americans aged 50 or older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer - some 42 million people - have…
OTC acne products as good as prescription meds
• Skin Care • Dec 17 04
Over-the-counter (OTC) benzoyl peroxide cream clears up acne as well as prescription antibiotics - and at a fraction of the cost, according to new…
Germany drafts tobacco ad ban despite opposition
• Public Health • Dec 17 04
Germany has drawn up a draft law banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship just in case a legal challenge it has mounted to pan-European…
Possibly avoidable hospital stays costly
• Public Health • Dec 17 04
Nearly 5 million hospital admissions in the US might have been prevented in 2000 if patients had received high quality primary and preventive care,…
Many smokers still confused about health risks
• Tobacco & Marijuana • Dec 17 04
The great majority of smokers think they are well informed about the health risks of their habit, but many of them are wrong, a…
False-positive cancer screening results costly
• Cancer: Lung • Dec 17 04
Screening for cancer quite often produces a false-positive result, and this can lead to costly - and ultimately unnecessary - follow-up testing, according to…
Doctors say avoid Pfizer’s Bextra - medical journal
• Drug Abuse • Dec 17 04
Doctors writing in a prominent medical journal on Friday recommended that physicians stop prescribing Pfizer Inc.‘s Bextra painkiller, just as a large study found…
Bhutan bans smoking in world first
• Tobacco & Marijuana • Dec 17 04
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan banned smoking in public and tobacco sales on Friday, the first country in the world to do so.
The…
Gene therapy helps kids with immune disorder
• Genetics • Dec 16 04
A type of gene therapy helps restore a working immune system to children with a genetic disease called x-linked severe combine immune deficiency (SCID-X1),…
Magnets seen helpful for osteoarthritis
• Pain • Dec 16 04
Magnetic bracelets seem to provide “clinically useful” pain relief from osteoarthritis, UK investigators report.
Even after numerous studies, the effect of magnets on chronic…
Heart rhythm disturbance in epilepsy may be fatal
• Epilepsy • Dec 16 04
Among some people with epilepsy, potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities can occur during a seizure, British investigators report. It is possible that these dangerous…
Americans give up on flu vaccine, survey shows
• Flu • Dec 16 04
Millions of Americans have given up on getting flu shots this year, frightened off by news reports of long lines or discouraged by their…
Insulin-like protein points to new diabetes drugs
• Drug News • Dec 16 04
Japanese investigators have isolated a new compound produced by fat tissue that shares properties with insulin and may lead to the development of new…
Urinary incontinence fix effective long term
• Urine Problems • Dec 16 04
A way of treating urinary incontinence in women, called the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure, remains effective for at least seven years, researchers report.
…
Fruits may protect children from leukemia
• Anemia • Dec 16 04
U.S. investigators have found that children who ate oranges and bananas or drank orange juice most days of the week before age 2 were…
Topiramate may be effective for binge-eating disorder with obesity
• Drug News • Dec 16 04
The results of a small study published in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggest that topiramate may have a long-term…
Canada signals crackdown on Internet pharmacies
• Drug News • Dec 16 04
The Canadian government signaled on Thursday it was ready to crack down on Internet pharmacies that send cheap medicine to the United States, often…
New nasal vaccines may be given together
• Infections • Dec 16 04
Two new nasally administered vaccines for respiratory infections are being tested, and researchers now say that giving them together to young children appears feasible.
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Medicare may delay heart device payment
• Public Health • Dec 16 04
A new group of patients that qualifies for Medicare reimbursement for implantable heart defibrillators may have to wait a few days longer until payment…
Citrus Oils May Treat Asthma
• Asthma • Dec 16 04
Citrus oils contain a compound that could help treat asthma, new research shows.
Israeli researchers have already had success in lab tests with…