Smoking is bad for the brain - study
• Brain • Dec 08 04
Smoking not only damages health, it is bad for the brain too, according to a Scottish study spanning nearly 60 years.
Professor Lawrence Whalley…
Dry powder asthma inhalers often used incorrectly
• Asthma • Dec 08 04
The pressurized metered-dose inhalers familiar to people with asthma and other respiratory problems are frequently not used in the right way, and this is…
Being thin has downside for people with arthritis
• Arthritis • Dec 08 04
Yes, you can be too thin - if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Weighing less than normal appears to increase the risk of dying…
Shock device doesn’t cut deaths after heart attack
• Heart • Dec 08 04
By delivering a small shock that gets the heart beating regularly again, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or ICDs can save the lives of patients with heart…
Add an E to ABCD for spotting melanoma
• Cancer • Dec 08 04
The ABCD memory-aid used to recognize early-stage melanoma should be expanded to include the letter E for “Evolving,” researchers recommend.
This would emphasize that…
Ritalin seen to help child cancer survivors
• Cancer • Dec 08 04
Treatment with methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin, may reduce attentional and social problems in kids who’ve survived leukemia or brain tumors, according to researchers.
…
Scientists find gene clue in hunt for AIDS vaccine
• AIDS/HIV • Dec 08 04
Scientists said on Wednesday they have identified key genes involved in the body’s response to HIV, which causes AIDS - a finding that could…
UN report sees some hope within hunger tragedy
• Food & Nutrition • Dec 08 04
The world is making scant progress toward an aim of halving the number of hungry people by 2015, but could still succeed if efforts…
US drug importation report delayed, Thompson says
• Drug News • Dec 08 04
The Bush administration is not ready to release a highly anticipated report on the importation of prescription drugs that was due Wednesday, Health and…
S. Africa to cull 2,200 ostriches in bird flu drive
• Infections • Dec 08 04
South Africa will cull 2,200 ostriches after identifying three more farms in the country’s Eastern Cape province where bird flu might have spread, officials…
Merck board names committee on Vioxx withdrawal
• Drug News • Dec 08 04
Drug maker Merck & Co. Inc. on Tuesday said its board appointed a committee to review the company’s actions prior to the voluntary withdrawal…
UK to extend Chiron flu vaccine suspension
• Flu • Dec 08 04
U.K. regulators have extended the suspension of Chiron Corp.‘s influenza vaccine production in Liverpool, England, for another three months from Jan. 4, the company…
Commercials can expose kids to violence
• Children's Health • Dec 08 04
Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction may have grabbed the most attention at the last Super Bowl, but a new study puts the spotlight on children’s…
Fast diagnostic test developed for bird flu
• Flu • Dec 08 04
Scientists in Hong Kong and China said on Wednesday they have developed a rapid test to detect bird flu infections in humans, which could…
Arimidex beats tamoxifen in breast cancer study
• Cancer: Breast • Dec 08 04
AstraZeneca Plc’s Arimidex, one of a new class of breast cancer drugs, has decisively beaten standard treatment tamoxifen in a 5-year clinical study, researchers…
Mental ills seen in families of alcoholics
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Dec 08 04
First-degree relatives of alcoholics are more likely to also become addicted to alcohol, as well as to other drugs such as cocaine, according…
Misaligned legs, extra pounds worsen bad knees
• Arthritis • Dec 08 04
Being overweight can speed the progression of knee osteoarthritis, but the effect may be limited to people who are moderately “bowlegged” or “knock-kneed,”…
Few Americans Buy Meds Online
• Drug News • Dec 07 04
Few American adults have bought prescription drugs through the internet, despite rising drug costs and increased pressure to import cheaper drugs from abroad, according…
Hib vaccines act differently in old and young
• Drug News • Dec 07 04
Two versions of the Hib vaccine, which protects against serious infections caused by a bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae b, appear to have different effects…
Lead exposure may raise risk of cataract
• Eye / Vision Problems • Dec 07 04
Long-term exposure to high levels of lead seems to triple the risk of developing cataracts, according to a report in the Journal of the…
Brain enzyme links diabetes to Alzheimer’s
• Neurology • Dec 07 04
The risk of Alzheimer’s disease is increased in people with diabetes, who are “resistant” to the effects of insulin and therefore develop high…
Bigger babies get no break later on
• Children's Health • Dec 07 04
Bigger babies are not guaranteed to grow into healthier adults when it comes to cholesterol levels and related heart disease problems, a study said…
Pretending there’s no racism hurts kids
• Public Health • Dec 07 04
African-American preschoolers whose parents say they don’t believe racism is a problem are more likely to be depressed or anxious, a new study indicates.
…
Arizona lawsuit blames Zicam spray for loss of smell
• Drug Abuse • Dec 07 04
Users of the nasal spray Zicam Cold Remedy have filed a proposed class action lawsuit, claiming the popular over-the-counter product robbed them of their…
Mother-child pattern of heart risk varies by race
• Children's Health • Dec 07 04
A mother’s weight seems to have a strong influence over her young child’s weight only in Hispanic families, while other health factors are apparently…