Friday, August 31, 2012

U.N. says Haiti struggling to cope with cholera as aid withdrawn

U.N. says Haiti struggling to cope with cholera as aid withdrawn

A girl receives treatment at a cholera treatment centre run by Doctors Without Borders, in Port-au-PrinceUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Friday that Haiti was struggling to cope with a cholera epidemic that has killed thousands and deteriorating conditions in tent camps as aid groups withdraw from the impoverished country due to a lack of funding. In a report to the U.N. Security Council, Ban said there had been an increase in the number of cholera cases since the rainy season began in early March and the World Health Organization had projected there could be up to 112,000 cases during 2012. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Important Information On Plastic Surgery

Plastic Surgery is becoming more and more popular worldwide. It is the enhancement of the human body through several surgical procedures. Complete article

Health officials probe virus exposure at Yosemite

FILE -- In this file photo from Sunday Oct. 23, 2011, tents are seen in Curry Village in Yosemite National Park, Calif. On Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, Yosemite officials announced a second person had died of a rare, rodent-borne disease after staying in one of Yosemite National Park's most popular lodging areas, prompting federal officials to step up efforts to locate and warn recent visitors. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)Two more Yosemite National Park visitors have been found with a mouse-borne virus blamed for the deaths of two people, bringing the total number of infections to six, state health officials said.


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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Two more Yosemite visitors stricken with deadly virus

Two more Yosemite visitors stricken with deadly virus
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two more visitors to Yosemite National Park have been diagnosed with a deadly rodent-borne virus, raising the total number of people infected in the unusual outbreak to six, California public health officials said Thursday. Two men died from the rare lung disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and four other people survived the rodent-borne illness. Most of the victims are believed to have contracted the virus while staying in tent-style cabins this summer in a popular camping area called Curry Village. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Alarming levels of drug-resistant TB found worldwide

Alarming levels of drug-resistant TB found worldwide

A patient suspected of having tuberculosis puts on his shirt after an x-ray at the Indonesian Union Against Tuberculosis clinic in JakartaLONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found an alarming number of cases of the lung disease tuberculosis in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America that are resistant to up to four powerful antibiotic drugs. In a large international study published in the Lancet medical journal on Thursday, researchers found rates of both multi drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) were higher than previously thought and were threatening global efforts to curb the spread of the disease. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Big bets aim to jolt heart drug sales back to life

Big bets aim to jolt heart drug sales back to life

Bottles of Plavix shown on display at a pharmacy in North Aurora, Illinois.MUNICH (Reuters) - The expiry of patents on profitable heart medicines is soon going to erode one of the main sources of drug company profits, and risky bets on new medicines to replace them may not make up for the lost sales. High-octane salesmanship was still on show at giant trade stands during this week's European Society of Cardiology congress - the world's biggest heart meeting with 28,000 participants - but the razzmatazz hides a business in trouble. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Baby Powder From Himalaya - Himalaya Herbal Products Which Improves Skin Luster

This article will give a detailed description on Himalaya baby powder and its benefits. It will also highlight on herbal baby care. Read more

Colorado Springs Hospital Lease Gets Big Election Win

Colorado Springs Hospital Lease Gets Big Election Win
University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) welcomed Memorial Health Systems into its expanding fold following overwhelming approval from Colorado Springs voters for a lease of the building and assets that will bring an estimated $1.8 billion to the city. Here are the details.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Novartis gets EU approval for blood cancer drug

ZURICH, Aug 28 (Reuters - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG has received approval from the European Commission for Jakavi, a drug for myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, that was licensed from Incyte. The drug was already recommended for approval in April by a key panel for Europe's health regulator. Novartis said in a statement that Jakavi was the first medication to receive European approval to treat patients with the condition, which causes debilitating symptoms that can severely impact quality of life and shorten survival. Courtesy of Yahoo News

Green Gold As Skin Care

Green Gold As Skin Care
This article identifies the significance of skin care. It also describes how the use of environmentally friendly material from processed bamboo is becoming a vital ingredient in skin care products.
Source: EzineArticles.com

FDA advisers back wider use of Abbott's Humira

FDA advisers back wider use of Abbott's Humira
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc won a U.S. panel's support on Tuesday for wider use of its blockbuster Humira drug in a type of inflammatory bowel disease. A panel of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 15 to 2 that the benefits of Humira outweighed its risks in treating ulcerative colitis. The drug is already approved for six other conditions. The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, although it is not required to, and a final decision is expected by the end of the year. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Novartis gets EU approval for blood cancer drug

ZURICH, Aug 28 (Reuters - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG has received approval from the European Commission for Jakavi, a drug for myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, that was licensed from Incyte. The drug was already recommended for approval in April by a key panel for Europe's health regulator. Novartis said in a statement that Jakavi was the first medication to receive European approval to treat patients with the condition, which causes debilitating symptoms that can severely impact quality of life and shorten survival. Get the complete story

Novartis gets EU approval for blood cancer drug

ZURICH, Aug 28 (Reuters - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG has received approval from the European Commission for Jakavi, a drug for myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, that was licensed from Incyte. The drug was already recommended for approval in April by a key panel for Europe's health regulator. Novartis said in a statement that Jakavi was the first medication to receive European approval to treat patients with the condition, which causes debilitating symptoms that can severely impact quality of life and shorten survival. Continue reading...

Monday, August 27, 2012

Evidence lacking on screening for kidney disease

Evidence lacking on screening for kidney disease
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There isn't enough evidence to recommend checking the kidney function of otherwise healthy people for signs of disease, a government-backed panel said on Monday. But it's also not clear that using blood or urine tests to screen for chronic kidney disease causes much harm either, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. "It's a common condition," said Dr. Joy Melnikow, a Task Force member from the University of California, Davis in Sacramento. "I was actually struck by how little information there was. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Newborn ICUs Installing 'Babycams' To Connect Families To Babies

Newborn ICUs Installing 'Babycams' To Connect Families To Babies

NEW ORLEANS — Corey Harrington spent the first month of his life in intensive care 150 miles from home, but his parents could see him any time thanks to a webcam in the premature baby's incubator in Little Rock, Ark.

They couldn't be there because they had another young child to care for and the father had used up his leave during the final weeks of the complicated pregnancy. So instead, Brandi and Charles Ray Harrington of Bentonville, Ark., used the device to further a bonding process that doctors say is crucial.

The importance of feeling close to babies – for the babies as well as their parents – has transformed newborn intensive care units around the country. Instead of brief visiting hours, for instance, many allow parents 24-hour access. The next step in the process involves webcam technology that has had applications ranging from peering into eagles' nests to linking soldiers in war zones with their loved ones back home.

Now parents, grandparents and friends can log in to babycams in hospitals around the U.S. and several countries. At least eight domestic hospitals have installed such systems, and several dozen others are testing trial setups.

Brandi Harrington said nurses at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital often put notes on camera. She read from some that were captured in screenshots: "I'm now 4 (pounds) 1 oz. Woohoo!"

"Be back soon. Pooping on my own. Gonna try to breathe on my own too. Taking the breathing tube out."

The UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock was among the first to install webcams in neonatal intensive care units back in 2006, and it had to create its own system. Now, the chairman of the hospital's OB-GYN department has passed on his software to a Pennsylvania hospital, while at least two companies are selling contracts for similar systems.

At UAMS and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, a speaker inside each incubator lets parents coo, talk and sing to their babies.

That's not available through the 53 cameras recently installed at Ochsner Health System near New Orleans by Healthcare Observation Systems LLC of Louisville, Ky. Company owner Blake Rutherford says about 200 of the 600-plus NICUs caring for critically ill newborns have asked for information; he has installed six systems and has trial setups at about 40 other hospitals.

The systems aren't used by doctors and nurses for clinical care in the U.S. The system made by Rutherford's company doesn't store any video. People watching a baby can take screenshot "photographs," but the video is gone as soon as it's transmitted, Rutherford said.

Parents use the U.S. systems for free, and they typically get a password – which they can share with family and friends – to log in to a secure server to watch their baby.

Developers of the systems say the systems could be adapted for use with different types of patients. For example, Rutherford said he's been asked about setting up webcams for nursing home residents but hasn't begun developing such a system.

Laura and David St. Martin can see little Emily Jane in person every day, even though their home in LaPlace, La., is only about a half-hour drive from Ochsner. She was born April 14 at 24 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces. Still, they check on her regularly, sometimes at night.

It can offer a huge sense of relief, said David St. Martin: "If you wake up at 2 in the morning you're able to pull her up on the camera and see she's all right."

Sometimes nurses alert the St. Martins to events, such as when they took Emily Jane off a ventilator and substituted a nasal tube to an oxygen tank. "Right after they did that, Susie, her main nurse, called and said, `You need to look at the camera,'" Laura St. Martin recalled. "I was at work. I looked at the camera and said, `Oh, my god!'"

Doctors at the hospital in Little Rock say webcam monitoring of newborns in intensive care is more than a feel-good gimmick in an age of instant communication. Rather, they hope to reduce a number of problems that can occur when the babies go home by increasing bonding with parents.

Premature babies are more likely to be irritable or have physical or emotional problems, said Dr. Curtis Lowery, chairman of the OB-GYN department at UAMS. In turn, the tiny babies are more likely to be shaken or beaten – which doctors think can be avoided through greater bonding.

"If their parents haven't bonded with them, they'll have problems," Lowery said.

A pilot study will compare bonding among parents who use the system frequently and those who use it less often. Another will see whether babies show a physical response, such as changed heart or breathing rates, to hearing their parents. Cameras are built into 21 of the hospital's 64 incubators.

The sickest babies usually get the cameras, said nurse Sarah Rhoads, who also runs a telemedicine program for women who live in remote parts of the state and are undergoing high-risk pregnancies.

"They tend to put them on babies that are going to be here a longer period of time," she said.

Lowery said the hospital pays about $9,000 per camera. "With a prototype you need to overbuild," he said. "Now we're talking about a more basic version that could be sold for a couple-thousand or less."

"A lot of it's about bonding and keeping families together, largely. If you live three hours away, four hours away, and your baby's going to be here four months it's hard to do that economically," he said. "This is not the same as being there but it's more like being there than talking to the nurse that's seeing and watching the baby."


Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Extra pounds tied to breast cancer recurrence, death

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among women who have been treated for breast cancer, heavier women are more likely to have their disease come back and more likely to die of cancer, according to a new study. That could be because certain hormones that are linked to body weight may also fuel tumor growth in the most common form of the disease, known as estrogen receptor-positive cancer. Previous studies have tied obesity to a higher chance of getting breast cancer - and worse outcomes in women who have already been diagnosed. ... Get the complete story

Roche drug helped breast cancer patients survive longer

Logo of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche is pictured in RotkreuzZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said its "armed antibody" T-DM1 drug significantly extended the lives of women with an aggressive type of breast cancer compared with those receiving the standard drug cocktail. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, with about 1.4 million new cases diagnosed each year and more than 450,000 women dying of the disease annually, according to the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer. ...


Original Source

Circumcision pluses outweigh risks: Pediatricians

Circumcision pluses outweigh risks: Pediatricians

In this Aug. 23, 2012, photo, social worker Shannon Coyne poses for a portrait with her 11-month-old son in Philadelphia. Coyne and her husband decided against circumcision for their son. The nation's most influential pediatricians group says the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it. In its latest policy statement on circumcision, a procedure that has been declining nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics moves closer to an endorsement but says the decision should be up to parents. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)The nation's most influential pediatricians group says the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Duran Duran Cancels Show Over Illness

Duran Duran Cancels Show Over Illness

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- The illness of keyboardist Nick Rhodes forced the last-minute cancellation of rock group Duran Duran's Saturday night concert at Atlantic City's Revel.

The chart-topping 1980s English band has been on the road for nearly two straight years in support of their new album "All You Need Is Now," and the pace has taken its toll on Rhodes.

The casino, Atlantic City's newest, said Rhodes has been sick for a few says and saw a doctor Saturday who advised him not to perform Saturday night. In a news release, Rhodes said doctors told him he could be suffering from exhaustion.

The casino said the band is considering playing the show in the next few days, so fans should hold onto their tickets and wait for an official announcement of a re-scheduled date.

"I have struggled through the last few nights, hoping that I could simply work through this," Rhodes said. "But today I felt so unwell, I had to see a doctor.

"We absolutely hate to disappoint our incredibly loyal fans and cancel a show at the last minute, but unfortunately the doctor has strongly recommended that this is what we do on this occasion. So it is with enormous regret that we are unable to perform in Atlantic City tonight," Rhodes said.

The casino was not informed that the band would be canceling until 7 p.m. Saturday – after many fans had already arrived with tickets.

The band is best known for their 1980s MTV videos, including "Rio" and "Girls On Film."

The show was to take place at the casino's 5,000-seat Ovation Hall.

Revel opened in April. It featured four concerts by Beyonce at its grand opening over Memorial Day weekend.


Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Merck to seek approval for two cardiovascular drugs in '13

(Reuters) - Merck & Co said on Sunday it plans to file regulatory applications for a new type of blood clot preventer next year, and will also file with regulators for approval of another cardiovascular drug in 2013. The pharmaceutical company said in a statement that it is in discussions with regulatory agencies over vorapaxar, a drug that has been dogged by bleeding concerns since January 2011, when a safety committee overseeing a large study said the new type of anti-platelet drug was not appropriate for patients who had suffered a stroke. ... Original Source

Lilly heart drug Effient fails to carve new niche

Lilly heart drug Effient fails to carve new niche
MUNICH (Reuters) - Eli Lilly's new heart drug Effient failed to beat the older product Plavix in a head-to-head clinical study, dashing hopes for its expanded use in treating less critically sick heart patients. The finding, released at a medical meeting on Sunday, is good news for rival AstraZeneca, whose competitor product Brilinta did show an edge over Plavix in a comparable group of patients in an analysis published last year. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Gynecologists alarmed by plastic surgery trend

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Trained as a gynecologist and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. John Miklos calls himself a "medical tailor," specializing in surgery to reshape a woman's private parts. The Atlanta surgeon, who has performed gynecological surgery for nearly 20 years, cites cases of patients who say their sexual response improved after vaginoplasty, a procedure to surgically tighten a vagina stretched by childbirth or aging. "Women come to me and say they don't have the urge to have sex anymore because they don't feel anything," Miklos said. ... Get the complete story

Cuba campaign takes on 'free' health care

Cuba campaign takes on 'free' health care

In this Aug 10, 2012 photo, a nurse gives Karolin Deniss Verdecia a shot for allergies at a government run neighborhood clinic in Havana, Cuba. Cuba's system of free medical care, long considered a birthright by its citizens and trumpeted as one of the communist government's great successes, is not immune to cutbacks under Raul Castro's drive for efficiency. The health sector has already endured millions of dollars in budget cuts and tens of thousands of layoffs, and Castro is looking for more ways to save. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)Cuba's system of free medical care, long considered a birthright by its citizens and trumpeted as one of the communist government's great successes, is not immune to cutbacks under Raul Castro's drive for efficiency.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Obama aims to shift campaign focus back to Medicare

Obama aims to shift campaign focus back to Medicare
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama used his regular weekly radio address Saturday to continue pounding away at Republican plans to overhaul Medicare, the U.S. healthcare program for the elderly. The address underscored the new prominence Medicare has assumed as a campaign issue in the past two weeks, since the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, picked Paul Ryan as his running mate. Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman and chairman of the U.S. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Friday, August 24, 2012

Paralympics: Harmful "boosting" casts shadow before Games

Construction workers are seen at Riverbank Stadium in Olympic Park in StratfordLONDON (Reuters) - The Paralympics begin in London next week and despite the euphoria from the Olympics, the buildup to the disabled Games has been blighted by tales of deliberate "performance enhancing" injuries. The practice of "boosting", where wheelchair-bound athletes hurt themselves to increase blood pressure and endurance, is banned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) but is surprisingly common. A survey of athletes at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics showed around 17 percent had used boosting. ...


Original Source

Pig parasite may help treat autoimmune disorders

File photo of sows feeding at Whiteshire Hamroc farm in AlbionBOSTON (Reuters) - If you had a chronic and potentially debilitating condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease, and swallowing the eggs of a pig parasite could help, would you do it? The team at Coronado Biosciences Inc is betting you would. The Burlington, Massachusetts, company is developing what it hopes will be the first in a new class of treatments for autoimmune conditions. Each dose of the drug consists of thousands of microscopic parasite eggs, culled from pig feces, suspended in a tablespoon of saline solution to be swallowed. ...


Courtesy of Yahoo News

Factbox - Cycling-Lance Armstrong profile

(Reuters) - Factbox on American cyclist Lance Armstrong, who on Thursday said he would no longer fight U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accusations that he used illegal drugs during his seven Tour de France victories: * Born: September 18 1971, in Texas, U.S. EARLY CAREER * Finishes 14th in the individual road race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Turns professional. * In 1993 he wins a Tour de France stage at Verdum. Wins the Triple Crown in the U.S. and world championship in Oslo, Norway. * Twelfth in road race and sixth in individual time trial at 1996 Atlanta Olympics. ... Read more

Thursday, August 23, 2012

St. Jude Medical board member dies of cancer

St. Jude Medical board member dies of cancer
(Reuters) - St. Jude Medical Inc said its longest-serving board member Thomas Garrett died of multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. Garrett, who joined the company in 1979, was an independent director on the board for 34 years. Garrett advised St. Jude through a number of leadership transitions and legal matters, the company said in a statement. The company did not say when he died. The medical device maker faced a setback last week when its heart defibrillators were called for surveillance studies by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after reports of defects. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

New Osteoporosis Treatment Safer, More Effective

New York researchers have discovered a new way to potentially treat or prevent osteoporosis. This news is particularly encouraging to patients such as myself who have osteopenia or osteoporosis and who cannot tolerate standard osteoporosis drugs. Credit of the story

When cooking dinner is a matter of life and death

When cooking dinner is a matter of life and death

The US State Department and the UN, is working towards a goal of supplying 100 million clean cookstoves by 2020For millions of women around the world, cooking the family meal is a daily, dangerous chore. Sweating over smoky open stoves, they put their lives and their children at risk every day.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Study: Obesity surgery can help prevent diabetes

Study: Obesity surgery can help prevent diabetes
preventing diabetes. Far fewer obese people developed that disease if they had stomach-shrinking operations rather than usual care to try to slim down, a large study in Sweden found.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Many Americans see specialists for primary care: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Two in five adults in the U.S. are getting general healthcare from specialist doctors, according to a new study showing that figure held steady for nearly a decade. Researchers found that in 1999 and 2007, approximately 59 percent of visits in the U.S. for primary care were to family physicians. The other 41 percent were to specialists, such as internists and obstetricians-gynecologists. There is evidence that in healthcare systems where primary care doctors are the first point of contact, patients see better outcomes, according to the study's lead author. ... Read more

India's top court to hear Glivec patent case from September 11

India's top court to hear Glivec patent case from September 11

A man walks past the logo of Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG in front of a plant in Basel(Reuters) - India's top court will hear final arguments from September 11 in a key patent dispute between Swiss drugmaker Novartis and India's patent office, a case that could curb India's global position as a supplier of cut-price generic medicines. The hearing, which is expected to last for at least two months, had been scheduled to being on Wednesday. Novartis appealed to the Supreme Court after its cancer medicine Glivec was refused a patent on the grounds the drug is not a new molecule but an amended version of a known compound. Novartis has challenged this clause of Indian Patents Act. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Giving babies antibiotics could lead to obesity: study

Giving babies antibiotics could lead to obesity: study
Giving babies antibiotics before the age of six months could cause them to be chubby children, according to a study published Tuesday.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Fewer circumcisions could cost the US billions: study

Fewer circumcisions could cost the US billions: study
As debate rages over the ethics of infant circumcision, a study published Monday said falling rates of the once-routine procedure in the United States could cost billions of dollars in health costs.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Monday, August 20, 2012

Rape trauma as barrier to pregnancy has no scientific basis

Rape trauma as barrier to pregnancy has no scientific basis
(Reuters) - The long-discredited notion that rape victims cannot become pregnant - a claim that pushed Republicans to repudiate one of their own U.S. Senate candidates on Monday - dates back centuries to when human reproduction was hardly understood. But the medieval theory has surfaced in 21st century political discourse as a result of the U.S. abortion wars. Writers from the Middle Ages and modern politicians alike have based their arguments on the idea that a trauma of the magnitude of rape can shut down the body's reproductive system. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Traditional And Modern Methods For Skin Tag Removal

Not all skin related conditions are a serious threat to the body and healthy of the affected. At times, the way we handle them is what leads to complication and making the situation worse. Read more

Award-winning journalist is AP's Indonesia chief

Award-winning journalist is AP's Indonesia chief
Margie Mason, an award-winning correspondent for The Associated Press in Southeast Asia, has been promoted to chief of bureau for Indonesia.
Source: news.yahoo.com

China's rural migrants key to consumption -government report

China's rural migrants key to consumption -government report
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's domestic migrant labor force could power consumer spending growth in the world's second biggest economy if workers had better access to basic welfare services in the cities where they live and work, a new government report says. The 230 million-strong migrant workforce drives China's economy, but a lack of access to education, health and other services tied to the country's strict household registration - or hukou - system forces massive saving, restraining Beijing's efforts to shift growth's focus to consumption from investment. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Showdown for Big Pharma in India's highest court

A view of the Indian Supreme Court building is seen in New DelhiMUMBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - India's highest court will hear final arguments starting this week in a landmark case over drug patents that could change the rules for the country's healthcare sector and potentially curb its global role as a supplier of cut-price generic medicines. The Supreme Court hearing pits Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG against India's patent office, which has refused to grant a patent on the company's cancer drug Glivec on the grounds that it is not a new medicine but an amended version of a known compound. ...


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Got Chronic Back Pain? Consider Yoga

Got Chronic Back Pain? Consider Yoga

People with chronic low back pain may want to try taking to the yoga mat to relieve their symptoms, a small new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of York in the United Kingdom found that back pain sufferers who participated in a group yoga program for 12 weeks had fewer medical costs and fewer missed days from work, compared with people who didn't participate in the yoga program.

"We welcome the fact that not only has yoga been found to help people manage their back pain, but that it is also cost effective, and results in fewer sick days," Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, which funded the study, said in a statement. "It is another option for people who are struggling to manage their condition, and one that encourages the move to self-management."

The Spine journal study included more than 300 people who experienced recurring back pain; half of them were assigned to the 12-week yoga program and also received standard medical care, while the other half only received standard medical care for their pain. (Standard medical care could mean anything from seeing a physiotherapist, to receiving prescription painkillers.)

The researchers found that each person was able to participate in the yoga intervention at a cost of less than 300 pounds ($472 in U.S. dollars). And people who participated in the yoga program also took fewer sick days from work than people who only received the standard care.

Yoga has been shown in past studies to aid in back pain relief. Researchers found that yoga classes or stretching classes helped people with chronic low back pain to manage their pain, compared with just using a "self-care" book, according to a 2011 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

And "several other studies -- all smaller than ours -- have found that Iyengar yoga and general Hatha yoga are helpful for persons with back pain," study researcher Karen Sherman, Ph.D., of the Group Health Research Institute, earlier told HuffPost. "My guess is that any therapeutically-oriented style of yoga could be helpful to people with chronic back pain."

For more ways yoga could improve health, click through the slideshow:

  • Doctors

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/mindfulness-meditation-doctors_n_1456870.html" target="_hplink">Mindfulness meditation</a> could help doctors provide better care to their patients, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers found. When doctors underwent mindfulness meditation training, they <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/mindfulness-meditation-doctors_n_1456870.html" target="_hplink">listened better</a> and were less judgmental at home and at work, according to the <em>Academic Medicine</em> study.

  • People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Practicing mindfulness meditation exercises could help people with the painful condition to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/mindfulness-meditation-rheumatoid-arthritis_n_1171685.html?1325055022&ref=health-news" target="_hplink">decrease their stress</a> and fatigue levels, according to a study from Oslo's Diakonhjemmet Hospital. In that study, published in the journal <em>Annals of Rheumatic Diseases</em>, the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/mindfulness-meditation-rheumatoid-arthritis_n_1171685.html?1325055022&ref=health-news" target="_hplink">goal of the mindfulness meditation</a> exercises was to help people concentrate on their own thoughts, experiences and pain in the moment, without actively trying to avoid them or judge them. The researchers found that people who did the exercises had lower stress and fatigue measurements than people who didn't partake in the meditation.

  • The Elderly

    Practicing mindfulness meditation could help decrease feelings of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/29/mindfulness-meditation-loneliness-elderly_n_1702112.html" target="_hplink">loneliness in the elderly</a>. The small study, published in the journal <em>Brain, Behavior & Immunity</em>, showed that undergoing an eight-week mindfulness meditation training program, as well as doing meditation exercises at home, was linked with lower feelings of loneliness <em>and</em> a reduction in the expression of genes known to be linked with inflammation. This finding is important because, among the elderly, loneliness is known to increase the risk for a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/29/mindfulness-meditation-loneliness-elderly_n_1702112.html" target="_hplink">number of other health problems</a> -- including heart risks and even a premature death.

  • Stroke Survivors

    Practicing yoga for eight weeks helped stroke survivors to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/yoga-stroke-balance-survivors-patients-_n_1724580.html" target="_hplink">improve their balance</a> in a study published in the journal <em>Stroke</em>. Improving balance among stroke patients is important for reducing the risk of falls. People who had balance problems, or feelings of dizziness and/or spinning, were five times more likely to fall than those without balance issues, according to an earlier 2003 study in <em>Stroke</em>. And in other research, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine this year and conducted by the same researchers as the balance study, they found that yoga helped stroke survivors to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/03/yoga-stroke-rehabilitation_n_1563208.html" target="_hplink">be more flexible</a>, be stronger, and have more endurance and strength.

  • Caregivers

    It's not just people with an ailment who can benefit from yoga -- people <em>caring</em> for the sick can be helped, too. A study in the <em>International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry</em> found that caregivers who participate in meditation have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/13/yoga-caregivers-meditation-kirtan-kriya_n_1342389.html" target="_hplink">decreased symptoms of depression</a> and even a decrease in cellular aging from stress.

  • Inmates

    The Washoe County Sheriff's Office in Reno, Nevada, is offering <a href="http://www.foxreno.com/news/news/local/yoga-classes-offered-jail-women-prisoners/nP6kq/" target="_hplink">yoga to female prisoners</a> to help them with anger and stress issues, Fox Reno reported. The twice-a-month classes are taught by volunteers, and are part of the Alternatives to Incarceration Unit's Women's Empowerment Program, according to Fox Reno.

  • Teachers

    Meditation could be the key to <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/0329/an-om-a-day-keeps-teachers-stress-away.aspx?xid=tw_everydayhealth_hootsuite" target="_hplink">minimizing stress for busy teachers</a>, according to a study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. The findings, published in the journal <em>Emotion</em>, showed that undergoing eight weeks of meditation helped to lower anxiety and depression, also, in the teachers, Everyday Health reported.


Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Health panel likely to make HIV tests routine

WASHINGTON DC (Reuters) - A U.S. health panel may soon make HIV testing as standard a practice as checking cholesterol levels, a move that would fundamentally change how the virus is detected and treated. The U.S. Preventive Services Task force, a government-backed group of clinicians and scientists, is expected to make a new recommendation on HIV screening available for public comment before the end of the year. ... Continue reading...

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Ebola outbreak kills one, infects three in DR Congo

Doctors work in a laboratory on collected samples of the Ebola virus at the Centre for Disease Control in EntebbeKINSHASA (Reuters) - An outbreak of Ebola has killed one person and is believed to have infected three others over the last week in northeastern Congo, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Friday. The outbreak is in Isiro, a busy town in Democratic Republic of Congo's Oriental province, which shares a border with Uganda, but the strain of the deadly disease is different to the one that killed 16 there last month, MSF said. Ebola is transmitted to humans from monkeys and birds and causes massive bleeding in victims, with mortality rates as high as 90 percent. ...


Read more

Ebola outbreak kills one, infects three in DR Congo

Ebola outbreak kills one, infects three in DR Congo

Doctors work in a laboratory on collected samples of the Ebola virus at the Centre for Disease Control in EntebbeKINSHASA (Reuters) - An outbreak of Ebola has killed one person and is believed to have infected three others over the last week in northeastern Congo, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Friday. The outbreak is in Isiro, a busy town in Democratic Republic of Congo's Oriental province, which shares a border with Uganda, but the strain of the deadly disease is different to the one that killed 16 there last month, MSF said. Ebola is transmitted to humans from monkeys and birds and causes massive bleeding in victims, with mortality rates as high as 90 percent. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Friday, August 17, 2012

Why Older People Are More Susceptible To Scams

Why Older People Are More Susceptible To Scams

Everyone knows the adage: "If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is." Why, then, do some people fall for scams and older people especially prone to being duped?

An answer, it seems, is because a specific area of the brain has deteriorated or is damaged, according to researchers at the University of Iowa.

By examining patients with various forms of brain damage, the researchers report they've pinpointed the precise location in the human brain, called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, that controls belief and doubt, and which explains why some of us are more gullible than others.

old people scammed

"This specific deficit may explain why highly intelligent patients can fall victim to seemingly obvious fraud schemes," the researchers wrote in the paper published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.

A study conducted for the National Institute of Justice in 2009 concluded that nearly 12% of Americans 60 and older had been exploited financially by a family member or a stranger. And, a report last year by insurer MetLife Inc. estimated the annual loss by victims of elder financial abuse at $2.9 billion.

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is an oval-shaped lobe in the front of the human head, right above the eyes.

During the study, a group of 39 carefully selected volunteers were shown advertisements mimicking ones flagged as misleading by the Federal Trade Commission to test how much they believed or doubted the ads.

Each participant was asked to gauge how much he or she believed the deceptive ad and how likely he or she would buy the item if it were available.

Meet the world's most famous con men below (VIDEO)

The researchers found that the patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex were roughly twice as likely to believe a given ad, even when given disclaimer information pointing out it was misleading. And, they were more likely to buy the item, regardless of whether misleading information had been corrected.

According to the paper's author Daniel Tranel, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex begins to deteriorate as people reach age 60 and older, although the onset and the pace of deterioration can vary.

"Instead of saying, 'How would you do something silly and transparently stupid,' people may have a better appreciation of the fact that older people have lost the biological mechanism that allows them to see the disadvantageous nature of their decisions," said Tranel, in a statement.

Due to the study's small sample size, researchers underline that further studies are warranted.

Would you have falled for any of these scams?


Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Kids' lack of self-control tied to extra pounds

Kids' lack of self-control tied to extra pounds
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Preschoolers who had less patience and worse self-control while waiting for treats in a classic behavior study ended up weighing slightly more as adults, a new analysis shows. Although the link between childhood patience and extra pounds in adulthood was "not particularly large," researchers said it might still help hint at which little kids are at risk of growing into overweight adults - and give their parents and teachers a chance to intervene. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Breathe A Bit Of Life Into Your Skin With These Tips!

Breathe A Bit Of Life Into Your Skin With These Tips!
Pick up a few tips to help you look good and keep your skin young and healthy looking. Learn how to care for your skin properly and you'll be assured of maintaining your skin as you grow older.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Mom seeks heart transplant for autistic son

Mom seeks heart transplant for autistic son

In this July 2012 photo released by Karen Corby shows her son Paul at the Pottsville Free Public Library in Pottsville, Pa. Karen Corby whose autistic adult son was denied a heart transplant is using an online petition to gather support in a bid to convince a hospital to reconsider. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Corby Family)A Pennsylvania woman whose autistic adult son was not recommended for a heart transplant said she wants to bring more attention to the decision-making process so that those with ailments or disabilities are not passed over without careful consideration.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Energy Drinks Mixed With Alcohol Increase Risk Of Heart Problems

Energy Drinks Mixed With Alcohol Increase Risk Of Heart Problems

A massive handbag, face-swamping sunglasses and a can of sugar-free redbull have become the staple requirements of any young wannabe out on the town in recent years.

But as energy drinks have become increasingly popular, so too has mixing and drinking them with alcohol -- and that could be causing health problems, suggests a new study.

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According to an Australian study that compared the outcomes of alcohol/energy drinks with alcohol-only drinks, those who drink the latter are more like to experience heart-related health problems.

"Alcohol-energy drink consumers were less likely to experience several psychological and physiological sedation side-effects, such as speech and walking difficulties, nausea, slurred speech, confusion, and exhaustion, when drinking alcohol/energy drinks compared to alcohol," said study author Amy Peacock from the University of Tasmania, in a statement.

"However, they also had a greater chance in alcohol/energy drink sessions of experiencing several side-effects related to over-stimulation, including heart palpitations, increased speech speed, sleeping difficulties, agitation and tremors, jolt and crash episodes, and irritability and tension."

  • Foods That Ward Off Heart Disease

    Eat yourself to a healthy heart with these cardiovascular-friendly foods.

  • Oats

    Oats contain beta glucan, a soluble fibre that helps reduce cholesterol levels, especially LDL (bad cholesterol), which damage the heart.

  • Green Leafy Vegetables

    Green leafy vegetables like spinach, fenugreek, pak choy, radish leaves, lettuce are known to reduce the risk of heart disease as they are rich sources of folic acid, magnesium, calcium and potassium - the essential minerals for keeping the heart functioning properly. Studies have shown that one daily serving of green leafy vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease by 11%.

  • Tofu

    Soy is a healthy protein alternative to red meat, as it has a low saturated fat content, no cholesterol and even increases your HDL 'good' cholesterol, which is good news for your heart.

  • Tomato

    Regular consumption of tomatoes is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, as they contain a rich source of vitamin K, which help prevent hemorrhages.

  • Wholegrains

    Wholegrains contain high levels of vitamin E, iron, magnesium and a host of anti-oxidants, which are all beneficial to the heart as they help reduce blood pressure.

  • Apples

    Apples contain guercetin, a photochemical containing anti-inflammatory properties, vital for keeping blood clots at bay, which can lead to heart attacks.

  • Almonds

    Almonds, when eaten in moderation, are known to lower cholesterol levels as they contain monosaturate fats (the 'good' fats), as well as vitamin B17, vitamin E and minerals like magnesium, iron and zinc.

  • Red Wine

    Red wine (when drank in moderation) can be good for the heart as it contains a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol, which helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

Energy drinks have grown in popularity since being linked with stars such as Demi Moore, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.

Peacock and her colleagues collected data from 403 Australians (159 males, 244 females), 18 to 35 years of age, who completed a 10- to 30-minute online survey between May and June 2011.

All participants had consumed alcohol/energy and alcohol-only drinks in the preceding six months, and retrospectively responded to questions regarding the occurrence of 17 physiological and 21 mood states as well as 26 risk behaviors in drinking sessions during the preceding six months when they had consumed alcohol/energy drinks versus alcohol only.

"The reported side-effects of energy drink/alcohol consumption are similar to those reported by consumers of caffeine," said Andrea Carr, associate lecturer in psychology at the University of Tasmania, in a statement.

Have You Tried The Heart Attack Burger?

"To avoid these, consumers of energy drinks alone or combined with alcohol should be aware of the caffeine content of their drinks and any additional caffeine that they may have consumed that will contribute to an exacerbation of these effects."

In addition, more than half of those surveyed reported exceeding the Australian national guidelines for alcohol intake.

"This finding raises serious concern regarding the general alcohol consumption habits of alcohol/energy drink consumers," said Peacock, in a statement.


Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

GSK drug halves attacks in hard-to-treat asthma

GSK drug halves attacks in hard-to-treat asthma
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental drug for treating severe asthma from GlaxoSmithKline nearly halved the number of attacks suffered by patients with a hard-to-treat form of the disease in a clinical study, boosting hopes for its commercial success. Britain's biggest drugmaker - already a world leader in respiratory medicine - said as a result it planned to move the new drug into final Phase III development before the end of 2012. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

CDC to baby boomers: Get tested for hepatitis C

Graphic charts the expected outcomes per one hundred people infected with Hepatitis CFor the first time, the government is proposing that all baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C.


Credit of the story

Philippines warns cigarette makers over tax debate

Philippines warns cigarette makers over tax debate
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines warned cigarette makers on Thursday they could face tough measures to reduce smoking-related deaths if they fight a proposed tobacco tax increase, a day after Australia's top court upheld the world's toughest laws on tobacco sales. The Philippines, with one of Asia's highest rates of smokers, is debating legislation that would increase taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, making them potentially too costly for the poor. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

West Nile virus kills 17 in Texas, sickens hundreds

West Nile virus spreads to humans by mosquitoesThe US state of Texas is battling an outbreak of the West Nile virus, with 17 deaths being blamed on the mosquito-borne disease, authorities said Wednesday.


Get the complete story

Meet the Mirror-Free Bride: Woman Avoided Mirrors for One Year

Meet the Mirror-Free Bride: Woman Avoided Mirrors for One Year
Kjerstin Gruys has mastered the art of avoiding her own reflection, even at her own wedding.
Source: feeds.abcnews.com

5 Natural And Efficient Cures For Psoriasis

Despite the fact that there are numerous cures for psoriasis, people seem to be interested in the natural treatments more: they are less likely to experience side effects when they use natural cures. Besides, these cures are not only efficient, but very affordable as well. In this article you will find 5 of the most efficient natural cures for psoriasis Source

GSK sells Australian drugs to Aspen for $270 mln

A GlaxoSmithKline logo is seen outside one of its buildings in west London, ahead of company resultsJOHANNESBURG/LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline advanced its clear-out of non-core drugs on Wednesday with a deal to sell 25 older brands marketed in Australia to South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare for 172 million pounds. Andrew Witty, chief executive of Britain's biggest drugmaker, said last month during quarterly results that he was looking for further ways to simplify the GSK business, following previous divestments in consumer health. The old Australian brands being bought by Aspen include herpes treatment Valtrex, epilepsy drug Lamictal and the antibiotic Amoxil. ...


Continue reading...

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The nature and nurture of running for fitness

The nature and nurture of running for fitness
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Are modern men and women born to run, or must our 21st century bodies be carefully cross-trained to stay fit and healthy? When it comes to care and training of the modern distance runner, expert opinions are mixed. Jay Dicharry, author of the new book "Anatomy for Runners," believes that to be a better runner, running is not enough. "Running is typically a one-dimensional sport," said Dicharry, a physical therapist and the director of Biomechanics at Rebound Physical Therapy in Bend, Oregon. "You're basically just moving forward. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

More trial, less error - An effort to improve scientific studies

Human genetic material is stored at a laboratory in MunichNEW YORK (Reuters) - So many scientific studies are making incorrect claims that a new service has sprung up to fact-check reported findings by repeating the experiments. A year-old Palo Alto, California, company, Science Exchange, announced on Tuesday its "Reproducibility Initiative," aimed at improving the trustworthiness of published papers. Scientists who want to validate their findings will be able to apply to the initiative, which will choose a lab to redo the study and determine whether the results match. ...


Read more

Govt. Task Force Eases Guidelines on Hearing Tests

On Monday the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force posted final guidelines for hearing-loss screening in older adults. Get the complete story

Monday, August 13, 2012

New campaigner Ryan under fire from hecklers and Obama

New campaigner Ryan under fire from hecklers and Obama

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Romney speaks while vice president select U.S. Congressman Ryan looks on during campaign stop in High PointDES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican Paul Ryan got a taste of the rough side of a presidential campaign on Monday when protesters heckled him and President Barack Obama accused him of blocking emergency aid to drought-hit farmers. The new vice presidential hopeful from Wisconsin - who brings Midwestern credibility to White House hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign - mingled with locals at the Iowa State Fair, a popular spot for politicians keen to show their common touch in a state where Obama and Romney will be in tight competition. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Are Collagen Drinks in Powder Form Good for Your Skin?

Are Collagen Drinks in Powder Form Good for Your Skin?
Good quality health supplements, especially those that are truly effective, don't come cheap. The trouble is that some of the products on the market that come with a hefty price tag don't always delver on what they promise. In recent years the top selling health supplements have been those that contain collagen, particularly collagen drinks that clinical research has proved are the most effective way of replenishing your body's stock and also stimulating natural production.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. treated for bipolar disorder

File of Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr, on U.S. Capitol steps in WashingtonCHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. is being treated for bipolar disorder at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the clinic said on Monday. The Chicago Democrat and son of civil rights leader and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson "is responding well to the treatment and regaining his strength," the Mayo Clinic said in a statement. The clinic said Jackson was being treated for bipolar II depression, a condition that affects the parts of the brain controlling emotion, thought and drive. ...


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Roche 'gets US green light to sell diabetes eye drug'

Roche 'gets US green light to sell diabetes eye drug'

Roche says the drug is a treatment advance for those with diabetic macular oedemaSwiss pharma giant Roche said Monday it will sell in the United States a drug that treats a diabetes-related illness linked to blindness after getting the regulatory green light.



Source: news.yahoo.com

FDA extends review time for NPS Pharma's bowel drug by three months

(Reuters) - NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc said U.S. health regulators pushed back the review date for the marketing approval application for its experimental bowel drug by three months. U.S. Food and Drug Administration will now decide on the approval of Gattex on December 30, 2012, the drugmaker said in a statement. The FDA extended the date to provide time for a full review of the submission, NPS Pharmaceuticals said. The application was accepted by the agency in January 2012. ... Original Source

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Republican VP pick Ryan: from young gun to top gun

Republican VP pick Ryan: from young gun to top gun

U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) waves with his daughter Liza as his wife Janna Little (2nd L) follows with their son Charlie (L) during a campaign event at the battleship USS Wisconsin in NorfolkWASHINGTON (Reuters) - In tapping Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to be his vice presidential running-mate, Mitt Romney has chosen an ambitious, self-described "young gun" who has staked his entire career on a single issue -- slashing the federal budget. Ryan, 42, has spent most of his adult life in Congress, with little business or executive experience to speak of. He steadily built his credibility as a Washington insider, starting as an intern on Capitol Hill and then becoming an aide to a Republican senator from Wisconsin. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Ryan's path to Romney's No. 2 was steeped in secrecy

Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Romney introduces U.S. Congressman Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate during a campaign event at the retired battleship USS Wisconsin in NorfolkCHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Paul Ryan's path to becoming Mitt Romney's Republican vice presidential running mate was steeped in secrecy, from an incognito trip to meet Romney to a furtive walk through the woods near his boyhood Wisconsin home. As Romney and Ryan planned a second day of joint appearances on Sunday in North Carolina, some of the layers of secrecy surrounding the most monumental decision the Republican candidate has made to date are being peeled back. ...


Original Source

OLYMPICS-Dopers caught, but jury still out on clean Games

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Anti-doping authorities at the2012 Olympics lived up to their pre-Games promise to banish anyathlete found to be taking performance-enhancing drugs, but noone is under any illusion that means London was a squeaky cleanGames. By the start of the last day of the Games on Sunday, a totalof 11 athletes had been excluded after testing positive forbanned drugs. For the rest - including every medal winner and many moretop contenders - the jury is out until 2020. ... Click here to read the rest

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Reaction to Romney's choice of Ryan as running mate

Reaction to Romney's choice of Ryan as running mate
(Adds additional reaction) Likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced on Saturday that Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan would be his vice presidential running mate. Here is reaction to the announcement: WISCONSIN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER, REPUBLICAN "Governor Mitt Romney made a bold and reform-minded selection in Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. This election has to be about who is going to look out for the next generation. America needs a comeback team to turn around the economy and to turn around the fiscal status of our country. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Friday, August 10, 2012

Can daily aspirin help ward off cancer?

Can daily aspirin help ward off cancer?

WRAPPED ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF BAYER AG CHEMICAL COMPANY IN LEVERKUSEN.NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study bolsters the case that daily aspirin may help protect against cancer, although the effect seems weaker than previously thought. And the final chapter on the popular but controversial drug has yet to be written, experts say, because like earlier research the new work has considerable limitations. "News about the cancer potential of aspirin use has been really encouraging lately," said Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society, who worked on the study. "Things are moving forward, but it is still a work in progress." Medical guidelines in the U.S. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Novo Nordisk could drop blood drug candidate-exec

Novo Nordisk could drop blood drug candidate-exec
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's Novo Nordisk could be a few months away from dropping a drug expected to replace crucial blood treatment Novoseven and seen as a potential blockbuster, the company said on Friday. The world's biggest insulin producer said it could be forced to drop haemophilia drug candidate, vatreptacoq alfa, unless phase III data proved very favorable. Drugs are classed as blockbusters if they reach annual sales above $1 billion within five years of launch. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Roche says Avastin slows brain cancer tumor growth

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said a new study of cancer drug Avastin showed it significantly extended progression-free survival of people with an aggressive form of brain cancer. The Phase III AVAglio study met one of its main targets of improving progression-free survival in people with glioblastoma, Roche, the world's largest maker of cancer drugs, said in a statement on Friday. ... Continue reading...

Thursday, August 9, 2012

CDC: 158 cases of new swine flu strain from pigs

Don't pet the pigs. Original Source

Who Should See A Dermatologist?

Who Should See A Dermatologist?
A dermatologist is someone to see if you are experiencing any type of skin condition. It does not matter your age or anything else, when you are having problems you need to see a professional.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Hong Kong tests babies over Japanese milk formula

Japanese-made baby formula accounts for about three percent of the total milk brands distributed in Hong KongHong Kong said Thursday it will test babies who have consumed Japanese-made infant formulas found to have insufficient levels of iodine, after the products were ordered off the city's shelves.


Read more

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Children waiting for new hearts live longer on pump

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hooking seriously-ill children to a pump that assists the heart helps them live longer than those hooked to a heart-lung machine while they await a heart transplant, doctors report in a new study. "The device did well; more than 80% made it to transplant," Dr. Daphne Hsu, chief of pediatric cardiology at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, told Reuters Health. Hsu was not an author of the New England Journal of Medicine study, but was on the committee that looked at strokes and other serious side effects of the therapy. ... Original Source

FDA narrows use of Stryker Wingspan brain stent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said on Wednesday they would limit the use of Stryker Corp's artery-opening stent for the brain, based on new data and safety information. The Food and Drug Administration changed the label for the stent, called the Wingspan system, after outside advisers to the agency in March recommended the device should not be used in most people. Stryker's stent is already not widely used. The company has said it sells less than 2,000 devices each year. ... Credit of the story

American Cancer Society awards Covenant Health employee

Roxie Taylor was awarded the 2012 Silver Stirrup Medical Award at the annual Cattle Baron's Ball. The American Cancer Society gives out this award each year to someone showing a commitment to serving those with cancer issues. Continue reading...

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Weekends More Fatal for Older Patients With Head Injury: Study

TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Older people who suffer a head injury are more likely to die if they are admitted to the hospital over the weekend compared with other days of the week, a new study reveals. Read more

Health Highlights: Aug. 7, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Courtesy of Yahoo News

Boy eyes offer after Pa. school changes HIV policy

A ninth-grader from the Philadelphia area is considering an admissions offer by a private boarding school after it announced a new policy to treat HIV-positive applicants the same as others. Read more

Governors aside, feds building health care markets

Governors aside, feds building health care markets

FILE - In this April 13, 2012 file photo, Texas Governor Rick Perry speaks in St. Louis. Republican governors who’ve balked at creating new consumer health insurance markets under President Barack Obama’s health care law may end up getting stuck. Instead of their state officials retaining some control over insurance issues that states traditionally manage, Washington could be calling the shots. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)Don't look now: The feds may be gaining on GOP governors who've balked at carrying out a key part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Monday, August 6, 2012

Honey a Sweet Treatment for Kids' Night-Time Cough

Honey a Sweet Treatment for Kids' Night-Time Cough
MONDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Instead of reaching for a commercial medicine when your child is coughing through the night because of a common cold, Israeli researchers suggest giving honey a try.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Cold Sore Stages

http://bit.ly/TbX3bp
Cold Sore Stages
Final healing and post scab is the last stage happen in core sore. This is the time when crust and scab totally vanish and the original skin starts to appear. But the process of remedial is still continuing because there is a need of replacing damaged cells that takes two to 15 days.

Brain's Connections May Predict Intelligence: Study

Brain's Connections May Predict Intelligence: Study
MONDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that human intelligence may have a lot to do with the strength of connections between the brain's left lateral prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Get Rid Of Genital Warts - Effective Ways To Eliminate Genital Warts

Get Rid Of Genital Warts - Effective Ways To Eliminate Genital Warts
Some people may think it is impossible for them to get warts unless they have had close encounters with a toad. But this is just another misconception. Warts are actually one of the most common skin problems that are caused by a virus which are present in an organism. The most common kind of warts typically appears on the face, hands and feet. But there are also those kinds that appear on sensitive parts of the body particularly in the genitals.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Chemotherapy can backfire and boost cancer growth: study

Chemotherapy can backfire and boost cancer growth: study

Chemotherapy can backfire and boost cancer growth: studyCancer-busting chemotherapy can cause damage to healthy cells which triggers them to secrete a protein that sustains tumour growth and resistance to further treatment, a study said Sunday.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Iraq's Hajji the healer: creams and circumcisions

Iraq's Hajji the healer: creams and circumcisions

Salman al-Khafaji is one of a dwindling number of mostly men who have filled gaps in Iraq's health systemEvery day dozens of people flock to Salman al-Khafaji's clinic in central Baghdad, hoping the octogenarian can treat their ailments where the Iraqi capital's hospitals and doctors have failed.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Honey may ease nighttime coughing in kids

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A spoonful of honey before bed may help little kids with a cough - and their parents - sleep through the night, a new study suggests. Parents also reported that after giving honey to kids, their coughing was less frequent and less severe. Coughs are one of the most common reasons kids go to the doctor, said Dr. Ian Paul, a pediatrician from Pennsylvania State University in Hershey. But, he said, "The therapies for cough and cold symptoms… have problems in that they're not very effective, or not effective at all, and they have the potential for side effects. ... Original Source

Aging baby boomers face home health care challenge

Aging baby boomers face home health care challenge

In this Aug. 1, 2012 photo, Taura Tate, left, a home care aide since 1999, folds laundry for Crell Johnson, 76, at Johnson's apartment, in Euclid, Ohio. For the past three years, she has spent four hours each weekday morning caring for Johnson, who is in her 70s and suffered a stroke and has diabetes. Tate cooks Johnson's oatmeal for breakfast, helps her shower and watches to make sure she takes the right medicine. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)For the past three years, Taura Tate's mornings have revolved around caring for a woman who suffers from the effects of a stroke and diabetes. She cooks her oatmeal for breakfast, helps with showers and makes sure she takes the right medicine.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Iraq's Hajji the healer: creams and circumcisions

Salman al-Khafaji is one of a dwindling number of mostly men who have filled gaps in Iraq's health systemEvery day dozens of people flock to Salman al-Khafaji's clinic in central Baghdad, hoping the octogenarian can treat their ailments where the Iraqi capital's hospitals and doctors have failed.


Original Source

Iraq's Hajji the healer: creams and circumcisions

Iraq's Hajji the healer: creams and circumcisions

Salman al-Khafaji is one of a dwindling number of mostly men who have filled gaps in Iraq's health systemEvery day dozens of people flock to Salman al-Khafaji's clinic in central Baghdad, hoping the octogenarian can treat their ailments where the Iraqi capital's hospitals and doctors have failed.



Source: news.yahoo.com

Saturday, August 4, 2012

CDC Preparing Vaccine for New Swine Flu

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Only 29 human cases of a new strain of "swine" flu have been identified in two years, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is making sure it's prepared should the H3N2 strain become more widespread. Get the complete story

'Spray-on Skin' May Someday Heal Stubborn Leg Ulcers

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A pharmaceutical company says preliminary findings support a spray-on treatment that uses skin cells to speed the healing of venous leg ulcers, a condition that often strikes the elderly. Click here to read the rest

First Generic Versions of Singulair Approved

First Generic Versions of Singulair Approved
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The first generic versions of Singulair (montelukast sodium) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Friday, August 3, 2012

Extreme Heat Biggest Weather Killer, Expert Warns

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Heat waves are more deadly than even the most devastating hurricane, blizzard or tornado, evidence indicates. Get the complete story

Drug price negotiations to begin next month

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government and the pharmaceutical industry will start negotiations next month on a new framework for pricing drugs that is due to take effect from 2014, the two sides said on Friday. Health minister Andrew Lansley has championed a shift to "value-based pricing", raising concerns among drug companies that the government will end up setting prices for medicines based on a rigid assessment system. The industry fears that may not reward incremental innovations, stifling the uptake of new drugs. ... Read more

Get Rid Of Plantar Warts - Simple Home Remedies To Remove Plantar Warts

Get Rid Of Plantar Warts - Simple Home Remedies To Remove Plantar Warts
There are a number of different ways through which you can help yourself eliminate warts whether they are on your face, hands, feet or other areas in the body. You can buy over the counter ointments and medications to treat the warts and go through surgical procedures. A major downside to surgery for warts removal though is that they can be painful and expensive. The warts may be removed but they can leave traces in the form of scars and skin redness.
Source: EzineArticles.com

For Colorado Family, It's Allergies All Around

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Emily Kloser wasn't too concerned when her son's doctor first told her he had signs that pointed to a future with allergies. Courtesy of Yahoo News

Most Americans With Celiac Disease Don't Realize It: Study

Most Americans With Celiac Disease Don't Realize It: Study
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that 1.4 million Americans have celiac disease but don't realize it, while 1.6 million people are on gluten-free diets -- a treatment for celiac disease -- even though they might not need it.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Wal-Mart backs Democratic plan to cut healthcare costs

Wal-Mart backs Democratic plan to cut healthcare costs

Products are displayed outside a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market store in BentonvilleWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the largest private employer, endorsed a new Democratic proposal for controlling healthcare spending that would seek to keep the rising cost of medical services in line with wage growth. The giant retailer said on Thursday that the plan co-authored by former Obama and Clinton administration officials contained "innovative methods" that could help slow healthcare spending and improve the quality of healthcare delivery. With 1. ...



Source: news.yahoo.com

Pregnant Mothers' Gut Changes May Support Fetal Growth

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Changes to the composition of gut microbes that would normally cause health problems such as weight gain and inflammation may actually be beneficial to expectant mothers, according to researchers. Get the complete story

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Even Mild Depression, Anxiety Hurts the Heart: Study

Even Mild Depression, Anxiety Hurts the Heart: Study
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Even mild depression or anxiety may raise your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and other causes, according to British researchers.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Even Mild Depression, Anxiety Hurts the Heart: Study

Even Mild Depression, Anxiety Hurts the Heart: Study
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Even mild depression or anxiety may raise your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and other causes, according to British researchers.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Fresenius H1 net income up 20 percent on generic drugs

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German healthcare conglomerate Fresenius SE & Co posted a 20 percent gain in first-half net income as its injectable generic drugs unit Kabi benefits from rivals' supply shortages. Fresenius, which failed to take over Rhoen-Klinikum, said adjusted net income in the first six months rose to 434 million euros ($534 million), broadly in line with the average estimate of 429 million in a Reuters poll among analysts. ... Continue reading...