Friday, December 17, 2004

Health Headlines - December 17

Canada Signals Crackdown on Internet Pharmacies

The Canadian government signaled on Thursday it was ready to crack down on Internet pharmacies that send cheap medicine to the United States, often without Canadian doctors having seen the patients.

Possibly Avoidable Hospital Stays Costly

Nearly 5 million hospital admissions might have been prevented in 2000 if patients had received high quality primary and preventive care, according to a government report issued on Thursday.

Americans Give Up on Flu Vaccine, Survey Shows

Millions of Americans, frightened off by news reports of long lines or discouraged by their own failed attempts, have given up on getting flu shots this year, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.

Fruits May Protect Children from Leukemia

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 significantly less likely than other children to be diagnosed with leukemia before age 14.

Epilepsy Drug Useful for Binge-Eating Disorder

The results of a small study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggest that the epilepsy drug topiramate may provide long-term benefits for people with binge-eating disorder and obesity.

Medicare May Delay Heart Device Payment

A new group of patients that qualifies for Medicare reimbursement for implantable heart defibrillators may have to wait a few days longer until payment is available, the federal government said on Thursday.

New Nasal Vaccines May Be Given Together

Two new nasally administered vaccines for respiratory infections are being tested, and researchers now say that giving them together to young children appears feasible.

Insulin-Like Protein Points to New Diabetes Drugs

Japanese investigators have isolated a new compound produced by fat tissue that shares properties with insulin and may lead to the development of new diabetes drugs. They call the protein visfatin.

Some FDA Staff Had Drug Safety Concerns in 2002

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists surveyed in late 2002 said they were pressured to approve or recommend approval of a medicine despite their reservations about the drug's risks or effectiveness.

Bee Products Fight Tumors in Mice, Study Shows

Honeybees could be keeping a cornucopia of anti-cancer compounds in their hives, early research in mice suggests.

Many Now Worry AIDS Drug Will Be Halted

Doctors and AIDS activists in Africa are worried governments may halt use of an AIDS drug that has protected thousands of babies from HIV infection in reaction to new concerns about the drug's testing and effect on pregnant women.

Fidgeting Fends Off Holiday Weight Gain

Hankering for another slice of fruitcake? Hoping it doesn't go to your hips? Better start twiddling your thumbs, tapping your feet and talking with your hands.

Device Can Detect Heart Failure Symptoms

A device that automatically detects early symptoms of congestive heart failure has been implanted in a patient in the United States for the first time.

AMA Concerned About Teens, Sweet Alcohol

Sweet alcoholic drinks aggressively marketed to young people are anything but "cool and fashionable" and are luring troubling numbers of teens — especially girls — to engage in underage drinking, the American Medical Association said Thursday.

WHO: Cervical Cancer Largely Preventable

Almost a quarter million women worldwide die from cervical cancer each year although the disease is largely preventable, the U.N. health agency said Thursday.

Survey Shows Lack of Confidence at FDA

About two-thirds of Food and Drug Administration scientists are less than fully confident in the agency's monitoring of the safety of prescription drugs now being sold, according to an FDA internal survey.

U.S. to Launch Massive Study Into Children's Health

Researchers have long wondered about the role environmental factors play in rising rates of childhood ills such as asthma, obesity, autism, learning disabilities and schizophrenia.

New Way to Block Angiogenesis Found

A new pathway that may be useful in regulating angiogenesis -- the way by which new blood vessels are built -- has been identified by Ohio State University researchers.

Two New Psoriasis Treatments May Be Ready for Human Testing

Two separate approaches to treating psoriasis, a painful condition that attacks the skin, have shown promise in the lab and may be rerady to try on humans.

Scientists Developing Injectable Gel For Torn Cartilage

An injectable gel designed to speed repair of torn cartilage so injured athletes can return to competition faster is being tested by researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School.

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