Thursday, December 30, 2004

Health Headlines - December 30

Job May Affect Chances of Surviving After a Stroke

After having a stroke, people with lower incomes and blue-collar jobs seem to be more likely to die in the next year or two than those with higher incomes and white-collar jobs -- regardless of the severity of the stroke -- according to a new study.

Breakups Can Be Mapped in the Brain

Women who are distraught after breaking up with a romantic partner show brain changes that are not seen in women less upset by a romantic rift, researchers report.

If Parents Think Kids Will Drink, They Likely Will

Parents who believe their young teen is likely to drink excessively may prompt him or her to adopt drinking behaviors that mirror those negative expectations, according to a study from Iowa State University.

Plastic Wrapping Help Preemies Stay Warm

Polyethylene wrapping can help prevent heat loss by very premature infants when they're born, a Canadian group of researchers report.

Kids' Sleep Disorders Linked with Problem Behavior

Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with higher rates of behavioral problems in children, researchers report.

New Drug Approved for Childhood Leukemia

Genzyme Corp. announced Wednesday that its drug Clolar has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of children with difficult or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Stress Accelerates Experimental Skin Cancer

Mice exposed to stress and ultraviolet radiation develop skin cancer significantly faster than do animals exposed to radiation only, researchers have found. They suggest this may be relevant to people at high risk of skin cancer.

West Nile Vaccine Produces Immunity in Mice

Mice injected with a purified structural protein from the West Nile virus (WNV) develop immunity against infection, new research shows.

Vietnam Finds New Case of Human Bird Flu

A 16-year-old Vietnamese girl has been infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus and her condition is stable, a doctor said on Thursday.

Study: 1 in 5 Young People Drink and Drive

More than four million people younger under age 21 drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol last year, according to a government report released Wednesday. That's one in five of all Americans aged 16 to 20.

Group: Bodies Pose No Threat of Outbreaks

Dead bodies cannot cause disease outbreaks, the Pan American Health Organization said Wednesday, hoping to avert mass burials of tens of thousands of unidentified victims from the tsunami in Asia and Africa.

FDA Sends Drug Company Warning Letter

The Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to Novartis Animal Health U.S., Inc. because of what federal officials say were late reports on the death of cats being tested with a new painkilling drug.

Family Sues for Woman Over AIDS Drug

The family of a pregnant woman who died while taking experimental AIDS drugs to protect her baby from getting the disease is suing the doctors, drug makers and hospitals involved in the study for $10 million.

Va. Surrogate, 55, Awe-Struck at Triplets

A 55-year-old woman who gave birth to triplets for a daughter who was medically unable to conceive said Wednesday she was "a caring incubator" and was awe-struck when she learned she was carrying three children.

FDA Approves New Drug for Severe Pain

Patients who suffer severe chronic pain and are no longer helped by morphine will soon have a new option.

Study Urges End to Racial Gap in Health Care

Correcting racial disparities in health care would save five times as many lives as would advances in medical technology, says a study in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Recognizing Movement in the Mind's Eye

An area of the brain that responds to actions we watch, such as the movement of a dancer, reacts differently in people who are skilled at doing the same movement than in other people.

Migraine Sufferers Report More Angina

People who suffer from migraines or other long-lasting headaches are more likely to have angina, but don't have an increased risk of heart disease, says a study in the Dec. 28 issue of the journal Neurology.

Breast Implants Should Be Adult Matter

Cosmetic breast augmentation should be restricted to women aged 18 and older, says a new policy adopted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Exercise Cuts Heart, Diabetes Risk Factors

Regular exercise can reduce the incidence of a deadly combination of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in middle-aged and older people.

Excess Weight Can Compromise Birth Control Pills

Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to get pregnant while taking birth control pills than women of normal weight are, new research finds.

Death toll in south Asia could rise above 100,000

The death toll in the tidal wave disaster around the Indian Ocean could rise above 100,000 once outlying islands of India are fully checked, a senior international Red Cross official said.

Cholera, malaria, typhoid biggest disease threats

Cholera, malaria and typhoid are the worst diseases stalking the survivors of Asias tsunami calamity and the weapons against them are clean water and sanitation, relief agencies say.

"Millions" at risk of waterborne disease in South Asia

Millions of people will be at risk of disease unless there is immediate action to provide clean water in communities hit by tidal waves in South Asia, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned.

U.S. health authorities approve new ziconotide analgesic

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ziconotide intrathecal infusion, a new, powerful analgesic for the management of severe chronic pain in patients intolerant of other treatments such as morphine.

U.S. woman, 55, gives birth to three grandchildren for daughter

A 55-year-old American woman gave birth in Richmond, Virginia, to three genetic baby grandchildren, for her adult daughter who was unable, hospital officials said.

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