Health Headlines - January 13

Prostate Cancer Treatment Poses Bone Risk

An increasingly popular prostate cancer treatment also makes bones brittle and may be responsible for over 3,000 fractures each year in the United States, researchers reported on Wednesday.

New U.S. Food Guidelines Stress Vegetables, Grains

New eating guidelines issued by the U.S. government on Wednesday stress that most Americans are overweight and need to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

FDA Warns Pfizer Over Painkiller Ads

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Pfizer Inc. that television and print advertisements for its painkillers Celebrex and Bextra misled consumers, according to a letter made public on Wednesday.

Weight Loss Surgery Staves Off Prediabetes

Obese patients typically show poor sensitivity to the hormone insulin, a problem that can lead to diabetes. Previous reports have shown that weight loss surgery can improve this sensitivity.

More Research Needed on Alternative Therapies

More research is needed to show that alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbal supplements work and this may mean changing laws that protect the industry, a committee of experts said on Wednesday.

Obese Heart Failure Patients Fare Better Than Lean

Although obesity is usually linked to detrimental health consequences, new research indicates that overweight people with heart failure have a lower mortality risk than those of normal weight.

Sleep-Deprived Young Docs Prone to Auto Accidents

Trainee doctors have double the risk of having a car crash when they work more than 24 consecutive hours, according to a new report.

Pain Meter Assesses Whiplash Injury

A computerized pain assessment system may make it possible to establish a standardized way to quantify neck pain resulting from whiplash injuries, researchers in Germany report.

New Warnings Added to U.S. Group's Drug Safety Site

Consumer watchdog group Public Citizen expanded its drug safety Web site worstpills.org on Wednesday to include more warnings about side effects, drug interactions and inadequate research.

WHO: World Polio Cases Rise Dramatically

The number of worldwide polio cases last year rose dramatically after a vaccine boycott in Nigeria spawned a resurgence of the disease across Africa, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

Panel Wants Tougher Supplement Standards

With nearly one-fifth of Americans taking dietary supplements, the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday called for tougher regulations to make sure the products are safe and do what they claim.

EPA Finds Potential Teflon Chemical Risks

A chemical used to make the nonstick substance Teflon is being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency as a potential health risk.

Kraft to Curb Some Snack Food Advertising

Kraft Foods Inc., the nation's biggest food manufacturer, said Wednesday it plans to curb its advertising of Oreo cookies, regular Kool-Aid and other popular snack foods to children under 12 as part of an effort to encourage better eating habits.

Study: AIDS Problem Growing in Russia

HIV/AIDS is spreading at a devastating pace in Russia, with a new study showing an estimated 1 million people infected — three times the number officially reported — U.S. and Russian experts said Wednesday.

MADD Says Sobriety Checks Are Important

The best way to further reduce alcohol-related traffic fatalities is to set up more sobriety checkpoints, especially in the 10 states that currently bar them, Mothers Against Drunk Driving said Wednesday.

Zinc Supplements May Guard Against Oral Cancers

Zinc supplements may help prevent oral and esophageal cancers in people at high risk for such cancers due to zinc deficiency, says a study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Antibody May Salvage Sight

Using an antibody to block the action of a protein called SDF-1 prevented blindness in mice with a condition similar to retinopathy in humans, says a University of Florida study.

U.S. Campaign Urges Cautious Use of Antibiotics

A public education campaign to remind people to be careful in their use of antibiotics has been launched by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Few Seniors Surf the Web for Health Information

Even as the Internet becomes an increasingly rich source of health information, most American seniors remain out of the loop, a new survey finds.

Depression Intensifies From One Generation to the Next

Depression intensifies from one generation to the next, says a study in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Malaysia, Singapore fight dengue fever explosion

Malaysia and Singapore have introduced tough measures to combat an explosion of dengue fever, fining companies and homeowners who fail to control breeding grounds of mosquitoes responsible for a disease usually associated with poor tropical countries.

Berlin restaurant caters for people who would rather not eat

With her white chef's hat, Claudia looks at home in the kitchen of this Berlin restaurant, but her culinary talents are being used to feed people who, like her, suffer from eating disorders.

EU urged to tackle "unseen killer" of mental ill-health

Suicide kills more Europeans than car accidents or murder, the EU's top health official said in calling for a new political focus on mental health.

African health ministers to meet UN health agency amid polio concerns

Health ministers from several African states are due to meet at the World Health Organisation in Geneva amid concern about the polio epidemic stretching from west Africa to Sudan.

WHO sends experts to Philippine city to help fight deadly bacterial outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it will send a laboratory and epidemiology experts to the northern Philippine city of Baguio to help determine whether a bacterial outbreak which has killed 19 people is meningococcemia.

EU agrees to lift bird flu ban on Japan, South Korea

The European Union agreed to lift a ban on bird imports from Japan and South Korea after declaring them free of avian influenza, although eight other Asian states remain affected.

South Korea approves cloning research

South Korea gave official government backing to ground-breaking research that produced the world's first cloned human embryos.

Heron in Hong Kong tested for lethal strain of bird flu

A wild bird which died of avian flu in Hong Kong was being tested for the lethal strain that has killed 35 people in Asia over the last year, the government said.

Hong Kong Internet junkie fight to combat addiction

Anthony Chan betrays the tell-tale signs of his addiction: his skin is pallid and covered in spots, he sits nervously hunched, peering to correct his blighted vision and he has trouble communicating with friends and family.