Friday, January 21, 2005

Health Headlines - January 21

High IQ Test Scorers Have Less Suicide Risk

Young men who perform well in intelligence tests have less risk of committing suicide than those with lower scores, Swedish scientists said on Friday.

'Morning After' Treatment Advised to Prevent AIDS

A "morning after" treatment for the AIDS virus can help prevent infection after a rape, contact with a contaminated needle or even a night of passion without a condom, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.

WHO, Boehringer Back German AIDS Drug Despite Fears

The World Health Organization on Thursday gave its backing to Viramune, an anti-AIDS drug from Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim, despite a U.S regulatory warning that the medicine could cause liver damage.

New Breast Imaging Detects Smallest Tumors

A technique called molecular breast imaging (MBI) is highly sensitive in detecting small lesions and can also spot tumors missed by mammography and ultrasound, researchers report.

U.S. Birth Raises Asthma Risk for Mexican Americans

Mexican Americans who are born in the US are at least twice as likely as those born in Mexico to develop asthma, according to a new report.

U.N. Health Body Sets Sights on Alcohol Abuse

The World Health Organization (WHO) agreed on Thursday to launch a study into ways to counter alcohol abuse in what could be the opening shot of an international campaign against excessive drinking.

Illness May Help Mad Cow Agent Spread, Study Finds

The agent that transmits mad cow and related diseases may spread further in the body of an animal suffering from certain illnesses, scientists said on Thursday.

Dual Infection May Cause Serious Lung Disease

Infants who become infected with both respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus are prone to develop severe inflammation of the small airways of the lung, called bronchiolitis, UK researchers report.

Sports Drinks May Help Soccer Players Stay Pumped

Taking regular sips of a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink during a soccer match appears to help soccer players maintain their stamina, findings from a new study indicate.

Pomegranate Extract Blocks Skin Tumors in Mice

Pomegranate fruit extract (PFE) can block skin tumor formation in mice exposed to a cancer-causing agent, according to a report in the International Journal of Cancer.

CDC Recommends HIV Drugs for All Exposed

In a major policy shift, the government recommended for the first time Thursday that people exposed to the AIDS virus from rapes, accidents or occasional drug use or unsafe sex receive drug cocktails that can keep them from becoming infected.

Woman Gives Birth to Giant Baby

A woman in northeastern Brazil has given birth to what one doctor called a "giant baby," a boy weighing 16.7 pounds.

Mouse Experiment Offers Alzheimer's Hope

Brain cells in mice recovered rapidly after brain plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease were removed, offering hope that plaque-clearing treatments could benefit patients with the disease, Washington University researchers said Thursday.

Rogue Proteins Found in Unexpected Organs

Rogue proteins like those that cause mad cow disease — found previously only in brain, nerve and lymph tissues — have now been located in the liver, kidney and pancreas in a study of rodents.

EU to Start Taking Obesity Seriously

The European Union said Thursday it will bring the food and advertising industry together with health officials to contain the increasing problem of obesity in Europe, where one out of every four children is obese.

Food Allergy Sufferers Still Seek Cure

Sheila Smith always suspected her 6-year-old daughter was allergic to peanuts. Rebecca would suddenly break out in hives whenever she ate peanut butter and jelly. Once, she had a bad reaction by merely touching the crumbs of a peanut butter sandwich.

Fish Off Asian Menu After Tsunami Fears

Top hotels in several Asian capitals have stopped ordering sea bass and sole from waters off their tsunami-ravaged coastlines to ease diners' concerns about fish feasting on corpses.

Bird Flu Claims Another Life in Vietnam

Vietnam on Friday confirmed the seventh human death from bird flu in three weeks and neighboring Thailand recorded its first case among poultry this year as health experts expressed concern about a possible repeat of last year's devastating outbreak.

Cancer the Top Killer for Those Under 85

For decades, heart disease has been the nation's top killer. Now cancer has taken its place for Americans 85 and younger.

Medical Errors Linked to 20 Minn. Deaths

Twenty patients died in Minnesota hospitals during a 15-month period because of medical errors or oversights including falls, faulty medical equipment and administering the wrong medication, the state Health Department said in a new report.

Many Birth Defects Can Be Prevented

No matter how deeply a mother cares for her unborn child, there's no guarantee her baby will be born in perfect health. Birth defects are more common than you might think, and they're not always avoidable.

Health Tip: Why You Shouldn't Start Smoking

The nicotine found in cigarettes and cigars is as addictive as heroin or cocaine, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says.

Combo Therapy Gives Asthma Relief

Combining an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-lasting beta2-agonist seems to provide consistent relief for people with asthma.

Black Americans Undertreated for Esophageal Cancer

Even though surgery can extend the lives of many people with esophageal cancer, only 25 percent of black Americans have the procedure compared to 46 percent of white patients, a new study reports.

Behavior, Diet Therapies Fight Cognitive Decay

A combination of diet and behavior therapies helps curb the progressive age-related decline in learning ability in beagles, says a University of Toronto-led study in the January issue of the Neurobiology of Aging.

New Clues to Tumor Toughness

New information about how cancer cells become resistant to treatment is outlined in a study by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins University.

Magnetic Stimulation Alters Brain

Just two minutes of magnetic stimulation can alter the brain for an hour, according to a University of College London (UCL) study in the Jan. 20 issue of Neuron.

Sixth Vietnamese death from bird flu, virus confirmed in Thailand

An 18-year-old woman has died of bird flu in Vietnam bringing the death toll in the country since December to six, as Thailand confirmed outbreaks of the virus for the first time this year.

Debt relief can help Zambia fight AIDS, says World Bank

Zambia could step up its fight against AIDS and build schools, hospitals and roads if a multi-billion dollar debt to international lenders is scrapped, the World Bank representative said.

UN alarmed at widespread baby formula use in Philippines

The United Nations children fund expressed alarm over the widespread use of baby milk in the Philippines, saying that lack of breastfeeding leads to diseases and deaths.

Companies doing little or nothing to fight AIDS, says business forum

Businesses in Africa, Asia and Russia are being too slow in tackling the AIDS epidemic and averting the economic damage it causes, according to the results of a major global survey.

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