Thursday, February 10, 2005

Health Headlines - February 10

Protein from Red Meat, Dairy Tied to Heart Risks

Older women who eat a relatively large amount of protein from red meat or dairy products may have an elevated risk of dying from heart disease, the results of a large study suggest.

Court Rejects $15 Mln Award in Kansas Smoker Case

A federal appeals court on Wednesday threw out a $15 million punitive damages award to a lifelong smoker who sued R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. after losing his legs from a cigarette-related illness.

Medicare Cost Estimates Spark Disputes in Congress

Rising cost projections for the new Medicare drug benefit alarmed U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday and set off renewed calls to restrain spiraling drug prices and allow pharmaceutical imports from Canada.

Pain Disorders Linked to Patient's Perception

Patients with chronic pain disorders, such as fibromyalgia, appear to have abnormalities in the self-monitoring mechanism that allows the discrimination of internally produced versus externally produced stimuli, new research shows.

Spouse Caregivers More Likely to Scream at Patients

Elderly, sick or disabled men and women who rely primarily on their spouse for care are more likely to be to be screamed at, threatened or otherwise subjected to potentially harmful behaviors than those whose care is not provided by a spouse.

High-Protein Infant Diet Could Lead to Wrong Diagnosis

Certain high-protein infant diets may cause elevated levels of the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine, which may in turn produce a positive test result for a metabolic disorder.

Vancouver Clinic to Offer Heroin on Prescription

Vancouver adds prescription heroin for hard-core addicts to its arsenal in the war against drugs this week, despite U.S. criticism that its trial is a sign of Canadian weakness in the battle against illegal drugs.

Rare Muscle-Forming Cells Found in Newborn Hearts

Scientists have discovered very rare cells in newborn hearts which divide and develop into mature heart muscle and could provide a new approach to treating young cardiac patients.

Doctors Begin to Separate 'Mermaid' Baby's Legs

Doctors have successfully taken the first step toward separating the fused legs of Milagros Cerron, a 9-month-old Peruvian baby dubbed the "Little Mermaid" because of her rare birth defect, her parents said on Wednesday.

Many Parents with HIV Avoid Contact with Kids

Nearly 4 out of 10 parents with HIV infection avoid casual contact such as hugging, kissing or sharing utensils with their children out of fear of infection, according to the results of a new study.

Experts Urge Routine HIV Tests for All

Urging a major shift in U.S. policy, some health experts are recommending that virtually all Americans be tested routinely for the AIDS virus, much as they are for cancer and other diseases.

Canada Regulators Order ADD Drug Withdrawn

Canadian regulators ordered a drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder off the market late Wednesday because of reports that it has been linked to 20 sudden deaths and a dozen strokes, including some among children.

Senators File Bill for Stem Cell Research

A bill introduced in the legislature Wednesday would remove ambiguities in state law that discourage embryonic stem cell research, backers of the measure said.

Doctors Say Loss Can Cause a Broken Heart

Confirming the wisdom of the poets and philosophers, doctors say the sudden death of a loved one really can cause a broken heart. In fact, they have dubbed the condition "broken heart syndrome."

Medicare Drug Benefit to Cost $724 Billion

President Bush added Medicare to the government's fix-it list Wednesday after new figures showed the first full decade of the program's prescription benefit will cost taxpayers $724 billion.

Gov't Panel to Decide on Meningitis Shots

A government advisory panel will decide whether to recommend for the first time that children be vaccinated for the bacteria responsible for most college outbreaks of meningitis. The idea has long been debated because of the high cost and low risk.

Tenn. Officials Say Flu Cases Climbing

State health officials are reporting that influenza cases have more than doubled within the past week, shutting down schools across Tennessee.

U.S. Won't Take Canada Meat From Old Cows

The Agriculture Department will not allow meat from older cattle when it expands U.S. imports of Canadian beef on March 7, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Wednesday.

Pope Receives Visit From Boy With Cancer

Pope John Paul II had an unexpected guest Wednesday — a small boy being treated for cancer in a ward next to the pontiff's Rome hospital suite.

Stretching Artery-Opening Stents Deemed Safe

Stretching the diameter of special drug-emitting, artery-opening stents won't weaken the stent or increase risks for artery re-closure, say Italian researchers.

Gene May Spur Childhood Brain Cancer

A gene that's normally switched off after fulfilling its role in brain development appears linked to a common childhood brain cancer, says a study in the Feb. 1 issue of Cancer Research.

Love Beats Depression for Women, Not Men

Love may banish the blues for women more easily than for men, according to a new study.

Meditation Calms Blood Pressure, Too

Transcendental meditation (TM) reduces hypertension and cuts down on the need for blood pressure-lowering medications, according to a study in black Americans.

Little Benefit Adding Breast Exam to Mammography

Women gain only a modest benefit in cancer detection by adding clinical breast examination to mammography screening, according to a new study.

Crunch! Carrots May Cut Cancer Risk

There's more good news from the garden: A compound in carrots may be a potent cancer fighter, reducing malignancies in rats by a third, a European study claims.

Africa's first ladies hold AIDS summit in Burkina Faso

Thirteen African first ladies gathered in Burkina Faso for a summit to coordinate efforts in the continent's fight against HIV/AIDS, which killed some 2.3 million Africans last year.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao spends Lunar New Year with AIDS victims

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao spent the Lunar New Year with AIDS victims in a destitute area that has become a symbol of the nation's struggle with the rapidly spreading disease.

Heating problems cause frozen Bosnian hospital to cancel operations

The main hospital in the Bosnian city of Banja Luka was forced to cancel all surgery after temperatures in the building plunged to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit).

DR Congo government in bid to end month-long health strike

The government of Democratic Republic of Congo has pledged to find 16 million dollars for almost 12,000 health workers in the capital to end a month-long strike, a union official said.

Sweden and ADB to establish HIV/AIDS Trust Fund

Sweden and the Asian Development Bank are to establish an HIV/AIDS Trust Fund to help raise regional awareness of the disease, the Swedish ambassador to the Philippines Annika Markovic announced.

To fight bird flu go vegetarian, say animal protection activists

An animal rights pressure group is suggesting a simple solution for travellers to Vietnam concerned by avian flu -- go vegetarian.

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