Health Headlines - March 8

Laughter May Be Good for the Heart, Study Finds

A daily dose of laughter may be good for the heart because, like exercise, it makes blood vessels work more efficiently, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Medicaid Fails to Check Drug Pricing

U.S. Medicaid officials failed to properly check the prices drug companies charge the health insurance program for the poor and disabled, according to a government report released on Monday.

Study: Thalidomide Helps Pancreas Cancer Patients

The controversial drug thalidomide slows weight loss in patients suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, doctors said Tuesday.

Heavy Drinking More Common on Campus Than Off

U.S. college students drink more alcohol and are more likely to binge drink than young adults who are not in college, but the nonstudents are more likely to be dependent on alcohol, a study said Monday.

Asthma Returns in Children Who 'Outgrew' It

A third of children who supposedly outgrew their asthma saw it come back by the time they reached their mid-20s, researchers reported on Monday.

Being Heavy Ups Asthma Risk for Women But Not Men

A new report confirms that women who are overweight run an increased risk of developing asthma and allergy, but men don't.

Mini-Strokes Should Get Swift Treatment

People often suffer mini-strokes days before a major stroke and should seek help within hours to get the most effective treatment, British researchers reported on Monday.

Culture Keeps Hispanic Youth from Sex

Hispanic teenagers in the United States who use Spanish as their primary language are likely to become sexually active later than those who have learned English, keeping them at less risk for disease and related problems, a study said on Monday.

Some 545 Nigerians Treated for Horrid Pregnancy Injury

Some 545 Nigerian women were treated during a crash two-week campaign against obstetric fistula, one of the worst pregnancy-related disabilities that often goes untreated, a U.N. agency said on Monday.

Study: Aspirin Prevents Strokes in Women

In a stunning example of gender differences in medicine, a major new study found that aspirin helps healthy women avoid strokes but makes no difference in their risk of heart attacks unless they're 65 or older.

Japanese Heart Transplant Patient Dies

A Japanese man who received a new heart four years ago died Monday, the first to die after undergoing a heart transplant in Japan since the operations were legalized in the 1990s.

Unit for Infectious, Deadly Illness Opens

The nation's largest medical unit for victims of highly lethal infectious diseases such as smallpox, anthrax and the plague opened in Nebraska on Monday.

Nurse Contracts Bird Flu in Vietnam

A 26-year-old nurse who cared for a bird flu patient has contracted the deadly virus, but it's unclear whether he caught the disease from his patient, a Vietnamese health official said Monday.

EPA Cracks Down on Lead in Drinking Water

Stricter monitoring and reporting of problems with lead in drinking water will be required of utilities, states, schools and child care facilities, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

Osteoporosis Linked to Celiac Disease

People with osteoporosis, the bone-weakening condition, may also have celiac disease and should be screened for that illness, too, a new study recommends.

Even Mild Depression Ups Heart Failure Death Risk

A state of depression so mild that most doctors might not notice it significantly increases the long-term risk of death for people with heart failure, a new study finds.

Lung Cancer 'Gender Gap' Closing

The gender gap in lung cancer rates in the United States is narrowing as rates among men decline while rates among women remain steady, according to a study in the March issue of Chest.

Oily Fish Fosters Healthy Blood Fat

For years, nutritionists have known that eating oily fish like mackerel or salmon boosts human health, although the exact reasons have remained unclear.

Blood Sodium Levels Affect Heart Failure Survival

A lower-than-normal level of sodium in the blood (a condition known as hyponatremia) is a major predictor of poor outcomes for heart failure patients, researchers report.

U.S. Autism Rates Rise Sharply

The apparent rise in the proportion of children in the United States with autism appears to be real, a new analysis suggests.

'Designer baby' case opens in Britain's top court

Britain's top appeals court began considering whether to allow parents to produce babies whose genetic material would be used to help treat their sick siblings.

Heinz recalls cancer-causing dye-contaminated products in Chinese market

U.S. food giant Heinz has issued a recall of chili sauces, chili oils and other products in China suspected of containing a cancer-causing agent at the center of a European health scare.

British celebrity chef launches fight against junk food at school

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has launched a crusade against junk food served up in school canteens, forcing the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair to reassess Britain's nutritional standards.

Skin test gauges cholesterol, heart risk

A skin test to measure cholesterol levels almost instantly may challenge more complex and costly procedures now used to gauge cardiovascular risk, U.S. physicians said.

UN envoy, French health group raise alarm over mass rape in Darfur

The UN emergency relief chief raised alarm over the mass rape of women in Sudan's Darfur region as a French health group reported treating hundreds of victims in recent months.