Health Headlines - March 9

Vietnamese Relative Has Bird Flu, No Symptoms

A 81-year-old Vietnamese man whose two grandchildren are being treated for bird flu has tested positive for the virus even though he showed no symptoms of the deadly disease, a health official said on Wednesday.

Think Cats Make Your Kid Sneeze? Try Cockroaches

Cockroaches worsen asthma symptoms in children far more than furry pets or dust mites, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

More Women Fat Than Underfed Around World

Many more women around the world are overweight than underfed, even in poor countries and rural areas, according to a report published on Tuesday.

Sanofi Obesity Drug Works for 2 Years, Some Snags

Sanofi-Aventis SA's experimental obesity drug helped patients shed three times as much weight as those on a placebo, but patients gained some of that weight back in the second year, according to a study released on Tuesday.

Senators Eye Longer Specialty Hospital Moratorium

A federal advisory group urged lawmakers on Tuesday to extend a moratorium on new, small specialty hospitals while more information is gathered on whether they drain resources from full service community hospitals.

Smoking in Pregnancy Damages Baby's Chromosomes

Mothers who smoke when they're pregnant may cause genetic damage in their babies, findings from a new study suggest. In fact, one common type of chromosome damage linked to maternal smoking is known to increase the risk of blood cancers.

Diabetes Ups Risk of Liver Cancer 2-3 Times

Patients suffering from diabetes could be two to three times more likely to develop cancer of the liver, researchers said on Tuesday.

Crestor Improves Heart Protein in U.S. Blacks

An unusual cholesterol drug study focusing on black Americans shows that AstraZeneca Plc's Crestor lowers levels of a protein that may predict a person's risk of serious heart disease.

Study Finds Vaccinations Lag for U.S. Children

While childhood vaccination levels are at a high in the United States, more than a third of children don't get their shots on time during the first two years of life, a study said on Tuesday.

Mental Slowing in Elderly a Tip-Off to Dementia

Mild loss of mental powers in older people -- the kind of slowing or forgetfulness that has often been thought of as "normal for age" -- is likely the first signs of the process that leads to Alzheimer's disease or cerebrovascular disease.

Study: Cholesterol Drugs Can Help Hearts

Giving people with modestly clogged arteries very high doses of a drug to drive their cholesterol down to very low levels cut their risk of strokes and heart attacks even more impressively than expected, the first study to test this strategy found.

Study: Many Kids Get Immunized Too Late

While overall U.S. immunization rates are high, many toddlers get their recommended shots several months or more late — delays that have probably contributed to some illnesses and deaths, a government study suggests.

McDonald's Unveils Healthy Living Campaign

Shifting the spotlight from french fries to fruit, McDonald's Corp. launched a new worldwide initiative Tuesday promoting healthy living — the latest effort by the world's largest restaurant chain to combat criticism of its food and business.

Overweight NBA Players? a Cautionary Tale

Last week it was obese football players. Now it's ... overweight basketball players?

Panel: Keep Moratorium on Some Hospitals

Congress should continue a ban on new physician-owned hospitals that focus on cardiac care, orthopedics and other specialties until the impact on general hospitals can be further investigated, an advisory panel recommended Tuesday.

Debate Grows Over Grading of Doctors

The trend toward issuing "report cards" on the nation's hospitals and doctors has not been shown to improve care, and might even harm patients, some physicians warn.

New Drugs May Help You Quit Smoking

Researchers are racing to develop a potentially lucrative drug that would make smoking as treatable as erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol and acid reflux disease.

Experimental Diet Pill Keeping Pounds Off

A second study confirms that an experimental diet pill can help people lose weight and keep it off for up to two years, setting the stage for its maker to seek approval to sell it in the United States.

Bill Clinton to Have Scar Tissue Removed

Six months after undergoing heart bypass surgery, former President Clinton will return to the hospital this week to have a rare buildup of fluid and scar tissue removed from his chest.

Health Tip: Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

Bedbugs are making a comeback after being virtually eradicated in 1950s and 1960s. And according to New Scientist.com, second-hand furniture sales are largely to blame for the return of the little critters.

Health Tip: Traveling Abroad?

Traveling is a great experience that's not to be missed. It's also more fun without diarrhea, sunburn or malaria.

Kids' ATV Injuries Rising

Serious accidents involving children riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a growing problem, with a new study finding hospitalization for such injuries jumping nearly 80 percent between 1997 and 2000.

Sharply Lower Cholesterol Levels Cut Heart Attack, Stroke Risk

Reducing "bad" cholesterol levels to new lows resulted in fewer problems, including heart attacks and strokes, in people with established coronary disease, a new study finds.

Smoking During Pregnancy May Up Child Leukemia Risk

Mothers who smoke during pregnancy could be causing chromosomal abnormalities in fetal cells that may increase risks for both childhood and adult leukemia, a new study claims.

MRI Safe for Those With Pacemakers, Defibrillators

Contrary to widespread belief, individuals with implanted pacemakers or defibrillators can, in many cases, safely undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, researchers conclude.

Obesity May Encourage Heart Failure

Tubby mice are giving scientists vital clues as to why obesity is so hard on the human heart.

Thalidomide Slows Cancer-Related Weight Loss

Thalidomide, long associated with birth defects, may have a good side: a small study finds the drug helps slow the weight loss and wasting of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Anti-obesity pill promising: second study

A European study appears to confirm earlier results of tests on an experimental pill against obesity from French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventi, researchers said.

U.S. gets cloning ban victory at UN

A deeply divided UN General Assembly passed a declaration urging governments to ban all human cloning, including for medical research, in a political victory for the United States.

Further tests reveal more human bird flu cases in Vietnam

Seven Vietnamese patients who had initially tested negative for bird flu have been found to have carried the virus, the World Health Organisation said after further tests by a laboratory in Tokyo.

Zimbabwean twins doing well after separation surgery in Canada

Canadian doctors said Zimbabwean twins Tinashe and Tinotenda were doing well after an operation to separate them.