Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Health Headlines - April 20

Researcher Plans Sunshine, Sleep Study

Encouraged by initial results, a Saint Louis University medical school researcher is exploring whether exposure to morning sunlight can help elderly nursing home residents have a better night's sleep.

Heroin Addicts Seek Hard-To-Get Medicine

Krystal began using heroin when she was 14 years old, and it didn't take long for her to become hooked. The teen dropped out of school, lost a ton of weight and hocked her belongings to support a $200 a day habit.

Nobel Economist Says Fat Americans Trust in Science

A Nobel Prize-winning economist on Tuesday offered a theory for why more Americans apparently choose to stay fat: they are counting on medical progress to cure any ailments the extra weight might cause.

Obesity Creates Need for Oversized Caskets

When the funeral director saw the fat man in the small town, they engaged in some friendly banter about death. "You'd tell him, 'You're going to have to go on a diet. You've got to lose some of that weight," said John C. Rudder, owner of Rudder Funeral Home in Scottsboro.

Study: Vitamin D Helps Fight Lung Cancer

Getting enough vitamin D may be a matter of life or death. A provocative new study suggests it plays an important role in surviving lung cancer.

Study Questions Heart Failure Drug

A genetically engineered drug that was hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of heart failure when it was approved in 2001 might actually raise patients' risk of dying soon after treatment, researchers say.

WHO Says Killer Flu Strains Still Sought

South Korea has joined Mexico and Lebanon as countries that have yet to destroy all samples of the killer influenza virus they received as part of routine test kits, the U.N. health agency said Tuesday.

Study Casts More Doubt on OTC Pain Meds

Smokers who regularly took certain popular pain killers cut their risk of developing oral cancer but increased their chances of dying from heart-related problems, according to a study that raises fresh questions about the long-term use of Advil, Motrin and Aleve.

Target to Clamp Down on Cold Medicines

Discount retailer Target Corp. will no longer allow unfettered access to cold medicines that are used to make the illegal stimulant methamphetamine.

Wash. County to Reward Workers for Keeping Healthy

King County, the most populous county in Washington state that includes Seattle, is adopting a health care plan starting in 2007 that will reward employees for maintaining a healthy lifestyle by charging them lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

Health Tip: Visiting Petting Zoos

Petting zoos allow children of all ages to come face to face with animals such as cows, goats and sheep. Unfortunately, these animals sometimes can harbor nasty germs that can be passed to people.

Health Tip: Choosing the Right Surgeon

Your doctor suggests you have an operation. But how do you go about finding a qualified surgeon?

Post-Attack Vaccine Plus Antibiotics Best Against Anthrax Release

A combination of immunization plus antibiotics is the most cost-effective way to treat people who may have been exposed to anthrax during a bioterrorism attack, a new study finds.

Happy People Make for Healthy People

A happy camper is a healthy camper, say British researchers who have unearthed evidence of a biological connection between a positive sense of well-being and reduced risk for disease among middle-aged men and women.

Fluorescence Improves Brain Tumor Surgery Outcomes

Using a fluorescent marker to aid in the surgical removal of malignant brain tumors improves patients' prognosis and survival, a new German study finds.

Food Fact:
Soy to the world.

Think soy is boring? Edamame just might change your mind.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Be a road scholar.

It's easy to find out where you can work out on a business trip, if you know where to look online.

FAQ of the day:
Can I take a pill to get the benefits of soy food?

In order to get the benefits of soy, a supplement alone won't do. You'll need to eat soy food, for both soy protein and soy isoflavones, to get the full range of health benefits. Pills will just give you the isoflavones. Only soy foods like tofu, tempeh, soy milk and soy protein powder provide both.

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