Health Headlines - May 13

Rural Residents More Apt to Need ER Treatment for Eye Injuries

Rural residents of the United States are five times more likely than city dwellers to be treated in emergency departments for eye injuries, according to a federal government study.

In 2008, the rates of eye injury-related emergency departments visits were 646 per 100,000 for rural residents and 120 per 100,000 for urban residents, says the latestNews and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

When looked at by region, rates of eye injury-related emergency department visits were 256 per 100,000 in the Northeast, 242 per 100,000 in the Midwest, 200 per 100,000 in the South, and 156 per 100,000 in the West.

The three most common types of the approximately 637,000 eye injuries in the U.S. in 2008 were cornea scratches (50 percent), cuts to the eyelid or around the eye (9 percent), and bruises around the eye (7 percent).

The causes of these types of injuries included being hit in the eye by something or someone (32 percent), falling down (9 percent), getting a caustic substance in the eye (4 percent), being in a motor vehicle crash (3 percent), and insect bites or other reasons (3 percent).

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Mary Tyler Moore Needs Brain Tumor Surgery

Mary Tyler Moore will have surgery to remove a brain tumor, according to a spokeswoman.

The procedure will remove a meningioma, a slow-growing tumor in the membranes that cover the brain. These types of tumors are mostly benign and usually occur in older adults, the Associated Press reported.

Doctors recommended the elective procedure for Moore, 74, after monitoring the tumor for some time, spokeswoman Alla Plotkin said. She did say when the surgery will occur.

Moore is a veteran sitcom star best known for her roles in the 1960s comedy series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the 1970s.

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Selenium Supplements Don't Protect Against Cancer: Researchers

Taking daily selenium supplements will not protect you against cancer, say researchers who examined 55 studies that included more than a million people.

They found no proof that selenium protects against skin or prostate cancers, but did conclude that taking selenium for an extended length of time could have toxic effects,BBC News reported.

"We could find no evidence to recommend regular intake of selenium supplements for cancer prevention in people whether or not they already have enough selenium," said lead author Dr. Gabriele Dennert, of the Institute for Transdisciplinary Health Research in Germany.

Small amounts of selenium -- found in many foods, including tuna, pasta and brazil nuts -- are important for health and contribute to a strong immune system, BBC Newsreported.

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Billy Graham "Resting Comfortably" in Hospital

Evangelist Billy Graham was being treated with antibiotics and was in stable condition after being admitted to hospital Wednesday morning for treatment of pneumonia.

Graham, 92, was taken to Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C. after he experienced sweating, coughing and breathing problems overnight Tuesday, the Associated Pressreported.

"But he was never in distress or an acute situation," said Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross.

Graham is "resting comfortably and is fully alert," but no date has been set for his release from hospital, Dr. Lucien Rice, Graham's primary physician, said in a statement, the APreported.