Health Headlines - November 18

FDA Reviewer Says 5 Drugs Need Closer Scrutiny

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewer who has accused the agency of being lax in monitoring drug safety on Thursday said five medicines on the market need closer scrutiny. Dr. David Graham, speaking at a Senate hearing, singled out Abbott Laboratories Inc.'s weight-loss drug Meridia, AstraZeneca's cholesterol fighter Crestor, Pfizer Inc.'s arthritis treatment Bextra, Roche's acne drug Accutane and GlaxoSmithKline's asthma drug Serevent.

Rare Blood Infection Surfaces in Injured U.S. Soldiers

An unexpectedly high number of U.S. soldiers injured in the Middle East and Afghanistan are testing positive for a rare, hard-to-treat blood infection in military hospitals, Army doctors reported on Thursday.

Study Suggests How COX Drugs Cause Heart Disease

Painkillers suspected of causing fatal heart disease may act by starting the process of hardening the arteries, researchers proposed on Thursday.

FDA Failed Public on Vioxx

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration failed to protect the public from Merck & Co. Inc.'s now-withdrawn painkiller Vioxx and is incapable of guarding America from dangerous drugs, a veteran FDA researcher told Congress on Thursday.

Rise in First-Time Caesarean Births in U.S.

First-time caesarean section births for women with no identified medical risks or complications have risen sharply in the United States, according to research published on Friday.

Supplements Don't Affect Mental Powers of Elderly

Supplementation with antioxidants, zinc or copper has neither a beneficial nor harmful effect on cognition in elderly people, a new study indicates.

FDA Clears Genentech's Tarceva for Lung Cancer

Biotechnology companies Genentech Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Thursday said U.S. regulators have approved their drug Tarceva for treating the most common form of lung cancer.

Stomach Surgery Linked to Throat Cancer Risk

People who have had all or part of their stomach removed appear to have an increased risk of later developing cancer of the larynx, doctors in Italy report.

UN Short-Circuits U.S.-Led Drive to Ban Cloning

U.S. efforts to secure a global treaty banning the cloning of human embryos, including for stem cell research, were dealt a major setback on Thursday when U.N. diplomats agreed to work for a political declaration on the issue instead.

Doctors Call for Antibiotic Drug for HIV Children

A low-cost antibiotic should be given to all children with HIV in developing countries to prevent infections such as pneumonia and reduce deaths, scientists said on Friday.

Possible New Case of Mad Cow Disease Found

The government is checking a possible new case of mad cow disease, officials said Thursday, rattling the nation's cattle industry, food processors and beef-oriented restaurant chains.

FDA Issues Regulations for Tissue Banks

Tissue banks that process donated skin, ligaments and bones for transplant must meet new federal safety standards, aimed at preventing infection and disease, under regulations issued Thursday.

GOP Lawmaker Questions FDA Flu Response

An influential Republican lawmaker joined Democratic critics Thursday in asking whether the Food and Drug Administration reacted slowly to problems with U.S. flu vaccine.

Many Adults Hitting the Barre for Fitness

Bored with the gym and tennis lessons, Marianna Orro was looking for a new exercise. She heard about a tap dance class and signed up with a friend at a studio outside Cleveland.

Arafat's Diagnosis May Soon Be Revealed

Nearly a week after his death, speculation still swirls around what killed Yasser Arafat. Cirrhosis of the liver, AIDS, a blood disorder and poisoning are frequently mentioned in unconfirmed reports.

Mayors Urge Diabetics to Control Disease

An Ohio mayor has a personal message to diabetics across the country: If he can work 15-hour days and still fit in regular exercise and healthy meals to control his disease, they can too.

Great American Smokeout Kicks Off Today

The American Cancer Society is calling on millions of Americans to go cold turkey for the day. It's the 28th annual Great American Smokeout, a day which many hope will be the first of many cigarette-free days.

Problems Linger for Recovering Alcoholics

Even with prolonged sobriety, alcoholics can have problems with visual perception and frontal executive brain function, which can make it hard for them to do things such as read maps or put together puzzles.

Health Tip: Sick Building Syndrome

If you always seem to feel lousy at work, don't automatically blame it on your job -- it might be the building in which you work.

Health Tip: Cold Weather Blues?

If your mood seems to drop with the amount of daylight, you may have a condition called seasonal affective disorder, according to the National Mental Health Association.

Family Dinners Lower Risk For Eating Disorders

Gathering around the family dinner table each evening may help lower risks for eating disorders in girls, suggests a University of Minnesota study.

Study Shows Simple Steps to Painless Dieting

By reducing calorie density by 30 percent and reducing serving sizes by about a quarter, Penn State researchers eliminated 800 calories a day from the diets of young women -- and the women didn't even notice.

Protein Key to Stem Cell-Based Nerve Repair

Research into using stem cells to repair damaged nerves just got a big boost, with scientists pinpointing a protein key to controlling binocular vision -- visual depth perception -- in mammals.

Too Few Elderly in Cancer Clinical Trials

Even though they account for 60 percent of cancer patients in the United States, patients aged 65 and older make up just 36 percent of participants in cancer clinical trials.

A New Target For a Fat-Fighting Drug

A newly discovered enzyme that plays a major role in fat metabolism could be a target for a different kind of weight-loss drug, Austrian researchers report.

Older Americans Can Expect Longer, Healthier Lives

The average 65-year-old American woman can now expect nearly two more decades of life, while men of the same age will live an average of 16 years longer.

Running Revolution Started as Evolution

Millions of years before headphone-wearing joggers clotted the streets of America, the development of the ability to run played a crucial role in the evolution of early humans, according to new research.