Health Headlines - November 19

Enjoy Thanksgiving Meals, They Can Be Good for You

Here's another reason to give thanks this holiday season: the succulent turkey, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes included in many Thanksgiving day meals may not only look and taste good, but may also be good for you.

Wrist Best Spot for Angioplasty in Elderly

The wrist is a better access spot than the groin for performing angioplasty in very elderly patients with heart disease, new research shows.

Acupuncture Aids Pain Relief for Knee Arthritis

Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee are eased more when acupuncture is added to treatment with the painkiller diclofenac, Spanish researchers report.

Bottle, Pacifier Can Misalign Baby Teeth

Children who were bottle-fed or used pacifiers as babies are at risk of dental problems in preschool, a new study suggests.

Depression May Raise Risk of Dementia

Depression and manic depression are associated with dementia, and the more often a patient is hospitalized for these mental illnesses the greater their risk, Danish researchers report.

Continuous Passive Motion Helps After Knee Repair

After undergoing knee reconstruction, therapy with a machine that puts the joint through continuous passive motion leads to improved flexion when added to conventional physical therapy, according to a review by Canadian researchers.

Many C-Sections in U.S. Done for No Medical Reason

In the US, many mothers who have "no indicated risk" for a difficult vaginal birth are having caesarean deliveries -- and the rate is rising year by year -- according to a report in the British Medical Journal.

Brain Area Found to Be Smaller in Cocaine Addicts

A part of the brain involved in both drug craving and judgment appears to be smaller in cocaine addicts than in healthy people, researchers have found.

U.S.-Led Push for Broad U.N. Cloning Ban Crumbles

A divided United Nations on Friday rejected a U.S.-led campaign to ban all cloning of human embryos, including for stem-cell research, as a General Assembly committee opted instead for a nonbinding declaration.

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.

Patients Seek Answers on Popular Drugs

An Oregon man stopped taking the painkiller Vioxx when it was pulled from the market, switching to Bextra. Then questions were raised about Bextra — and four other drugs — and he returned to his doctor with a new set of worries.

FDA Official 'Rejects' Safety Criticisms

A Food and Drug Administration official said Friday "we categorically reject" accusations the agency has failed to protect the public against dangerous drugs.

Transplant Group Discourages Donor Ads

The national organ transplant network is asking hospitals to discourage patients from advertising for donors and, if possible, to refuse to perform transplants that arise from these campaigns.

Changes Aim at Better Mad Cow Testing

As the government awaits definitive results in a possible second case of mad cow disease, federal officials are charting new ground in dealing with a jittery public. Little noticed in the anxiety are some Agriculture Department policy changes the past fo...

New ID Tag Could Prevent Surgical Errors

A radio frequency tag that patients can affix like a bandage to ensure doctors perform the right surgery on the right person won government approval Friday.

Military Amputees to Get New Rehab Center

A state-of-the-art rehabilitation center opening next year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center seeks to return more amputee soldiers to a place once thought impossible: the battlefield.

U.N. Abandons Idea of Anti-Cloning Treaty

U.N. diplomats abandoned contentious efforts to draft a treaty that would outlaw human cloning and will likely settle for a weaker declaration that won't seek a comprehensive ban, officials said.

Indian Firm Pulls 6 HIV Drugs From List

India's Hetero Drugs is withdrawing six of its generic versions of antiretroviral drugs from the World Health Organization's list of approved HIV medicines, saying it is not certain they are biologically the same as the patented drugs.

Military Family Life Comes Under Study

The military, so the saying goes, enlists a soldier but re-enlists a family. Getting families to re-up in time of war, however, is a daunting task the defense department hopes will be made easier with research by Purdue University.

Study: C-Sections Gain Popularity in U.S.

New research bolsters a growing body of evidence that an increasing proportion of women in the industrialized world are choosing to give birth by Caesarean section when there is no clear medical need.

Health Tip: Buying Exercise Equipment

If you're considering buying fitness equipment for home use, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission says you should exercise good judgment when evaluating advertising claims.

Generic NSAID Causes Fewer Complications

The generic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) etodolac caused 60 percent fewer gastrointestinal ulcer complications than the over-the-counter painkiller naproxen.

Still Not Enough Nurses to Go Around

Even though there's a steady increase in the number of new registered nurses in the United States, it's still not enough to prevent a long-term shortage that could cripple the nation's health-care system.