Health Headlines - December 28

Staying Active Keeps Mind Sharp in Old Age

People who stay just as active after age 70 as they did before are less likely to experience age-related declines in mental functioning, new study findings suggest.

Depression Often Afflicts Heart Failure Sufferers

About 1 in 5 people suffering from heart failure become clinically depressed, and four factors seem to increase the risk, researchers reports.

Religious Affiliation May Lower Suicide Risk

Depressed men and women who consider themselves affiliated with a religion are less likely to attempt suicide than their non-religious counterparts, according to new study findings.

Cancer Outcome Good at Regular High-Volume Centers

In the long run, survival after cancer surgery appears to differ little at hospitals designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as "centers of excellence" compared with other high-volume hospitals, according to a new report.

Twice-Daily Insulin Not Ideal for Diabetic Kids

For preschool children with type 1 diabetes, twice-daily insulin injections do not adequately control blood sugar levels, researchers report. They found these kids had frequent and prolonged episodes of either low or high blood sugar.

Antioxidants May Help Kids with Leukemia

Children being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) seem more able to deal with their treatment if their levels of antioxidants don't drop too much, new study findings suggest.

Many Poor Women Uninformed About Cancer Screening

According to a survey of low-income, rural women over age 40, nearly 7 out of 10 say their physicians have never prompted them to get a mammogram.

HPV Prevalent in Sexually Active Teenage Girls

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is linked to an increased risk of developing cervical cancer, is "extremely common" in sexually active adolescent women in the US, a new study shows.

PSA After Prostate Surgery Not Always Ominous

Men with prostate cancer who undergo removal of the prostate (i.e., radical prostatectomy) hope to see their PSA fall to zero, but sometimes it remains detectable in their blood. This isn't a good sign, but it bodes worse for some men than others.

UN Warns of Possible Epidemics in Quake-Hit Asia

The United Nations warned on Monday of epidemics within days unless health systems in southern Asia can cope after more than 15,500 people were killed and hundreds of thousands left homeless by a giant tsunami.

FDA OKs Ecstasy Study in Cancer Patients

The illegal club drug Ecstasy can trigger euphoria among the dance club set, but can it ease the debilitating anxiety that cancer patients feel as they face their final days?

Mice Study May Help Human Depression

Mice whose brains lack a specific protein react differently to stress than other mice, possibly offering a clue into the source of human depression, researchers at Washington University said in a study released Monday.

Los Alamos Lab Works on Models of Tumors

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are working on biological and computer models of cancerous tumors, hoping to help doctors create better methods to remove tumors from patients.

French 'Urban Gymnastics' Gaining Devotees

To devotees of a French-born extreme sport known as parkour, that park bench you jog past every day is much more than just a seat.

False Memories May Work as Diet Aid

Raising the prospect of weight loss through mind control, researchers report they may have successfully planted false memories about bad food experiences into the minds of ordinary people.

Novel Way to Rid Body of Toxins Found

A cut in calorie intake combined with consuming the "fake fat" product olestra seems to help boost the body's ability to get rid of toxins such as PCBs and dioxin.

Time Means Money in the ER

U.S. hospitals could greatly increase their revenue and offset losses from providing charity care by moving admitted emergency room patients into hospital beds more quickly.

Protein Fuels Melanoma's Growth

A protein that plays a critical role in the growth of the deadly skin cancer melanoma has been identified by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston.

Health Tip: The Dangers of Meth

Methamphetamine abuse is a dangerous, yet growing practice. So it's important for parents to discuss the problem with their children, the National Institute on Drug Abuse says.

Health Tip: Exercise OK During Pregnancy

So you're going to be a mom. While you're thinking about what life has in store, getting some exercise may be the last thing on your mind. But exercise can help make your pregnancy easier, the American Council on Exercise says.

Patient Protection Laws Don't Favor Providers

Contrary to what critics contend, patients' bill of rights laws don't favor health-care providers, says a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study in the current issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

New Migraine Guidelines for Children Released

Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen are safe and effective for treating migraines in children and adolescents, says a new practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society.

Drug-Eluting Stents Work for Restenosis

Drug-eluting stents greatly reduce the risk that arteries will renarrow in patients with in-stent restinosis -- artery narrowing caused by scar tissue -- according to a German study.