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Medicare Web Site Confounds Many Seniors

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:58 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- A majority of seniors who visit the Medicare Web site find getting the information they need a frustrating experience, University of Miami researchers report. Whether trying to determine their eligibility for home health care or...

Cognitive Score Changes Over Time May Hint at Dementia

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:46 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- Yearly changes in a person's performance on cognitive testing may be associated with dementia, new research suggests. Using a newly developed model to assess the effect of variations in a person's score from year to year,...

Silver-Coated Ventilator Tubes Cut Risk of Pneumonia

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:39 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- The use of silver-coated endotracheal tubes reduced the risk of pneumonia among intensive-care patients on ventilators, a U.S. study found. Ventilator-associated pneumonia can lead to longer hospital stays, increased costs, and...

Vitamin B, Folate Supplements Won't Help Heart

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:39 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- A study to determine whether folic acid and vitamin B supplements help the heart has been cut short, because the pills weren't doing any good and might have even caused participants harm. "This confirms what a lot of recent...

Obesity Rates Up in 37 States: Report

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:35 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- The obesity epidemic in America has gotten worse -- not better -- in the last year, despite public service campaigns warning about the health risks posed by carrying too much weight, a new report found. Adult obesity rates...

Ultrasound Used to Predict Heart Attack Risk

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:00:05 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- Inexpensive ultrasound imaging may be a simple way to help determine who's at high risk for a heart attack or other cardiovascular issues, a new study says. Researchers conducted ultrasound imaging on the carotid arteries -- the...

More Juices Found to Affect Drugs' Effectiveness: Study

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:00:23 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- Grapefruit juice, long known to boost the absorption of certain medications, isn't the only juice that doesn't mix well with drugs, according to the Canadian researcher who first identified the ill effects of grapefruit...

Imaging System Lets Doctors 'See' Cancer During Surgery

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:00:07 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- A new imaging system that highlights cancerous tissue makes it easier for surgeons to detect and remove tumors without harming surrounding healthy tissue, according to U.S. researchers. The fluorescence-assisted resection and...

Health Highlights: Aug. 19, 2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:40:58 GMT

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: Vioxx Study Was 'Stealth' Marketing: Report Stealth marketing was the main goal of a 1999 Vioxx study touted by Merck & Co. as proof that the...

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 19, 2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:15:34 GMT

-- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch: Obesity If you are aged 18 to 60, moderately overweight with a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40, weigh between 187 and 297 pounds, are in general good health, have had no...

Health Tip: Take a Healthy Hike

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:45 GMT

-- Hiking is a great way to get exercise and fresh air, but you should take certain precautions. Here are suggestions to keep you safe when you hit the trail, courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic: Map out the trail you want to take, familiarize...

Living to 100 Doesn't Mean Living Poorly

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:32 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- Living longer, even past the 100-year mark, doesn't necessarily mean that a person's last years will be spent in sickness or disability, Danish researchers report. That's because the very old typically enjoy healthy, independent...

Health Tip: Who's Prone to Iron Deficiency?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:25 GMT

-- Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs to make red blood cells. The U.S. National Library of Medicine says these people are at greater risk for iron deficiency, and should ask their doctor about getting enough iron-rich...

ED Drug Relieves Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:19 GMT

TUESDAY, Aug. 19 -- A daily dose of the erectile dysfunction drug tadalafil (Cialis) helped relieve lower urinary tract symptoms in men with signs of enlarged prostates, according to a new study. More than 50 percent of men age 50 and older have...

Reaching the Heart Through the Wrist

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:00:04 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Threading a catheter into the heart from the wrist rather than the groin reduces the incidence of bleeding problems during angioplasty, a new study finds. The approach, using the radial artery in the wrist, is not widely practiced...

Immune Response May Hinder Stem Cell Treatments

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:00:41 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Human embryonic stem cells trigger an immune response in mice, a new study finds. If the same thing happens in humans, it could prove a big roadblock to stem cell-based treatments, researchers say. Researchers at Stanford...

Low Vitamin D Raises Women's Hip Fracture Risk

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:00:18 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Low levels of vitamin D can boost older women's risk for hip fracture by more than 70 percent, University of Pittsburgh researchers report. The finding adds weight to the recommendation that people maintain adequate intake of...

Study Lets Teens Sound Off on Acne Therapies

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:42 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- American teens would be willing to pay a lot of money to be acne-free, according to researchers who surveyed 266 high school students in San Francisco. The study found the teens, on average, would pay about $275 to have never had...

Epilepsy Raises Drowning Risk

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:23 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Having epilepsy might put you at a significantly higher risk for death by drowning, a new report says. The study, which looked at information compiled from all over the world, found that epileptics had a 15 to 19 times greater...

Older Patients Less Likely to Be Taken to Trauma Centers

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:21 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Older trauma patients are less likely to be transported to an official trauma center for immediate care than younger patients, a new study found. The finding was based on a review of a decade's worth of Maryland's statewide...

Poor Sleep Linked to High Blood Pressure in Teens

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:15 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Teens who don't get enough sleep or have poor-quality sleep run the risk of elevated blood pressure, a new study finds. It's the first study to make such a connection, said study senior author Dr. Susan Redline, director of the...

Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:01 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Chewing gum helps improve recovery of intestinal function after all or part of the colon has been surgically removed, according to British researchers who reviewed data from five clinical trials involving 158 patients. The...

Science May Banish Bad Hair Days

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:00:30 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Whether it's frizzy or flyaway, nearly everyone puts up with an unruly head of hair from time to time. Now scientists have trained their microscopes on hair to find out why it misbehaves -- and how to tame it. In a new study, said...

A Hope: Contaminant-Free Synthetic Heparin

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:00:45 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Robert J. Linhardt is a chemist with a dream: making the blood-thinner heparin by the bucketful without using animal tissue. It's a dream that has taken on urgency this year, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration attributed...

Health Highlights: Aug. 18, 2008

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:35:15 GMT

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: New Drug May Prevent Fibrosis Australian scientists say they've developed a drug that may prevent fibrosis, a potentially fatal build-up of scarring...

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 18, 2008

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:44:58 GMT

-- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch: Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorders If you have schizophrenia, you may be eligible for this study of an investigational medication. The research site is in Atlanta, Ga. More...

Health Tip: Check Baby's Toys for Safety

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:45 GMT

-- When choosing toys for your baby or toddler, make sure you inspect them carefully for things that could cause injury. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these guidelines when choosing safe toys: Make sure each toy is sturdy,...

New Imaging Technique Could Spot Early Cancers

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:36 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Nanotechnology may offer doctors a noninvasive way to detect early stages of cancer and also help monitor treatment, a new report says. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine recently demonstrated the new approach...

Health Tip: Keep Cholesterol Under Control

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:10 GMT

-- Too much dietary cholesterol can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood, which can be a risk factor for heart disease. The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions to help lower your cholesterol: Avoid high-fat or fried foods. When you do...

Newly Discovered Air Pollutants May Cause Lung Problems

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:00:01 GMT

MONDAY, Aug. 18 -- Recently discovered so-called free radicals that are attached to small particles of air pollution could cause lung damage and perhaps even lung cancer, researchers report. If confirmed through further research, the finding could...

Survivors of 1918 Flu Pandemic Immune 90 Years Later

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:00:20 GMT

SUNDAY, Aug. 17 -- People who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic that killed 50 million worldwide are still producing antibodies to the virus 90 years later, researchers report. "Most people have a notion that elderly people have very weak immunity...

Health Highlights: Aug. 17, 2008

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:00:42 GMT

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: High Incidence of Suicidal Thinking Among College Students: Survey More than half of 26,000 college students who completed a Web survey said they had...

Antidepressant Use Tied to Poorer Driving

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:00:37 GMT

SUNDAY, Aug. 17 -- Taking prescription antidepressants while still highly depressed could impair driving ability, a new study suggests. "We already know that depression causes concentration problems," said study author Holly J. Dannewitz. "And now...

Pack Safety Should Be on Back-to-School Lists

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:00:42 GMT

SUNDAY, Aug. 17 -- The start of a new school year means it's time to remind students and parents about proper selection and use of backpacks. "When used correctly, backpacks are the most efficient way to carry a load and distribute the weight among...

Freshman Weight Gain Has Many Culprits

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:00:21 GMT

SATURDAY, Aug. 16 -- Irresponsible eating, lack of exercise and alcohol consumption are among the factors that contribute to the Freshman 15, which refers to the extra pounds packed on by many new college students, according to a Duke University...

Health Highlights: Aug. 16, 2008

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:12:45 GMT

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: Toxins Found in Frozen Shellfish Imported from Ireland Frozen mussels imported to the United States from Ireland may contain a toxin that can cause...

Rituximab Promotes Healing in Common Kidney Disease

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:46 GMT

FRIDAY, Aug. 15 -- The drug rituximab may significantly reduce kidney damage in people with a common form of kidney disease called membranous nephropathy, believed to be caused by autoimmune reactions against the kidney. The disease, characterized...

Testosterone Associated With Disease Transmission

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:00:58 GMT

FRIDAY, Aug. 15 -- In mice, high levels of the male sex hormone testosterone may play an important role in the spread of disease, according to Penn State researchers. Previous studies have linked testosterone to immune system suppression and found...

Can Physical Cues Signal Dementia?

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:00:56 GMT

FRIDAY, Aug. 15 -- Memory loss and confusion often provide the first clues to the onset of dementia. But recent research suggests that physical -- not mental -- impairment may be an earlier harbinger of trouble. In a study involving more than 2,200...

Study Probes Internet Health-Related Search Patterns

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:00:54 GMT

FRIDAY, Aug. 15 -- A new study says Google Trends has a potential as a scientific research tool that may help people better understand how the public uses the Web to find health information. Despite the limitations of the tool, which provides access...