Health News

Health News for 01/14/10

January 14, 2010

Traffic Crashes Send 3.5 Million to ERs

U.S. hospital emergency departments treated 3.5 million motor vehicle crash victims who had injuries ranging from bruises and scrapes to life-threatening trauma in 2006, a new government study finds.

Leading COPD Drug Won't Harm Heart: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it found no good evidence that the Spiriva HandiHaler boosts heart risks in patients who use it to help control chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Lawmakers Getting Closer to Health Care Reform

An agreement in principle on the landmark overhaul to the U.S. health care system could come as early as Friday, lawmakers said Thursday.

Incorrect Cell Lines Used for Worldwide Cancer Research

Cancer researchers rely on specific tumor cell lines when developing new treatments, but those samples aren't always what they're advertised to be, a Dutch team reports.

CT Scans Spot Many Kidney Abnormalities

About 25 percent of healthy people have abnormalities in the kidneys and their blood vessels, but most of these abnormalities aren't serious enough to prevent a person from donating a kidney, a new study shows.

Deadly 'Choking Game' Still Common Among Kids

As many as 6 percent of Oregon eighth-graders have tried the potentially lethal "choking game," public health officials warn in a new report.

Stress of Caring for Disabled Spouse Raises Stroke Threat

The stress of caring for a disabled spouse increases the risk of stroke substantially, and the increased risk is greater for husbands than for wives, a new study finds.

Haiti Faces Serious Health Risks in Quake's Wake

As devastating as the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti has been, potentially worse public health calamities could lie ahead in the weeks and months to come, health experts say.

Evolving Strains of HIV May Cause Wave of Drug Resistance

Strains of drug-resistant HIV that will emerge in San Francisco within the next five years could pose a serious threat to efforts to control the HIV pandemic, according to U.S. researchers.

Stabilizing Spine May Be Waste of Time in Gun, Knife Victims

Paramedics often work quickly to stabilize the spines of trauma patients, to avoid a broken neck or other problems, but new research suggests that practice could double the likelihood that gunshot and stabbing victims will die if they aren't taken immediately to a trauma center instead.

Clinical Trials Update: Jan. 14, 2010

Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com :

Health Highlights: Jan. 14, 2010

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay :

1 in 4 U.S. Teen Girls Involved in Violent Behavior

A new national survey finds that almost 27 percent of girls aged 12 to 17 were involved in serious fights or attacks on other girls within the previous year.

Lung Infection Up in Wake of Kids' Pneumonia Vaccine

Since the PCV7 early childhood vaccine for bacterial pneumonia was introduced in the United States in 2000, the number of children hospitalized for pneumonia because of pneumococcus has decreased by 50 percent and bacterial pneumonias have decreased overall, new research shows.

Mail-Order May Help People Stick to Med Regimens

Using mail-order pharmacies makes it easier for people to stick with their doctor's prescribed medication regimens, a new study suggests.

Health Tip: Finding Magnesium in Food

Your body needs the mineral magnesium to properly contract and relax muscles, to produce proteins and to help enzymes function, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says.

Health Tip: Signs That a Baby Is Hungry

Some new parents have a tough time figuring out when their crying baby is truly hungry.

More Evidence That Statins Cut Stroke Risk

One of the largest analyses of the effect of statin drug therapy on the risk of stroke confirms the benefits of these widely used drugs.