Health News

Health News for 06/17/10

June 17, 2010

Health Tip: Understanding Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon is what joins the muscles in the calf to the heel bone. When it is overused or injured, it becomes inflamed -- a condition called Achilles tendonitis.

Health Tip: Things That May Trigger Wheezing

Wheezing is a whistling sound that occurs when breathing tubes inside the lungs become narrowed or inflamed.

Prognosis Good for Most Children With Epilepsy: Study

Children with new-onset epilepsy of unknown origin have a much higher rate of remission than those with symptomatic epilepsy, caused by underlying brain damage or disease.

Rats Appear to Be Born With a Sense of Direction

A sense of direction appears to be hard-wired in the brain at birth, a new study with rats has found.

Medicare Cuts May Have Led Docs to Prescribe More Chemo

Cuts in Medicare payments to doctors who administer outpatient chemotherapy drugs actually led to an increase in treatment rates among Medicare recipients, finds a new study.

Iodine Levels a Worry as Salt Use Declines

As Americans decrease their salt consumption, thyroid experts worry that some may obtain too little iodine.

Few Americans Using Electronic Medical Records

Despite years of hype around the issue, less than one in 10 American adults now utilize electronic medical records or turn to e-mail to contact their doctor, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds.

Shared Opinions Light Up Brain's 'Reward Center'

Finding common ground with others often leads to a sense of satisfaction, and a new study suggests that the reason why is because the "reward" area of the brain is activated when people agree with our opinions.

Gene Mutations Linked to Rare, Inherited Bone Disorder

Two gene mutations linked to a rare, inherited bone disorder called metachondromatosis have been identified by U.S. scientists.

Gene Mutation Offers Clues to Tamoxifen-Blood Clot Link

Researchers have identified a gene mutation that increases the risk of blood clots in women taking the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen after surgery for early-stage breast cancer.

Pro-Eating Disorder Sites Abound on the Internet

They're out there on the Web: Sites that offer tips to successful purging or water-only fasts; others that list methods of hiding rapid weight loss from parents and doctors.

Celebrex Appears Easier on Stomach for Arthritis Patients

Patients who take the painkiller celecoxib for arthritis pain and inflammation are less likely to suffer gastrointestinal damage than those who take diclofenac plus omeprazole, a new study finds.

Botox May Temporarily Paralyze Emotions, Too

For Botox users concerned that the muscle-paralyzing injections will rob their face of its ability to show emotion, a new study suggests that people injected with the toxin might end up with less strong emotion to display in the first place.

H1N1 Flu Undergoing Genetic Changes in Pigs

Although the pandemic H1N1 "swine" flu that emerged last spring has stayed genetically stable in humans, researchers in Asia say the virus has undergone genetic changes in pigs during the last year and a half.

Stomach Bacteria Might Trigger Rheumatoid Arthritis

In early experiments with mice, scientists have found a bacteria living in the gut may trigger an immune response that can result in rheumatoid arthritis.

Health Highlights: June 17, 2010

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

Clinical Trials Update: June 17, 2010

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

ER Visits Soaring for Prescription Painkiller Misuse

Recent years have seen a steep rise in U.S. emergency department visits by people abusing prescription pain drugs such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Dilaudid, a new report finds.

FDA Panel Backs New 'Morning After' Pill

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend approval of a new emergency contraception pill that is effective for a longer period of time than the "morning after" pill known as Plan B.

New Tobacco Regulations to Take Effect

As the first anniversary of the signing of the Tobacco Control Act approaches, several key provisions of the law that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products are set to take effect.

Jevtana Approved for Advanced Prostate Cancer

The chemotherapy drug Jevtana (cabazitaxel) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat advanced prostate cancer that worsens despite use of a standard drug therapy, docetaxel.