Health News

Health News for 07/20/10

July 20, 2010

'Get Moving' Can Be Vital Advice for Seniors

A birthday card on the market for older adults, meant to be humorous, shows a vulture on a tree branch, with the admonition to "Keep moving."

Health Tip: Reduce Your Sugar Consumption

Sugar added to foods makes them taste sweeter, but a healthy diet can sour from too much of it.

Health Tip: Weaning Baby from a Bottle

As babies grow into toddlers, it's time to take away the bottle and transition to a cup.

Consumers Overestimate Ability to Master New Products: Study

Sure, that new gizmo you just bought looks simple enough, but a new study suggests that consumers frequently overestimate their ability to use a new product -- and then may quickly give up on mastering its use at all.

Screening for Sepsis Could Save Lives, Researchers Say

General surgery patients in the United States are more likely to suffer from life-threatening sepsis and septic shock than heart attacks or blood clots in the lungs, researchers have found.

Economic Status May Affect Kids' Hearing Aid Care

Poor children with hearing loss are as likely as other children to receive cochlear implants, but they may experience more complications afterward, a U.S. study has found.

Brain Injury May Raise Soldier's Epilepsy Risk

A wartime brain injury may increase a soldier's risk of epilepsy even years later, a new study finds.

Study Suggests Painters Face Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer

Professional painters may face an increased risk for bladder cancer and that risk seems to rise with the number of years they work, a new study suggests.

Higher Percentage of Whites, Blacks and Hispanics Drinking Than in '90s

A higher proportion of whites, blacks and Hispanics reported drinking between 1992 and 2002, but whites increased the number of drinks they consumed while blacks and Hispanics leveled out, a new study shows.

Mom's Alcoholism Especially Tough on Daughter's Mental Health

The risk that children of an alchoholic parent run of developing a psychiatric illness later in life may depend, in part, on their gender and whether it was their mother or father who was alcohol-dependent, a new study finds.

Ah Doctor, What Exactly Does This Entry Mean?

In an effort to improve patient-doctor communication, researchers are launching a pilot program in which approximately 25,000 patients will have access to notes their doctors have made in their medical records.

Patient's 'Lost' Blood Can Be Reused in Trauma Surgery

Reusing an injured patients' own blood during emergency surgery costs less and avoids the risks associated with using donated blood for transfusions, new research suggests.

Can Cell Phones Cause Another Kind of Ringing?

Regular cell phone use may increase the risk of developing persistent ringing in the ear -- a condition known as tinnitus, a small Austrian study suggests.

Avastin Largely Safe for Patients With Type of Advanced Lung Cancer

The cancer drug Avastin, when used in combination with standard chemotherapy, is safe and can effectively treat an advanced form of one of the most common lung cancers, researchers report.

Homeopathic Nasal Zinc Linked to Loss of Smell

To try and lessen the effects of the common cold, many people have turned to homeopathic remedies, including products containing zinc.

Health Highlights: July 20, 2010

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

Many HIV-Exposed Infants in Africa Don't Get Protective Drug, Study Shows

In parts of Africa, only about half of babies born to mothers with HIV receive the HIV prevention drug nevirapine, a new study has found.

Clinical Trials Update: July 20, 2010

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

New Study Finds HPV Vaccine Protects Against Genital Warts

A new study finds that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects not only against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, but also helps prevent genital warts and low-grade cervical growths.

FDA Advisers Say Avastin Shouldn't Be Used for Breast Cancer

The cancer drug Avastin should no longer be used as a treatment for breast cancer, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Tuesday, saying the drug wasn't benefiting patients.