Health News

Health News for 08/05/10

August 05, 2010

U.S. Military Surgeons Saving Children's Lives in Afghanistan

During an attack on an Afghanistan village, shrapnel sliced into a 5-year-old girl's skull, almost killing her. U.S. military helicopter pilots flew her to a hospital at Bagram Airfield, where a U.S. neurosurgeon operated, saving her life.

Health Tip: What May Trigger Angina Pain?

Angina is the term for chest pain that occurs when a portion of the heart isn't getting enough oxygenated blood.

Health Tip: When It's Time for a Tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the tonsils, is a common treatment for frequent infections of these glands, located in the back of the mouth.

Pre-Dialysis Procedure Often Delayed in Poorer Communities

Kidney disease patients in poor communities are less likely than patients in wealthier areas to receive optimal care before they start dialysis, a U.S. study has found.

What Caused 2009 H1N1 Pandemic?

The 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus used a new biochemical trick to hijack host cells, a feat that triggered the recent pandemic, according to an international team of scientists.

'Body Checking' Not to Blame for Most Ice Hockey Injuries: Study

When an ice hockey player slams an opponent against the board it may get the crowd's attention, but most injuries in youth hockey are caused by accidents, not intentional "body checking," researchers have found.

Bat Species Facing Regional Extinction From Fungal Disease

An infectious disease spreading across the northeastern United States has killed millions of bats over the last four years and may lead to the regional extinction of a once-common bat species called the little brown myotis, say researchers.

Excess Weight May Protect Women From Type of Glaucoma

While maintaining a healthy weight is linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and diabetes, being overweight may actually protect some women from a form of glaucoma, Harvard researchers say.

Remission From Ulcerative Colitis More Likely After 50

People diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after age 50 are more likely to achieve symptom relief than people diagnosed at a younger age, even when they receive similar treatments, finds a new study.

Tongue Piercing Can Cause Costly Gap in Front Teeth

Tongue piercing can lead to a damaging habit that causes a gap to appear between the upper front teeth, which could cost thousands of dollars to fix, a case study suggests.

Type 2 Diabetes Might Harm Young Brain, Study Suggests

In a sign that diabetes may strike at the brain early in life, a small study found that obese children with type 2 diabetes suffer from thinking difficulties that do not appear in non-diabetic overweight kids.

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 5, 2010

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

Health Highlights: Aug. 5, 2010

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

Extra Vitamin D May Improve Heart Health in Black Teens

Black teens can gain a measure of protection from heart disease by taking daily vitamin D supplementation at levels that are five times the current recommendations, new research suggests.

More Clues To Fibromyalgia Pain

Fibromyalgia patients have more "connectivity" between brain networks and regions of the brain involved in pain processing, which may help explain why sufferers feel pain even when there is no obvious cause, a new study suggests.

Can Hands-On Prayer Help Heal?

An older Mozambican woman named Maryam could not see two fingers held up just one foot in front of her when she arrived for a Pentecostal prayer intervention in her village. Nor could she see an eye chart from a similarly close distance.

Women Can Safely Get Pregnant Right After Miscarriage, Study Shows

Women who get pregnant within six months after having a miscarriage stand the best chance of having a healthy pregnancy with the fewest complications, Scottish researchers report.

Using Multiple Tobacco Products Ups Hazards: CDC

People who smoke cigarettes and also use other forms of tobacco have higher levels of nicotine addiction, find it more difficult to quit using tobacco, and are at greatly increased risk for tobacco-related health problems such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, warns a new government study.