Health News

Health News for 10/12/10

October 12, 2010

Health Tip: Alert a Podiatrist to Foot Problems

Problems with your feet shouldn't be ignored. They can get worse over time, and can signal trouble elsewhere.

Health Tip: Teach Kids Playground Safety

The playground is a place for fun and a good time, but your kids can get hurt if they don't practice basic playground safety.

Insurance, Income Don't Explain 'Race Gap' in Breast Cancer Care

The so-called racial gap in breast cancer care has long been known by researchers, with black and Hispanic women less likely to get recommended breast cancer treatments than white patients.

Three Healthy Habits Cut Breast Cancer Risk, Study Finds

Women who maintain certain "breast-healthy" habits can lower their risk of breast cancer, even if a close relative has had the disease, a new study finds.

Non-Prescription 'Fashion' Contacts Can Harm Your Eyes

Halloween is a popular time to buy over-the-counter decorative contact lenses, but they pose a number of potential risks to your eyes, including pain, inflammation, serious infection and permanent vision loss, warns the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Newer Therapies for Eye Disorder Not Tied to Heart Problems

Use of the drugs bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis) to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) doesn't appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular problems or death, a new study suggests.

Drug Implant for Opioid Addiction Looks Effective

Implanting the addiction-treatment drug buprenorphine in people who are opioid-dependent seems to reduce cravings in the short term, researchers say.

This Is Your Brain on 'Friends': Study

Close friends trigger a stronger brain response than strangers, even if you have more in common with some of the strangers, a new study finds.

Cancer-Fighting Bone Drugs Might Raise Stroke Risk

A new study finds that cancer patients treated with bisphosphonate drugs such as Aredia or Zometa to reduce or delay bone complications from cancer may be at higher risk for the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation and for a related event, stroke.

Scientists Identify Molecular Blueprint for Lyme Disease

Scientists have determined the genetic structures of 13 strains of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, an achievement that could speed efforts to diagnose, prevent and treat the disease.

Heart Surgery Patients Do Fine With Fewer Blood Transfusions: Study

Patients having heart surgery who receive fewer blood transfusions do just as well as those who receive more, new research finds, and yet the rate of blood transfusions varies widely among U.S. hospitals.

Earlier Hospice Care Urged for Terminal Prostate Cancer

Most American men who are dying of prostate cancer are slow to take advantage of the end-of-life services available through hospice care, new research suggests.

Brain Damage May Not Harm Short-Term Spatial Memory After All

New research suggests the short-term ability to remember bits of information involving spatial reasoning is not jeopardized by injury to the part of the brain that is central to memory.

Chronic Pain Part of Life for Many Americans, Survey Finds

Nearly 70 percent of Americans say that they or someone they care for experienced pain in the previous 30 days, a recent survey shows.

Health Highlights: Oct. 12, 2010

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

Clinical Trials Update: Oct. 12, 2010

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

Many With Terminal Cancer Still Getting Routine Screens

Many patients with incurable cancer are still being screened for common cancers, although these tests are unlikely to provide any benefit, researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City have found.

When It Comes to Math, Females Are as Smart as Males

Males and females have equal math skills, a new report confirms.

Siblings of Autistic Children May Also Have Subtle Traits

As many as one in five siblings of children with autism may have subtler problems with language and speech, according to new research involving nearly 3,000 children.