Health News

Health News for 11/04/10

November 04, 2010

Health Tip: Shopping for Shoes

Wearing shoes that don't fit can contribute to a long list of foot problems.

Health Tip: Does Your Child Need Braces?

A child's smile is always adorable, but braces may be needed to straighten that smile and resolve problems with the pearly whites.

Good Conversation Can Boost Brain Power, Study Finds

Friendly discussions with other people can help you solve common life challenges, but conversations that are competitive in tone aren't helpful, finds a new study.

Protein Differences May Explain Long-Term HIV Control

Variations in an immune system protein explain the rare ability of some HIV-infected people to remain healthy without having to take any medications, scientists say.

Brain May Be More Developed at Birth Than Thought

Babies are born with an important collection of fully formed brain networks, including one linked to introspection, a new study shows.

Sleep Appears to Aid Learning

If you're trying to learn a new word, you may want to sleep on it, a new study suggests.

Overheating in Infants Can Lead to SIDS, Experts Warn

During cold weather, the use of extra blankets and heavy clothes to keep infants warm can lead to dangerous overheating and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), U.S. experts warn.

Electrical Brain Stimulation May Boost Math Skills

Those of you who are lousy at math may someday be able to boost your skills with the use of a painless method of electrical brain stimulation, British research suggests.

Older Americans Sicker Than British Peers...

New research suggests that middle-aged and older white Americans are sicker than their counterparts in the United Kingdom but they still manage to live as long as the Brits, thanks to doctors and drugs.

Hemophilia Drug Used Off-Label Raises Clot Risk

A drug approved to help staunch bleeding in people with hemophilia raises the risk of heart attacks and stroke when it's used to stop life-threatening bleeding due to other conditions, such as trauma or surgery, a new study finds.

Anti-Delirium Drug May Harm Critically Ill Patients

The anti-delirium drug rivastigmine (brand name Exelon) does not appear to control delirium in critically ill hospital patients, new Dutch research indicates.

Teens of Epileptic Mothers May Lag Academically: Study

Teens born to women who took two or more epilepsy drugs while pregnant fared worse in school than peers with no prenatal exposure to those medications, a large Swedish study has found.

Health Highlights: Nov. 4, 2010

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

Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 4, 2010

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

Vitamin E May Pose Slight Bleeding-Stroke Risk

People who take vitamin E supplements may be putting themselves at a slight increased risk for a hemorrhagic stroke, researchers report.

Ofirmev Sanctioned for Pain and Fever

Ofirmev has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat fever and mild-to-moderate pain, maker Cadence Pharmaceuticals said in a news release.

Smokeless Tobacco Use Widespread in Some States

Many smokers in the United States and its territories also use smokeless tobacco products such as snuff and chew tobacco, a combination that makes quitting much more difficult, a new federal study shows.

CT Scans Seem to Lower Lung Cancer Death Rates

Annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT scans cut mortality rates in older, current or former heavy smokers by 20 percent, a major U.S. government study finds.

U.S. Government Food Program Needs Improving: Report

Healthier foods should be served to children and adults in day care facilities that get meals and snacks through a federally sponsored food program, a new U.S. government report says.