Health News

Health News for 01/13/11

January 13, 2011

Health Tip: Your Diet's Role in Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is first diagnosed while a woman is pregnant.

Health Tip: Some Devices May Cause Pacemaker Problems

A pacemaker is a small implanted device that helps stabilize an irregular heartbeat.

Bottle Rockets Can Cause Serious Eye Injuries in Kids

Bottle rockets can cause serious eye injuries to children that can lead to permanent vision loss, a new study warns.

Falls as Serious for Elderly as Stroke, Heart Attack: Experts

Fall screening and prevention should be a regular part of health care for older adults, and all programs to prevent falls should include exercise, according to updated guidelines for preventing falls in the elderly.

Pill-Splitting Potentially Perilous, Study Suggests

The common practice of pill-splitting -- done by patients and health professionals alike to save money or make medications easier to swallow -- is inaccurate and potentially dangerous, a new study suggests.

Heart Rhythm Disorder May Double Death Risk for Dialysis Patients

The heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation is increasingly common in kidney dialysis patients and puts them at increased risk for death, researchers have found.

Scientists Find Way to Stop Spread of Bird Flu in Chickens

Scientists have developed genetically modified chickens that don't transmit bird flu to other chickens.

Simple Screen May Help Spot Depression in College Students

Among students who go to university health centers for a physical ailment, between one-fifth and one-quarter are depressed, but the condition often goes undiagnosed because most university health centers don't screen for depression, a new study reports.

Flu Season Looks Normal This Year, Experts Say

This winter will not be a repeat of last year's H1N1 pandemic and instead is turning out to be a more typical flu season, experts say.

Dialysis Options Remain After Kidney Transplant Failure

Home-based dialysis is an option for patients who've suffered a kidney transplant failure, researchers say.

The More You Walk, the Lower Your Diabetes Risk: Study

The more you walk, the lower your risk of diabetes, say Australian researchers.

Weight-Loss Surgery May Ease Incontinence in Women

In an encouraging sign for severely obese women who suffer from incontinence, a new Australian study says that many gain control over urination after undergoing gastric-band weight-loss surgery.

Write Your Test Stress Away

Whether it's winter mid-terms or the upcoming SAT that's got your teen's stomach tied up in knots, a simple intervention might ease their anxiety and improve their scores.

Rep. Giffords Continues to Recover From Gunshot Wound

Reports of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' heartening medical progress continued to arrive Thursday, five days after she was struck in the head at close range by an assassin's bullet.

Health Highlights: Jan. 13, 2011

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

Clinical Trials Update: Jan. 13, 2011

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

U.S. Aims to Make School Lunches Healthier

Trying to fight the growing child obesity epidemic, new federal guidelines proposed Thursday focus on making school lunches healthier.

Health Disparities Persist in U.S., Report Shows

Differences in income, gender and race influence Americans' likelihood of being healthy, sick or dying prematurely, a federal government report released Thursday shows.

FDA Lowers Amount of Acetaminophen Allowed in Prescription Painkillers

U.S. health officials announced Thursday that they will lower the maximum amount of the pain reliever acetaminophen allowed in prescription opioid products such as Vicodin and Percocet because of reports of severe liver damage.