Health News

Health News for 03/01/11

March 01, 2011

Uterine Fibroid Treatments Seem to Boost Quality of Life

For women with uterine fibroids, three treatments have been found to relieve symptoms and result in major improvements in quality of life, according to a new study.

Health Tip: Controlling Baby's Eczema

If baby's skin breaks out in an itchy, scaly rash on the face, elbows, or on the backs of the knees, it may be eczema, medically called atopic dermatitis.

Health Tip: Factors That Increase Your Risk of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, frequently dubbed "hardening of the arteries," is the number one cause of death in the United States, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says.

Hospital Spending Doesn't Affect Sepsis Survival Rates

A new study has found that patients treated at high-cost U.S. hospitals for sepsis -- a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection in the bloodstream -- don't have better short-term survival rates than those treated at other hospitals.

Seniors Concerned About Side Effects of Heart Drugs

Older adults carefully weigh the benefits and risks of cardiovascular disease prevention drugs before they decide whether to take them, finds a new study.

Obesity May Boost Odds of Aggressive Breast Cancer in Older Women

Obesity is known to boost the risk of estrogen-fueled breast cancer in women past menopause. Now, new research suggests a link between postmenopausal obesity and an especially aggressive type of breast cancer that doesn't depend on estrogen to grow.

Use of Virtual Colonoscopy on the Rise in U.S. Hospitals

The use of virtual colonoscopies at U.S. hospitals is on the increase even though the procedure is not covered by Medicare, a new study finds.

Few Support 'Individual Mandate' in Health Care Reform Law, Poll Finds

Half of U.S. adults still oppose the "individual mandate" clause in the new health care reform law that requires all Americans not already insured to purchase health insurance, while only 22 percent support it, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds.

Study Rates Success of Corneal Transplants in Kids

Most youths who are given a corneal transplant register improvements in vision that should positively affect their everyday life, though the individual benefits may vary, according to Australian researchers.

Heart Devices Not Tested Enough in Women: Study

On top of criticism that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves medical devices with too little oversight comes another troubling finding: Many heart-related devices win FDA approval without being adequately tested on women, despite an agency directive to do so.

Clinical Trials Update: March 1, 2011

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

Half of U.S. Men Infected With HPV, Study Reveals

A new international study finds that half of adult males in the United States and elsewhere may be infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmissible virus linked to cervical cancer and other tumors.

Dramatic Drop in Blood Infections Among ICU Patients: CDC

There has been a dramatic decline in bloodstream infections in intensive care unit patients with central lines, but the number of these infections in general remains too high, a new U.S. government report shows.

Study Finds Smoking Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

Both smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke appear to increase the risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal women, new research shows.

Roflumilast Approved for Form of COPD

Roflumilast has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat flares of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involving chronic bronchitis.

Scientists Spot Another Gene Behind Type 2 Diabetes

Scientists have identified a gene variant present in some people of white European descent who have type 2 diabetes.

Scientists Link 'Sets' of Genetic Abnormalities to Autism Risk

While the genetic underpinnings of autism are enormously complex, new DNA research is honing in on sets of abnormal genes that may play a role in the disorder.

Gene Therapy Against HIV Not a Proven Cure, Experts Say

Experts are reacting with cautious optimism to the announcement Monday that researchers reconfigured immune cells so that they became resistant to HIV in six patients infected with the virus.

Blood Pressure Drugs May Help Heart Patients Without Hypertension

In people with heart disease, the use of blood pressure-lowering medications can be beneficial, even in those who don't have high blood pressure, new research suggests.

Pot Use in Youth Ups Risk of Psychotic Symptoms in Later Life

Smoking marijuana as a teenager or young adult raises your risk of having psychotic symptoms later in life, a new Dutch study shows.