Health News

Health News for 03/30/11

March 30, 2011

Praying for Others Seems to Help Anger Fade

Saying a prayer for another person may help people control their negative emotions after being insulted by a stranger, researchers report.

Health Tip: Can't Catch Your Breath During a Workout?

If you're typically coughing, wheezing or feeling short of breath during exercise, experts say you could have a condition called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).

Health Tip: Prepare For Your Next Check-Up

Regular visits with your doctor should be more than a formality. They're your chance to take charge of your medical care by finding out what preventive services you need and when you need them, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Childhood Mental Health Woes Could Hurt Adult Romance, Finance

Adults who experienced psychological problems during childhood tend to earn less money and are less likely to establish long-lasting relationships, a new study indicates.

Little Oversight on Ingredients in 'Senior' Dog Food, Experts Say

Even though most Americans might believe that "senior" dog food is formulated differently than food for young adult dogs and pups, experts say that brands can vary widely in their ingredients and there are no requirements for what goes in foods for older canines.

Longer Breast-Feeding May Be Key to Bigger Brains

Longer periods of pregnancy and breast-feeding in mammals are associated with larger brain growth in offspring, which explains why human babies remain dependent on their mother for so long, say researchers.

Digital Divide Opens Up in Patient Use of Online Medical Records

When it comes to taking advantage of Internet-based medical information in the form of physician-provided online "personal health records," some American patients are more plugged in than others, new research reveals.

Obesity Could Raise Risks of General Anesthesia

Obese patients are twice as likely as non-obese patients to develop serious airway complications while under a general anesthetic, a new study has found.

Benefits of Radiation Therapy Outweigh Risks of a Second Cancer: Study

The odds a second cancer will develop after radiation treatment for a first cancer are relatively low, U.S. National Cancer Institute researchers report.

Babies Who Sleep in Smokers' Rooms Face 'Thirdhand' Smoke

Levels of nicotine in the hair of infants who sleep in the same room with parents who smoke are three times higher than in babies who sleep in another room, a new study finds.

Quitting Smoking Cuts Cancer Risk After Liver Transplant

Liver transplant patients who quit smoking are less likely to develop smoking-related cancers, a new study suggests.

Lawsuits Aren't Improving Nursing Home Care: Study

High-quality nursing homes get sued almost as often as low-quality nursing homes, a new study shows.

Diet-Exercise Combo Seems to Work Best for Obese Seniors

A combination of diet and exercise can help obese seniors lose weight and stay fit much better than either diet or exercise alone, researchers reported Wednesday.

Health Highlights: March 30, 2011

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

Most Americans Seem to Have Healthy Levels of Vitamin D

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. residents have sufficient levels of vitamin D levels, but about a fourth of the population is at risk for vitamin D inadequacy and 8 percent are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, a new federal government study indicates.

Clinical Trials Update: March 30, 2011

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

New Drug May Boost Hepatitis C Treatment

Adding the new drug boceprevir to the current two-drug treatment for hepatitis C appears significantly more effective than the standard therapy, according to two new studies.

FDA Panel Examines Possible Links Between Food Dyes, ADHD

An expert panel convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is meeting Wednesday and Thursday to see if there's a link between commonly used food dyes and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and if so, what should be done.

Levels of Radiation in Wash. State Milk No Threat to Health: FDA

In an update to its ongoing radiation monitoring following the Fukushima Daiichi reactor crisis in Japan, U.S. government officials announced late Wednesday that milk sampled March 25 in Washington state contained low levels of radiation not likely to cause harm to humans.