Health News

Health News for 06/29/11

June 29, 2011

When Americans Think of Regrets, Love Tops List

Whether it's the great guy who got away or the dead-end relationship that went on way too long, regrets involving romance are most commonly cited by Americans when asked about things they wish they'd done differently.

Health Tip: Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by symptoms of pain or discomfort in the abdomen that persist for at least three months.

Health Tip: Does Your Child Have Rickets?

Rickets is a condition caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus. Symptoms may include weak or deformed bones.

Flu Shots for Pregnant Women Also Protect Newborns, Study Finds

Giving flu shots to pregnant women also protects their newborns, researchers say.

Obesity a Major Cause of Early Death in Women: Study

Obesity is a major risk factor for death among obese women who don't smoke, particularly low-income women, a new study finds.

Genes May Control How Long You Look at Happy Faces

Variations of a certain gene affect the amount of time people spend looking at happy faces, a finding that may help improve understanding of social behavior and autism, according to researchers.

Pain Costs U.S. $635 Billion a Year: Report

Pain afflicts at least 116 million adults in the United States each year and costs the nation $560 billion to $635 billion annually in medical and economic costs, according to an Institute of Medicine report released Wednesday.

Blackouts Linked to Future Drinking Injuries in College Students

The more memory blackouts a college student experiences when drinking, the more likely he or she is to suffer an injury while drinking at some time in the future, a new study says.

E-Prescribing Doesn't Slash Errors, Study Finds

Outpatient electronic prescribing systems make the same common mistakes that occur in manual systems, a new study finds.

No Headway Against COPD, Which Now Affects Women More

Between 1998 and 2009 there was no significant decline in cases of the often deadly ailment known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the burden of the disease has shifted from men to women, a new report finds.

Delaying Intravenous Feeding of ICU Patients May Aid Recovery

Temporarily withholding intravenous feedings for seriously ill patients in the intensive care unit may actually help them leave the hospital faster, new research finds.

U.S. Plague Fatality 'Isolated' Lab Incident, New Report Confirms

In 2009, a 60-year-old American lab researcher was mysteriously, and fatally, infected with the black plague while conducting experiments using a weakened, non-virulent strain of the microbe.

Pollution Took Heavy Toll at U.S. Beaches in 2010

As the summer gets into full swing, a new report Wednesday warns that water pollution can make a day at the beach no day at the beach.

Motivational Text Messages May Help Smokers Quit

Motivational text messages more than double the odds that smokers will be able to kick the habit, new research suggests.

Health Highlights: June 29, 2011

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

FDA Panel Rejects Avastin for Breast Cancer

The blockbuster cancer drug Avastin got soundly rejected late Wednesday as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer by a U.S. health advisory panel that found the medication was not effective and causes dangerous side effects.

Organ Transplant Drug Might Treat Rapid-Aging Disease in Kids

A drug currently used to fight rejection in organ transplant recipients may also reverse DNA cell damage in children with a rare, deadly disorder that leaves them old long before their time, a new study suggests.

More Evidence CT Scans Better at Detecting Lung Cancer

Routinely screening longtime smokers and former heavy smokers for lung cancer using CT scans can cut the death rate by 20 percent compared to those screened by chest X-ray, according to a major U.S. government study.

Addiction Starts Early in American Society, Report Finds

A new study reveals that 90 percent of Americans who are addicted to tobacco, alcohol or other substances started smoking, drinking or using drugs before they were 18 years old.

Gene 'Map' of Ovarian Cancer Yields New Clues to Treatment

In the largest such study of any tumor type to date, scientists say they've gleaned an in-depth look at genes that may help drive aggressive ovarian cancer.