Health News

Health News for 06/30/11

June 30, 2011

A Child's Surgery May Prompt Parents to Try to Quit Smoking

Parents who smoke are more likely to try to kick the habit if their child is having surgery, but their chances of success aren't any better than normal, a new study reveals.

Internet Sex Offenders Reveal Some Patterns

About two-thirds of Internet sexual offenders bring up the topic of sex during the first chat session with adolescents and young adults, a new study has found.

Health Tip: Warm Up Before Exercise

Slow, gentle stretching before you begin more intense exercise is essential to warming up and preventing injury. It gives your body time to adjust before more intense activity.

Health Tip: Will Allergy Shots Work for Me?

Allergy shots can provide much-needed relief from watery eyes, runny nose and other allergy symptoms.

One-Third of Undergrads Admit Using Phone 'Apps' While Driving

Many U.S. college students use mobile phone applications (apps) while driving, a new study suggests.

Breast Cancer Plus Other Health Issues Linked to Worse Outcomes

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who also suffer from other health problems have higher death rates than women who just have breast cancer, according to researchers.

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.

Illegal Tobacco Sales to U.S. Minors Reach All-Time Low

Illegal tobacco sales to minors have reached an all-time low in the United States as the result of a historic federal and state partnership, according to a federal government report.

Cotton Swabs Help Prevent Surgical Site Infections: Study

Cotton swabs offer a cheap, effective way of reducing surgical site infections, according to researchers.

Hong Kong Strain of Scarlet Fever Unlikely to Spread to U.S., Experts Say

A new strain of drug-resistant scarlet fever appears to be rapidly spreading through Hong Kong and mainland China, but U.S infectious disease experts remain confident that the new bug isn't heading here anytime soon.

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.

Who Should Get a CT Scan to Screen for Lung Cancer?

Annual low-dose CT scans cut the death rate from lung cancer by 20 percent in heavy smokers and formerly heavy smokers, compared to those who get annual chest X-rays, according to the results of a major National Cancer Institute study released on Wednesday.

July 4 Weekend Dangerous for Underage Boys Who Drink: Report

The number of U.S. teen boys who end up in emergency rooms for drinking-related injuries doubles over the July 4th weekend, federal officials say.

Group-Think Can Influence Your Memory, Research Shows

You're probably familiar with how easy it is to remember things that never happened, especially if you're around people who recall things the same way.

Health Highlights: June 30, 2011

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

On-the-Job Lead Exposures Falling, But Still a Problem: CDC

The number of U.S. workers aged 16 and older with elevated blood lead levels has dropped by more than half over the past two decades -- from 14 per 100,000 in 1994 to 6.3 per 100,000 in 2009, a new study reveals.

Fetal Exposure to Common Epilepsy Drugs May Harm Kids' IQ: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday advised doctors to warn women of childbearing age that fetal exposure to certain drugs used to control seizures or migraines appears to diminish intellectual abilities in offspring.

Medicare Will Pay for Pricey Prostate Cancer Drug

The cost of Provenge, an expensive and newly approved therapeutic prostate cancer vaccine, will be covered by Medicare for men with metastatic prostate cancer, the agency announced late Thursday.