Health News

Health News for 08/03/11

August 03, 2011

Health Tip: Watch for Signs of Scoliosis

Scoliosis, characterized by an abnormal curvature of the spine, usually develops during childhood.

Health Tip: Skate Safely

Before your kids lace up their in-line skates, make sure they're prepared.

Stomach Cancer Tumors Have Genetic Differences: Researchers

Stomach cancer tumors have genetic differences, which determine how they respond to treatment, researchers have found.

Smoking Withdrawal Shows Up in Brain Mood Centers

Changes in brain areas that control mood may explain why some heavy smokers become depressed after they quit smoking, which increases their risk of resuming smoking.

Memories Can Be Unreliable, Manipulated

Many Americans believe memory is more powerful, reliable and objective than it actually is, a new survey finds.

Obesity Counseling Should Stress Brain, Not Willpower: Study

Obesity counseling should focus on neurobehavioral processes -- the ways the brain controls eating behavior in response to biological and environmental factors -- instead of personal choice and willpower, researchers suggest.

Parenting Style May Affect Child's Mental Health

Matching your parenting style to your child's personality can greatly reduce the youngster's risk of depression and anxiety, researchers say.

'Infrared Detector' May Lead Vampire Bat to Blood

Vampire bats have heat-detecting molecules that help guide them to blood-rich locations on victims, scientists say.

Many Kids Now Engage in Media 'Multi-Tasking'

Apparently, today's youngsters love their media -- a lot.

Urine Test Might Help Predict Prostate Cancer Risk

A new urine test might help doctors detect prostate cancer and better evaluate a patient's treatment options, researchers say.

Popular Antidepressants Not Always Best Choice for Seniors

New research suggests that hugely popular antidepressants such as Prozac and Effexor might not always be the best choice for seniors, since they seem to have more side effects than older antidepressants do.

Scientists Warn of New Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella

The identification of a new multidrug-resistant strain of salmonella shows the importance of public health surveillance in a global food system, French scientists say.

Genes, Not Healthy Living, Get Most to Age 100

Want to live to a ripe old age?

New Tick-Borne Illness Infects Midwesterners

First they spread Lyme disease, and then babesiosis. Now, deer ticks carrying a newly identified bacterium are infecting residents of the midwestern United States with a disease called ehrlichiosis, and experts say it will likely appear in other areas of the country.

Health Highlights: Aug. 3, 2011

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

Another Blood Test for Alzheimer's Shows Promise

A blood test that screens for certain markers in the blood called "autoantibodies" is showing promise in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, researchers report.

High Dose of Yeast Infection Drug Linked to Birth Defects, FDA Says

Pregnant women who take ongoing, high doses of the drug fluconazole (brand name Diflucan) may be at increased risk of having babies with birth defects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday.

Experimental Drug Promising Against Tough-to-Treat Asthma

A new experimental drug for adults with asthma seems to improve lung function in patients who haven't been helped with standard steroids.

Surge in New HIV Infections Among Young Black Gay Men Troubling: CDC

The number of new HIV cases in the United States has remained stable at about 50,000 a year, but a recent jump in new cases among black gay and bisexual men is "alarming," government health officials said.