Health News

Health News for 09/13/11

September 13, 2011

Health Tip: Why Am I Losing My Hair?

Most men and many women eventually have noticeable hair loss.

Health Tip: When You're Under Stress...

The first task toward keeping stress under control is recognizing the early symptoms of stress, such as muscle tension, headache or anxiety.

Brain Blood Flow Abnormalities Persist in Gulf War Vets

Two decades after the Persian Gulf War, some veterans continue to have blood flow abnormalities in their brains that in some cases have even gotten worse, a new study finds.

Muscle Training May Benefit Chronic Heart Failure Patients

People with chronic heart failure can improve their ability to exercise by focusing their training on their small muscles, researchers say.

Fear of Antidepressants Keep Many From Disclosing Depression

For a nation that seems ready to pop a pill for any ill, a new study suggests that the opposite seems true for some people with symptoms of depression, whose concerns about the side effects of antidepressants were the top reason they wouldn't disclose warning signs to their doctors.

Statins Don't Raise Risk of Brain Bleeds After Stroke: Study

Statins, a widely prescribed class of drugs used to lower cholesterol, are not linked to an increased chance of brain bleeds in people who've had strokes, new research finds.

Protecting Heart May Improve Erectile Dysfunction

The lifestyle changes and medications used to reduce risk factors for heart disease may also improve sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction, according to a new study.

Blacks Develop High Blood Pressure a Year Ahead of Whites

It's well known that blacks are at greater risk for developing high blood pressure than whites are, but new research now suggests they also progress more rapidly from a pre-hypertension state to full-blown high blood pressure.

Newly Found Gene Mutations May Aid Heart Treatments

Researchers have found dozens of new genetic variants involved in high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Lifestyle Changes May Prevent Heart Failure

A healthy lifestyle -- including not smoking, shedding excess pounds, exercising and eating lots of vegetables -- could ward off many cases of heart failure, a new study finds.

New Drug Boosts 'Good' Cholesterol in Study Patients

A treatment currently being studied may prevent progression of atherosclerosis, a condition caused by the build-up of plaque in artery walls that can lead to heart attack, according to new research.

Screening Lots of Lymph Nodes Little Help for Colon Cancer Patients

Searching for cancer in lots of lymph nodes after colon cancer surgery does not seem to increase patients' chances of survival, a new study finds.

Many Alzheimer's Cases Go Unrecognized: Report

Diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease early is essential if patients are to benefit from the medications currently used for this dementia, a new report stresses.

Health Highlights: Sept. 13, 2011

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

366 Million People Now Have Diabetes: Report

The worldwide diabetes epidemic continues to worsen, with an estimated 366 million people struggling with the disease, 4.6 million deaths due to it each year, and annual health-care spending pegged at $465 billion, the International Diabetes Federation announced Tuesday.

Heart Defect Seems to Pose Low Risk of Aorta Tear

Many people born with a heart defect known as bicuspid aortic valve live in fear of sudden death, but a new study finds only a small risk for a life-threatening complication called aortic dissection.

U.S. Seeks to Prevent 1 Million Heart Attacks, Strokes

Preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years is the goal of U.S. health officials, who launched a new program Tuesday called Million Hearts.

More Mammograms Equal More Mastectomies: Study

One of the goals of mammograms is detecting breast cancer early enough to avoid needing a mastectomy. But a new Norwegian study suggests that mastectomy rates climb higher as more women undergo the screening test.

Driving Restrictions Help Prevent Deadly Crashes Among 16-Year-Olds

Teenagers may complain about so-called graduated driver licensing laws -- which require young drivers to gain driving experience in low-risk situations before obtaining full driving privileges -- but a new study shows that they dramatically reduce fatal crashes among 16-year-olds.