Health News

Health News for 09/28/11

September 28, 2011

TNF Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Boosts Skin Cancer Risk

Treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors appears to increase their risk of developing skin cancer, a new review of prior research indicates.

Health Tip: Who Needs a Whooping Cough Vaccine?

Whooping cough, medically called pertussis, is a serious infection that can cause episodes of extreme coughing. In some cases, it can lead to serious complications, including death.

Experts Point Out Signs of Dangerous Heart Rhythm

People who experience what feels like drums pounding in their chest, shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness may suffer from the common but potentially dangerous heart arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation.

Pandemic Flu of 1918 Circulated Months Before Deaths Peaked

The influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide in 1918 was circulating in the United States at least four months before the outbreak reached pandemic levels in the fall of that year, researchers say.

Health Tip: Menstruation Often Affects Mood

Some women appear to be more sensitive to the normal hormonal changes that accompany menstruation, making them more prone to premenstrual syndrome, the womenshealth.gov website says.

Cancer Patients Should Ask Doctors to Use Simple Terms

Cancer patients are often faced with many difficult-to-understand treatment choices that can have serious side effects and even mean the difference between life and death.

Teens With Lots of Friends More Likely to Start Drinking: Study

Adolescents with large social networks of friends and acquaintances are more likely to start drinking alcohol than teens who play a less central role in their high school social scene, new research finds.

Teen Drinking Most Influenced by Friends of Friends: Study

The drinking habits of the friends of a teenager's boyfriend or girlfriend may have more influence on the youngster's drinking than the habits of the teen's own friends or romantic partner.

Even Slightly Higher Blood Pressure May Boost Stroke Risk

Having blood pressure readings that are just slightly above normal -- a condition known as prehypertension -- appears to raise the risk of stroke, new research finds.

Lung Function of Late Preemies May Improve With Age

Just like extremely premature babies, infants born between 33 and 34 weeks' gestation can have impaired lung function at ages 8 to 9, but in these moderately premature children, lung function may improve by the time they are teenagers, research shows.

Gene Variant Linked to Failure of Asthma Drug

About one in six asthma sufferers carries a genetic variant that's associated with a poor response to commonly prescribed inhaled asthma medications called corticosteroids, according to a new study.

Super-Tight Blood Sugar Control May Not Ease Mental Decline in Diabetics

For people with type 2 diabetes, intense treatment doesn't slow decline in thinking skills, a new study found. Super-strict blood sugar control actually appeared to increase study participants' risk of death, the researchers found.

Number of U.S. Kids on ADHD Meds Keeps Rising

The use of stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Adderall in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is continuing to climb, although at a slower pace than in decades past, a new study finds.

End-of-Life Directives Do Not Hasten Death, Study Finds

New research suggests that sick people who talk about advance directives don't die earlier than their counterparts who don't have those discussions about end-of-life care.

Study Suggests Link Between Sleep Deprivation, Alzheimer's Risk

A new study shows that levels of amyloid beta, a byproduct of brain activity that is considered a marker for Alzheimer's disease, normally rise during the day and decrease at night.

Listeria Outbreak Is Deadliest in More Than a Decade

The ongoing outbreak of food-borne illness connected to listeria-tainted cantaloupes has now infected 72 people in 18 states and claimed 13 lives, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, making it the deadliest such outbreak in more than a decade.

Child Face Mask Approved to Help Prevent Spread of Germs

A child-size, single-use face mask to help prevent the spread of germs in hospitals and other health care settings has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

End-Stage Alzheimer's Patients Often Hospitalized Unnecessarily

Almost one in every five patients with advanced Alzheimer's or other form of severe dementia will be shuttled from a nursing home to a hospital during their last few months of life, a new U.S. study shows.

Cheap Drug Helps Smokers Quit, Study Finds

For people trying to quit smoking, the drug cytisine works better than a placebo, and its comparatively low cost makes it an appealing alternative to newer stop-smoking medications, researchers say.