Health News

Health News for 10/04/11

October 04, 2011

Health Tip: Get Relief From Bunion Pain

A bunion is a foot deformity that often occurs when someone wears tight narrow shoes with high heels. With a bunion, the joint at the base of the big toe sticks out and becomes inflamed.

Health Tip: Getting a Sports Physical

Before a student hits the court, field or track to play a collegiate sport, he or she may need a sports physical.

Exercise Tips for Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer survivors should exercise regularly to help prevent a recurrence of the disease and improve their overall health, according to the American Council on Exercise.

Learn While You Sleep: New Way to Multitask?

People may be learning while they sleep, dramatically improving their memory in some cases, a new study suggests.

Hospital Readmission Rates on the Rise in Older Adults: Study

Readmission rates have increased in many hospitals across the United States, including some of the country's most elite academic medical centers, new research shows. About one in six Medicare patients now returns to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged for a medical condition.

Overweight Kids at Greater Risk for High Blood Pressure

Overweight or obese children are nearly three times as likely to have high blood pressure as kids who are a normal weight, according to a new study from the American Heart Association.

Stress May Affect Preemies' Brains, Study Shows

Very premature babies may develop brain changes as a result of stress experienced in the neonatal intensive care unit and should receive follow-up care to monitor brain function into childhood, a new study suggests.

Breast Cancer Appears Less Deadly for Men Than Women

New research shows that the few men who develop breast cancer tend to have more advanced cases than women and to be diagnosed at an older age.

Alcohol, Obesity Major Causes of Sudden Heart Death

Obesity and alcohol consumption are among the leading causes of sudden cardiac death not caused by coronary artery disease, a new study finds.

Poorer Women More Likely to Die From Breast Cancer

Less-affluent women now face a greater risk of dying from breast cancer than wealthier patients, a new American Cancer Society report finds.

Older Dads Can Pass on Gene Mutations That Lower Intellect

Certain genetic abnormalities in a man's chromosomes appear to be linked to intellectual disabilities in his offspring, especially if he fathered them late in life, a new study suggests.

Happy Kids a Product of Genes, Parenting, Study Finds

As scientists continue to tease out the impact of nature versus nurture, it appears that kids unlucky enough to get a "downer" personality gene can end up with sunnier outlooks when they're parented in a warm, positive manner.

Health Highlights: Oct. 4, 2011

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

MRI Study Unfolds Clues to Memory

A common structural variation in the brain may explain why some people are better able to remember details of past events and to distinguish real events from those they were told about or may have imagined, scientists report.

Overnight Stay May Not Be Necessary for Stenting: Study

Heart patients who have stenting procedures to open up narrowed arteries fare just as well if they are released the same day as if they are sent home a day or two later, new research shows.

Drunk Driving Declines in U.S.

Despite a 30 percent decline in drunk driving since 2006, drunk drivers still account for almost 11,000 traffic deaths -- one-third of all traffic-related fatalities -- each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Advance Directives Might Curb Cost of End-of-Life Care

Depending on where you live, having an advance directive may raise the odds that you'll receive hospice services and reduce the overall cost of your end-of-life care, a new study indicates.

'LeGoo' Vessel Plug Approved for Vascular Surgery

LeGoo, a gel to stem blood flow temporarily during surgery that requires joining blood vessels, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.