Health News

Health News for 10/06/11

October 06, 2011

Children of Alcoholics Drink More When Stressed

People whose parents had a drinking problem are more likely to reach for the bottle when they're under stress, a new study says.

Health Tip: Avoid Distractions Behind the Wheel

Texting or talking on a cell phone behind the wheel are prime examples of the dangerous practice of distracted driving. But they're not the only ones.

Health Tip: Taking Exercise to the Extreme

There's nothing wrong with practicing healthy behaviors in moderation, and exercise is no exception. But you can overdo it.

MRI Safe With More Recent Defibrillators, Pacemakers: Study

Many people with pacemakers and implanted defibrillators can safely undergo MRIs to screen for cancer and other diseases, as long as certain procedures are followed, a new study finds.

Researchers Assess What Works Best to Prevent PTSD

New research suggests certain long-term psychotherapies may do a better job than an antidepressant in preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic event.

TV Ads Whet Kids' Appetite for Junk Food

Food ads have a powerful influence on children's food choices but parents can lessen that effect, according to a new study.

Anemia Could Add to Surgical Risks

Anemia increases the risk of death and complications in patients who have different types of surgery, not just heart operations, a new study says.

Scientists Spot New Clues to HIV-Linked Dementia

Researchers have identified two genetically distinct types of HIV in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with HIV-associated dementia.

More Evidence Minorities in U.S. Get Poorer Hospital Care

The United States' so-called "worst" hospitals are home to a significantly larger pool of elderly, poor and minority patients than are the nation's better quality/lower cost institutions, new research says.

Tanning Beds May Be Even Riskier Than Thought

Indoor tanning beds may be even more likely to cause skin cancer than previously believed.

Many Medicare Patients Get Surgeries in Last Year of Life: Study

As many as one-third of Medicare beneficiaries in fee-for-service plans have inpatient surgery in the last year of their life, a new Harvard study finds.

Oxygenating Blood of Hospitalized H1N1 Flu Patients Saved Lives: Study

Technology that directly oxygenates the blood reduced the risk of death in patients who were severely sickened by the H1N1 flu virus, a new British study shows.

Steve Jobs, Visionary Leader of Apple Inc., Dies at 56

Steve Jobs, the visionary leader of Apple Inc. who introduced the world to personal computers, then the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad, died on Wednesday following a long battle with cancer.

Health Highlights: Oct. 6, 2011

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

Swimming Pool Chemicals Cause Thousands of Injuries: CDC

More than 28,000 cases of injury and illness caused by swimming pool chemicals are estimated to have occurred in the United States between 2002 and 2008, according to a new federal study.

More Kids Treated for Concussions in ERs: CDC

Over the past decade, the number of children treated in emergency rooms for traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, increased 60 percent, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

National Study Will Track Tobacco Use in U.S.

A large, national study on how new government regulations affect smoking and other tobacco use and people's understanding about the risks was announced Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Many Years Pass Before Folks Get Help for Drugs, Alcohol

The time between the start of substance abuse and the first admission for treatment is longer for men than for women, a U.S. government report shows.

Pancreatic Cancer: A Stubborn Foe

The death of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs has once again focused attention on cancers of the pancreas, which have claimed the lives of several high-profile celebrities.

FDA OKs Impotence Drug Cialis to Treat Enlarged Prostate

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced late Thursday that it had approved using the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis as a treatment for enlarged prostate.

Report: Task Force to Recommend Against PSA Test

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is preparing to recommend that men no longer get screened for prostate cancer by undergoing prostate specific antigen -- or PSA -- testing, CNN reported Thursday evening, citing a "source privy to the task force deliberations."