Health News

Health News for 10/28/11

October 28, 2011

High-Tech Suit Lets You Know What It's Like to Be Old

Plastic bands that restrict movement. Glasses that make vision dull and yellowed. Shoes that throw the wearer off balance. Harnesses that make the body hunch over. Gloves that make fingers clumsy and awkward.

Health Tip: Recognizing Symptoms of Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia, the medical term for high blood sugar, is a prime cause of complications among people with diabetes.

Health Tip: Child Bites Can Lead to Infection

Human bites, such as when an angry child bites another person, carry a risk of infection.

Headaches Take Soldiers Away From War

Headaches are a leading reason for medical evacuation of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and for the falling number of active-duty troops in those countries, a new study says.

Will Eating Sweets Make You Sweeter?

If you have a sweet tooth, you may have a sweeter personality.

Black Kidney Donors More Likely to Be Related to Recipients

A new study on living kidney donation finds that black donors are more likely to be related to their recipients than white donors are.

Halloween Doesn't Have to be Scary for Your Diet

Trying to avoid eating the entire bag of candy bars you bought for Halloween before the big night arrives? Worried that you won't have the willpower to resist midnight raids on your child's Halloween stash?

Stress Linked to Higher Mortality Risk Among Men

Men who consistently experience more than two stressful life events each year over an extended time period have a 50 percent higher mortality rate than their less-stressed peers, according to a new study.

Job Market Tough for Young Adults With Autism

More children are being diagnosed with autism than ever before and now many of these children are graduating from high school and entering, or at least trying to enter, the workforce.

Preschool Peers May Boost Language Skills in Kids

Preschool students with poor language skills show much greater improvement if they're placed in a classroom with higher-achieving children, compared to being in a class with other low-achievers, researchers say.

Some People With Alzheimer's Take Conflicting Drugs

Many Alzheimer's patients who take cholinesterase inhibitors to slow their brain disease also take drugs that counter the effects of those Alzheimer's medications, a new study says.

Spooky Contacts Can Be a Nightmare for Your Eyes

Laura Butler was vacationing in Virginia Beach, Va., when, on a whim, the brown-eyed mom decided to buy a pair of blue contact lenses for $29.99 from a novelty shop.

Thyroid Surgery Linked to Improved Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Surgery to remove all or part of an enlarged thyroid gland, known as a thyroidectomy, appears to reduce snoring and other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a new study.

Scientists Identify Gene Linked to Cold Sores

Researchers have identified a certain gene associated with susceptibility to herpes simplex labialis, more commonly known as cold sores.

For Older Men, Lowered Testosterone May Mean Muscle Loss

Lowered testosterone levels are associated with the loss of lean muscle mass and lower body strength in older men, a new study finds.

Daily Aspirin May Help Prevent Colon Cancer for Those at High Risk

Two aspirin a day may cut the risk of colon cancer by more than half in people who are predisposed to these types of tumors, new research suggests.

Health Highlights: Oct. 28, 2011

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

Experts Design 'Toolkit' to Help Spot Teens With Mental Health Issues

Because many adolescents with mental health problems are never diagnosed and treated, an expert team has come up with a "toolkit" aimed at identifying those kids and getting them the right help.