Health News

Health News for 11/08/11

November 08, 2011

Health Tip: Causes of Failure to Thrive in Babies

"Failure to thrive" occurs among infants who don't grow and gain weight as quickly as they should.

Health Tip: Add Flavoring to Popcorn, Without the Fat

Popcorn can be a healthy snack, but you have to skip the butter and salt.

Curiosity Makes for Better Students

Curiosity may be dangerous for cats but it's great if you're a student, a new study suggests.

Public Smoking Bans May Spill Over to Households

Smoking bans in public places have had a spillover effect by reducing smoking in homes as well, according to a new study.

Seniors Choose Medicare Prescription Plans Wisely: Study

Despite concerns that the complex offerings under Medicare Part D prescription drug plans would confuse older Americans, a new study finds seniors are able to figure out which plan costs them the least.

Racial Disparities Still Exist for Kidney Recipients, Study Finds

The reversal of a kidney allocation policy has improved black patients' chances of receiving a new organ from a deceased donor, U.S. researchers say.

Space Travel Might Lead to Eye Trouble: Study

Astronauts who spend six months or more in space may experience changes in the structures in the back of their eyes, causing their vision to become blurry, according to a new study from NASA.

Health Care Workers Often Trade Hand Hygiene for Gloves

Health care providers who wear gloves are less likely to wash their hands before and after treating their patients, new research shows.

New Guidelines Issued for Genetic Heart Disease

Most people with a genetic heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can live a normal length of time, according to the first science-based guideline for diagnosing and treating the condition.

New Drug Shows Promise Against Huntington's Disease

An investigational drug called pridopidine seems an effective and safe treatment for people with the progressive movement disorder Huntington's disease, researchers report.

'Fake Marijuana' May Trigger Heart Trouble in Teens

Three teenage boys suffered heart attacks after smoking K2, a form of synthetic marijuana, according to a new case report.

Vaccine to Treat Breast, Ovarian Cancers Shows Promise

A vaccine that coaxes the body to attack tumor cells has shown promise in a small study of advanced breast and ovarian cancer patients, improving overall survival times and stopping the disease for a handful of breast cancer patients.

Suicide Checklist Spots People at Highest Risk

The latest rating scale to determine a person's risk of committing suicide might be better than other such scales at spotting people in most urgent need of help, researchers report.

Health Highlights: Nov. 8, 2011

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

Advances in Breast Cancer Care May Not Be Reaching Older Women

New research finds older U.S. women have higher odds of dying from breast cancer than younger women, suggesting that older patients may not be benefiting as much from advances in breast cancer care made over the past three decades.

Autistic Children May Have Too Many Brain Cells

The brains of autistic children have far more neurons in the prefrontal cortex than the brains of kids without autism, finds a new study that could advance research into the disorder.

New Bypass Surgery for Stroke Riskier Than Drug Treatment

To prevent stroke in certain high-risk patients -- those with a blocked neck artery who have already had a so-called "mini-stroke" -- drug treatment appears as effective and far less risky than bypass surgery, researchers find.

Heart Stress Test Likelier When Doctor Owns Equipment: Study

Doctors who own equipment for cardiac stress tests are more likely to perform the tests, even when guidelines don't recommend it.