Health News

Health News for 01/31/12

January 31, 2012

Health Tip: Wash Skin Properly

Good skin care can help keep it healthy, moisturized and acne-free.

Health Tip: Most Teens Don't Get Enough Sleep

Teenagers need 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to feel good and perform well at school.

Fatty Diet Before Pregnancy Linked to Gestational Diabetes

A pre-pregnancy diet high in animal fat increases the risk that moms-to-be will develop gestational diabetes, a new study says.

Hospitality Not a Friendly Industry for Disabled Workers: Study

Many employers in the U.S. hospitality industry may be reluctant to hire people with disabilities due to preconceived ideas that they can't do the work and that they are more expensive to employ than non-disabled workers, a new study contends.

Pediatricians' Group Urges More Input From Parents

When children are sick, family participation is central to their treatment, says a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which calls for patients, their parents and pediatricians to become partners at every level of care.

Study Compares 3 Common Prostate Cancer Treatments

Experts comparing three leading prostate cancer therapies find external beam radiation therapy to be more toxic and expensive than either surgery or a more localized form of radiation therapy known as brachytherapy.

When Mom-to-Be's Overweight and Smokes, Risk for Birth Defects Rises

Women who are both overweight and smoke during pregnancy could damage their baby's developing heart, a new study warns.

Stem Cells May Further Hepatitis C Research

Using stem cells to create liver-like cells for laboratory research may advance efforts to find out why people respond differently to hepatitis C infection, scientists say.

For Kids, Laughter Really May Be the Best Medicine

Specific areas of children's brains that are activated by humor have been identified by researchers in a first-of-a-kind study.

Heartburn Drugs May Raise Fracture Risk in Older Women

Older women who take popular medications to control indigestion and heartburn may put themselves at higher risk for hip fractures, researchers report.

Popular Diabetes Drug Might Cut Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Study

A new Swiss-American study indicates that long-term use of the popular diabetes medication metformin may lower the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, at least among women.

Alternative to Colonoscopy Spots Cancers, Too

Physicians can boost their chances of finding signs of colorectal cancer in patients with a second flexible sigmoidoscopy test, which is a less invasive procedure than a colonoscopy, a new study shows.

Health Highlights: Jan. 31, 2012

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

Too Much Testosterone Linked to Inflated Ego: Study

Testosterone makes people more self-centered and less cooperative, a finding that may explain why group decisions can be affected by dominant individuals, researchers report.

U.S. Advisers Explain Request to Censor Bird Flu Research

Concerns that research into a genetically mutated form of bird flu could escape from labs or fall into the hands of bioterrorists led U.S. scientific advisers to ask two prominent journals to withhold key details of the groundbreaking research, the advisers explained Tuesday.

Kalydeco Approved to Treat Rare Form of Cystic Fibrosis

Kalydeco (ivacaftor) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat the root cause of a rare form of the inherited disease cystic fibrosis.

Science Shows How Exercise Might Help in Prostate Cancer

Vigorous exercise causes changes in some 180 prostate genes among men with early stage prostate cancer, a new study suggests.

Second Breast Cancer Surgery Sometimes Needed

Almost one-fourth of women who opt for breast-conserving surgery instead of mastectomy as an initial treatment for breast cancer need a second surgery to ensure all of the cancer cells are removed, a new study says.

FDA OKs Drug That Targets Rare Form of Cystic Fibrosis

Kalydeco, the first drug that targets the defective protein behind a rare form of the deadly lung disorder cystic fibrosis, was approved Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Experimental Drugs Do Battle Against Advanced Prostate Cancer

Two new drugs, taken alone or potentially together, may boost survival for men with advanced prostate cancer, studies suggest.