Health News

Health News for 04/19/12

April 19, 2012

Health Tip: Touch, Sing and Play With Baby

It's important for parents and their newborn infants to bond. While the process sometimes seems to occur naturally, it often takes lots of time and effort.

Health Tip: Add Flavor, Without Salt, to Your Food

Adding flavor to your food doesn't have to involve packing your recipe with salt.

Study Pinpoints New Abnormality in 'Athlete's Heart'

A heart characteristic linked to sudden cardiac death is more common in athletes than non-athletes, and black male athletes are much more likely to have this characteristic than other athletes, a new study finds.

Online Dating Scams Can Take Emotional, Financial Toll

Online dating scams leave many victims feeling doubly traumatized, according to a small new study.

Exercise May Help Patients With High Blood Pressure Live Longer

Exercise reduced the risk of death in people with high blood pressure during the course of a new 12-year study.

After Hospitalization, Men More Likely to Show Up in ER

Men are much more likely than women to require urgent hospital care within a month of being discharged from the hospital, a new study finds.

Scoliosis Treatment Might Reduce Need for Surgeries

Magnetically controlled growing rods can treat the spinal disorder scoliosis in children without the need for repeat invasive surgeries, a small new study suggests.

Half of Young Cigarette Smokers Also Smoke Pot: Survey

More young cigarette smokers may also be lighting up joints than was previously thought, a new study finds.

Genes Associated With Autism Also Related to Schizophrenia

Scientists have identified 33 genes associated with autism and related disorders, and they say several of the genes also appear to be altered in people with schizophrenia.

New Psoriasis Drugs Not Much Better Than Standard Therapy, Study Finds

Newer, more expensive medications don't work much better for the chronic inflammatory skin disease known as psoriasis than the standard treatment, a new study indicates.

Value of Metformin, Insulin Combo for Type 2 Diabetes Questioned

It's not clear whether patients with type 2 diabetes gain any long-term benefit from taking the blood sugar-lowering drug metformin and insulin together rather than insulin alone.

Use of Ecstasy, Speed by Teens Tied to Later Depression

Teens who use the party drugs ecstasy (MDMA) and speed (methamphetamine and/or amphetamine) appear to face a notably higher risk of depression afterward, new Canadian research suggests.

Diabetes Groups Issue New Guidelines on Blood Sugar

Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder, and treating the disease often requires a personalized, multi-pronged approach, say new expert guidelines on treating high blood sugar levels, issued Thursday.

Gene Behind Psoriasis Identified, Researchers Say

Scientists say they've identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, known as plaque psoriasis.

Early Use of MS Drug May Cut Likelihood of Progression

A new three-year study finds that a multiple sclerosis drug is more likely to prevent patients from progressing to a definite form of MS if it's given early in patients who appear to be ill.

Bedbugs Can Infest Your Office, Too

Add bedbugs to your list of potential occupational health hazards. A new report reveals nearly half of the employees of a U.S. government office in Tennessee were bitten by the blood-thirsty invaders while at work.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices Could Cut Cancer Rates: Report

Most people know what lifestyle choices will keep the chances of a cancer diagnosis low: Don't smoke, eat healthy, exercise and get the recommended screenings.

'No Regrets' Outlook May Make for Sunnier Old Age

Riddled with regret over missed opportunities? You may want to let it go. A new study suggests that being able to set aside regret might make for happier years later in life.

Basketball Legend Pat Summitt Leaving as Tennessee Women's Coach

Less than one year after revealing that she had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, celebrated women's basketball coach Pat Summitt is stepping aside as head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols team.

Low-Fat Dairy Linked to Lower Stroke Risk

In what the researchers say is the largest study on the issue to date, adults who consumed higher amounts of low-fat dairy products also had a somewhat lower long-term risk of stroke.

Measles Outbreaks in 2011 Were Worst in 15 Years: CDC

There were 222 cases and 17 outbreaks of the measles in the United States last year, more than four times the usual annual rate, U.S. health authorities reported Thursday.