Health News

Health News for 06/20/13

June 19, 2013

Scientists Use Brain Scans to 'Read' People's Emotions

Happy? Mad? Afraid? Scientists have now developed the first computer model of brain activity that can be used to identify people's emotions, according to a new study.

Study Reveals How New Respiratory Virus Spreads

The new respiratory virus responsible for an ongoing outbreak in the Middle East poses a serious risk to hospitals because it is easily transmitted in health care facilities, according to a new study.

1 in 4 Stroke Survivors Suffers From PTSD, Study Finds

Many of those lucky enough to survive a stroke find that they're soon faced with another serious challenge. Nearly one-quarter will develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.

Flu Vaccine Protects Millions Annually: CDC

Flu shots likely prevented 13 million illnesses and more than 110,000 hospitalizations in the United States between 2005 and 2011, according to a new study.

Even 'Silent' Strokes Can Harm Memory, Thinking

People who experience stroke-like symptoms -- so-called "silent strokes" -- but do not have full-blown strokes are still at higher risk for memory and thinking problems, a new study finds.

Day Care May Help Kids of Depressed Moms

Young children of depressed mothers may develop fewer emotional problems if they spend time in some kind of day care, a new study suggests.

Another Study Finds Colonoscopy Can Save Lives

There's more evidence that routine colonoscopy confers life-extending benefits.

Stronger Statins Don't Up Kidney Injury Risk, Study Finds

A higher dose of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs did not increase the risk of kidney injury in heart attack survivors, according to preliminary study findings.

New Clues to Cancer Resistance From Long-Lived Rodents

Researchers interested in learning how certain rodents manage to live long, cancer-free lives have stumbled upon a potentially valuable clue: a substance outside their cells seems to help stop malignancies from spreading.

HPV Vaccine Lowering Infection Rates Among Girls: CDC

Vaccination against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) is proving highly effective in reducing the spread of the sexually transmitted virus among young women, new research shows.

Gene-Based Blood Test for Colon Cancer Shows Promise

Could screening for colon cancer someday be as easy as having a blood test? Researchers say just such a test is showing early promise in trials.

Character Counts When It Comes to Organ, Blood Donations

Some people say they would refuse an organ or blood donation that came from a murderer or thief, a new study shows.

U.S. Doctors' Group Labels Obesity a Disease

In an effort to focus greater attention on the weight-gain epidemic plaguing the United States, the American Medical Association has now classified obesity as a disease.

Health Highlights: June 19, 2013

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

Many U.S. Adults Under-Vaccinated Against Whooping Cough, Survey Finds

Whooping cough cases are escalating in the United States, and many American adults are unknowingly exposing vulnerable babies to the potentially deadly disease because their vaccinations are not up to date, a new survey finds.

A Deadly Form of Diabetes That Doctors Sometimes Miss

Addie Parker was a happy 4-year-old who appeared to have the flu. But within hours she was in a coma.

Health Tip: Surviving With Cancer

After you've finished cancer treatment, you may be anxious for life to return to "normal." But "normal" may be far different than it was before cancer.

Health Tip: Create an Escape Plan at Home

It's important to create and practice a fire escape plan at home, and to teach it to every member of the family.