Health News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Doctors save Ohio boy by 'printing' an airway tube

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:09:35 -0400

In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day.

Polish man gets quick face transplant after injury

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:18:22 -0400

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland's first face transplant.

Cancer Society hits 100 as US cancer rate falls

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:14:35 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) — The American Cancer Society — one of the nation's best known and influential health advocacy groups — is 100 years old this week.

Merck's insomnia drug moves a step closer to U.S. approval

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:02:10 -0400

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug moved a step closer to U.S. approval on Wednesday after a panel of medical experts said it is effective and safe at lower doses. The advisory panel was convened to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decide whether to approve the drug, suvorexant, which would be the first in a new class of sedatives that block chemicals in the brain called orexins that help keep people awake. The drugs are designed to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. ...

Vote on pot shops could end lingering LA issue

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:37:20 -0400

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Voters approved a law limiting the number of medical pot shops in Los Angeles after politicians failed for years to corral the blossoming industry.

Senate committee advances drug compounding bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:58:32 -0400

By Jessica Dye NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation that would increase federal oversight for companies that compound and sell sterile drugs across state lines. The proposed legislation was introduced in response to a meningitis outbreak last fall that killed more than 50 people and sickened more than 700. The outbreak was traced to contamination found in steroid injections made by the New England Compounding Center. The bill was passed unanimously on a voice vote by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee. ...

FDA panel says Merck's sleep drug safe, effective at lower dose

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:57:46 -0400

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug was safe and effective at the lower of two doses studied, a panel of medical experts said on Wednesday, increasing the chance it will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The advisory panel was convened to help the FDA decide whether to approve the drug, suvorexant, which would be the first in a new class of sedatives designed to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. ...

Health officials probe deadly respiratory illness in Alabama

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:49:51 -0400

By Verna Gates BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - U.S. and state health authorities are investigating an unidentified respiratory illness that has killed two of 10 people hospitalized with it in Alabama since last week. Preliminary tests do not indicate the bird flu, nor a new mutation of any known influenza virus, said Dr. Mary McIntyre, an assistant state health officer at the Alabama Department of Public Health. Two patients did test positive for the H1N1 strain of the flu. ...

Osteoarthritis Study Could Make Joint Replacement Obsolete

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:47:00 -0400

Johns Hopkins researchers have published findings from an osteoarthritis study that could eventually make joint replacement an obsolete treatment for the debilitating disease.

Online tool helps control blood pressure long term

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:13:36 -0400

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study, people with high blood pressure who could communicate with their pharmacists online had better blood pressure control a year after that service ended. Previously researchers had found that patients randomly assigned to the web-based pharmacy care did better than those who used a patient website but had no extra help or were only trained to monitor their blood pressure at home. The new findings suggest some of those benefits may hold up over the long run - even after patients stop messaging with their pharmacists, researchers said. ...

Los Angeles voters approve limiting medical marijuana shops

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:11:01 -0400

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles, which has more storefront medical marijuana shops than any other U.S. city, will close hundreds of the dispensaries and hike taxes on those that will be allowed to remain under a ballot measure approved by a wide margin of voters. Nearly 63 percent of voters supported Proposition D, which will cap the number of medical pot dispensaries at 135, compared with 37 percent opposed, according to preliminary results released on Wednesday, the day after the vote. ...

Why Twisters Hammer Tornado Alley

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:01:00 -0400

Why Twisters Hammer Tornado Alley

Vitamin C may not treat gout: study

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:37:43 -0400

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Daily vitamin C supplements don't lower uric acid as much as drugs used to treat high levels of the acid that's responsible for gout, says a new study from New Zealand. "It's not that the vitamin C didn't reduce the uric acid level at all, it's just so small that it wouldn't make a difference from the patients' perspectives," said Dr. Lisa Stamp, the study's lead author from the University of Otago in Christchurch. ...

Tech Giant Recruiting Autistic Workers

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:29:32 -0400

Autism advocates are praising a German software company for its plan to hire people with autism as software testers, programmers and data quality assurance specialists.

Sugary drinks tied to kidney stone risk

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:08:41 -0400

By Kerry Grens NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults who drink at least one sugar-sweetened drink a day are slightly more likely to develop kidney stones than people who rarely imbibe them, according to a new study. While the recommendation for kidney stone prevention has been to drink a lot of fluids, the study suggests that it's not just the amount of fluid but the type of drink that also matters. Dr. Gary Curhan, the senior author of the study, said patients often ask for dietary advice to help prevent kidney stones. ...

Tech Giant SAP Recruiting Autistic Workers

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:57:29 -0400

Autism advocates are praising a German software company for its plan to hire people with autism as software testers, programmers and data quality assurance specialists.

Discover the Secret of the 17-Year Cicada, But It Won t Get You Tenure

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:40:00 -0400

Discover the Secret of the 17-Year Cicada, But It Won t Get You Tenure

Athletics-Kenyan runner Mary Keitany expecting second child

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:36:36 -0400

NAIROBI, May 22 (Reuters) - Twice London marathon champion Mary Keitany will not compete this year because she is expecting her second child, a close friend of the Kenyan runner said on Wednesday. Keitany, 31, won the London Marathon in 2011 and 2012 but did not defend the title last month. In her absence compatriot Prisca Jeptoo finished first. "Mary will be away from athletics this year due to pregnancy. That's why she missed London," the friend told Reuters. ...

More patients than docs report skin surgery problems

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:34:02 -0400

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than one quarter of people being treated for non-melanoma skin cancer in their doctor's office reported some type of complication after surgery, in a new study. About half of those complications were medical problems related to the cancer-removing procedure, including pain, infections and slow wound healing. But just 3 percent of doctors noted a complication in the same patients' medical records, researchers reported this week in JAMA Internal Medicine. ...

‘Club Drug’ Ketamine Lifts Depression in Hours

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:42 -0400

The largest study to date confirms that ketamine — a “club drug” that is also legally used as an anesthetic — could be a quick and effective way to relieve depression.

Thrifty Merrimack developing new cancer drugs at lower cost

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:59:03 -0400

By Bill Berkrot NEW YORK (Reuters) - Little known biotechnology company Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc has quietly built a large pipeline of experimental cancer treatments that it aims to deliver at a fraction of the cost spent by larger rivals. That could translate into lower-cost treatments for large unmet needs, such as pancreatic cancer, at precisely the time when pressure is mounting to reduce runaway healthcare spending. ...

Yoga, Meditation Benefit Both Brain and Body

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:29:25 -0400

Reported by Dr. Katie Guttenberg for ABC News: Though the practices of yoga and meditation have their roots in ancient cultures, they’ve both become modern day movements. More than 20 million Americans meditate regularly, according to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. More than 13...

Montreal tells 1.3 million residents to boil their drinking water

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:16:34 -0400

(Reuters) - Montreal, Canada's second-largest city, has asked 1.3 million people to boil their drinking water after a problem at one of the city's water treatment facilities. The advisory, posted on the city's website on Wednesday, covers much of the south and east of the city of 1.65 million. The order followed reports of brown-tinged water in parts of the city, and Montreal Fire Department division chief Gordon Routley told CTV News that the advisory was likely to be in effect for at least 24 hours. ...

SAP looks to recruit people with autism as programmers

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:04:42 -0400

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German software company SAP is looking to recruit people with autism as programmers and product testers, drawing on skills that can include a close attention to detail and an ability to solve complex problems. SAP has asked start-up Danish recruitment company Specialisterne to help it find, train and manage employees diagnosed with the disability. "They bring a special set of skills to the table, which fits with SAP," said a spokesman for the company, which has already hired people with autism in India and Ireland. ...

Hard To Beat Feet For Fostering Fungus

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:30:08 -0400

The skin of the feet host a more diverse fungal community than other parts of the surface of the body tested in a recent study. Sophie Bushwick reports.

Watch: Mystery Illness Kills 2 in Alabama

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:13:43 -0400

Five people are still hospitalized due to the respiratory illness.

Pfizer to spin off Zoetis stake to shareholders

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:57:26 -0400

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it will spin off its majority stake in animal health business Zoetis Inc to shareholders by allowing them to swap Pfizer stock for Zoetis shares at a 7 percent discount. Pfizer, the largest U.S. drugmaker, sold Zoetis shares in an initial public offering in February that raised $2.2 billion. Pfizer retained an 80 percent stake in Zoetis after the IPO and now plans to unwind that, starting with this offer. ...

We Fit Nature to Us: Evolution's 2-Way Street

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:41:00 -0400

We Fit Nature to Us: Evolution's 2-Way Street

Can You Drink During Pregnancy? Sorry, the Jury Is Still Out

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:11:39 -0400

In movies and TV a secret pregnancy is always revealed after the woman declines a cocktail. The assumption being, of course, that responsible, educated moms-to-be would never partake in alcohol while they’re expecting for fear of hurting their unborn child. Trouble is, the research on drinking during pregnancy has never been clear-cut.

More doctors, hospitals using electronic records

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:47:27 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says more doctors and hospitals are embracing technology as adoption of computerized medical records reaches a "tipping point" in America.

Life-saving face transplant performed in Poland

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:33:25 -0400

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A 33-year-old Polish man received a life-saving total face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest timeframe to date for such an operation.

Op-Ed: Americans Are Fat—So Who's to Blame?

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:26:20 -0400

"You are fat!" I said to my best friend. Those words—followed by, "I love you too much to let your weight kill you"—were my way of taking action on an issue I have talked about on "Morning Joe" for years: our nation's obesity crisis. My friend Diane came back at me with "you're too skinny and obsessed with food."

Synthetic Peas Soothe Achy Joints

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:56:25 -0400

Sir Isaac Newton found his inspiration in an apple. MaryCarol Dolivier found hers in a bag of frozen peas. After Dolivier tumbled down a flight of stairs a few years ago she was forced to lay on the couch for several weeks, a bag of...

Oncolytics cancer drug meets mid-stage trial goal, shares rise

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:46:28 -0400

(Reuters) - Oncolytics Biotech Inc said preliminary data from a mid-stage trial showed that its cancer drug, Reolysin, met the main goal of reducing the size of tumors in patients with metastatic melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Shares of the Calgary-based company rose as much as 11 percent to C$3.14 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Its Nasdaq-listed shares were up 10 percent. ...

Swiss billionaires buy Merck Serono HQ for biotech campus

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:43:04 -0400

By Caroline Copley ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli has bought back the Geneva headquarters of his former biotech firm Serono, hoping to establish a biotech research campus. After selling the family business to German drugmaker Merck KGaA for $13.3 billion in 2006, the Harvard Business School graduate went on to win the America's Cup sailing prize for the second time. He and his former beauty queen wife Kirsty cut a high profile among the Swiss jet-set. ...

U.S. government taps GlaxoSmithKline for new antibiotics

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:30:46 -0400

By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - The U.S. government has signed an antibiotics development deal worth up to $200 million with GlaxoSmithKline to tackle the dual threats of drug resistance and bioterrorism. The collaboration, the first of its kind between Washington and a drug company, will allow funding to move around GSK's antibiotics portfolio rather than focusing on a single drug candidate. ...

When it comes to deadly viruses, what's in a name?

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:54:39 -0400

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent LONDON (Reuters) - For a pathogen with such a short history, the mysterious new virus killing people in the Middle East and Europe has already had an amazing array of names. It first surfaced last year as "human betacoronavirus 2c EMC", but the suffixes "2c England-Qatar, "2C Jordan-N3", "England 1" have also appeared and many scientists have resorted to "novel coronavirus" - new crown-shaped virus - instead. ...

Google CEO s Condition Spotlights Vocal Cord Paralysis and Its Treatment

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:30:00 -0400

Google CEO s Condition Spotlights Vocal Cord Paralysis and Its Treatment