Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Ebola survivors face kidney problems and risk of premature death
People who survive Ebola virus infection face a dramatically higher risk of dying - probably from severe kidney damage - within a year of leaving hospital, according to a study of survivors of an epidemic in Guinea. Researchers who followed more than 1,100 survivors of the Ebola virus outbreak - which swept through West Africa in the world's largest epidemic from 2013 to 2016 - found their mortality rates a year after discharge from hospital were up to five times higher than expected in general Guinean population.
With parents in prison, kids at risk for lasting psychiatric problems
Children who have a parent in prison may be more than twice as likely as other kids to have depression, attention problems and conduct disorders by the time they reach adolescence, a U.S. study suggests. They're also more likely to drop out of high school. And more likely to wind up in jail, use illegal drugs, suffer from anxiety and experience social isolation when they're adults.
U.S. government gives states nearly $2 billion to combat opioid crisis
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Wednesday it will offer states more than $1.8 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic. The funds will be used for expanding access to treatments for opioid overdosing and to gather case data from across states, the HHS said.
AstraZeneca's Tagrisso helps lung cancer patients live longer: study
AstraZeneca Plc said on Friday a late-stage study showed its top-selling drug, Tagrisso, had significantly helped patients with a type of lung cancer live longer. The British drugmaker announced overall positive survival results from the study in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Weight loss possible with psychiatric drugs
Even overweight and obese people who take certain psychiatric drugs associated with weight gain may be able to shed excess pounds by focusing on healthy eating and exercise habits, a recent study suggests. Researchers followed 17,519 obese and overweight adults enrolled in a weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes at Wharton Medical Clinic in Ontario, Canada. Nearly one quarter of patients were taking at least one antidepressant or antipsychotic medication, some of which have weight gain as a side effect.
Transgender people in U.S. still face conversion therapy attempts
One in seven transgender people in the U.S. has experienced an attempt by a professional counselor to make them undergo pseudoscientific "therapy" with the goal of changing their gender identity, a recent study suggests. So-called conversion therapy has been debunked and repudiated by medical professional organizations and banned in several U.S. states. Yet as recently as 2015, one in 20 transgender survey participants said they'd been the object of a conversion therapy attempt within the previous five years, researchers report in the American Journal of Public Health.
Cigna rolls out new plan to fully cover multi-million dollar gene therapies
Health insurer Cigna Corp said on Thursday it had introduced a plan to fully cover costs for expensive gene therapies, eliminating any out-of-pocket payments for customers. Gene therapies, which in general aim to treat diseases by manipulating genes at a cellular level, are among the most expensive treatments in the world.
Medicare Advantage home healthcare may not be best quality
Older Americans who get home healthcare through traditional Medicare plans may have access to better quality services than their counterparts who enroll in private plans known as Medicare Advantage, a U.S. study suggests. To examine home health agency quality by insurance type, researchers analyzed data on almost 4.4 million home health admissions for Medicare beneficiaries in 2015.
WHO welcomes Facebook pledge to curb anti-vaccine misinformation
The World Health Organization said on Thursday it welcomed a commitment by Facebook that it would direct users seeking vaccine information on its Instagram, Facebook Search, Groups and other forums towards facts, not misinformation. After several months of talks with the WHO, Facebook has pledged to direct its users to "accurate and reliable vaccine information in several languages" on the WHO's website, the United Nations health agency said, "to ensure that vital health messages reach people who need them the most".
New video animation aims to raise AIDS awareness on Freddie Mercury's birthday
A new video animation featuring two white blood cells in love was released on Thursday to mark what would have been Freddie Mercury's 73rd birthday and help raise awareness of the continued global fight against AIDS. The British singer, songwriter and lead vocalist of the rock band Queen died in 1991 aged 45 due to complications from AIDS.
