Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Knee replacement doesn't solve sexual problems
(Reuters Health) - Patients having knee replacement surgery sometimes hope to regain or improve their sexual activity afterward, but that doesn't always happen, a new study finds. A year after surgery, about 40% of patients said their expectations of sexual activity weren't met, researchers report in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Merck and Bayer's heart drug meets main goal of late-stage study
Merck & Co Inc <MRK.N said on Monday an experimental treatment being developed with Bayer AG for patients with worsening chronic heart failure met the main goal of a late-stage study. Compared to placebo, the drug, vericiguat, reduced the risk of heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) when given in combination with available therapies, Merck said.
U.S. Congress seeks answers on patient privacy in Google, Ascension cloud deal
Four Democratic leaders on the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce committee on Monday wrote Alphabet Inc's Google and Ascension Health demanding briefings by Dec. 6 on how patient data the hospital chain is storing on the cloud is used. Google's cloud computing unit said last week that it has incorporated industry standard security and privacy practices into its deal with Ascension, and that none of the data is being used for advertising purposes.
Novartis switches gears in Shanghai from research to drug development
Novartis is exiting drug discovery at its Shanghai site and shifting its focus to drug development, saying accelerating approvals in China are pushing the Swiss company to dedicate the operation's resources to getting its medicines to market. The move marks an about-face from just three years ago, when Novartis had christened the $1 billion campus as its Chinese hub for early-stage research.
Philippine leader says to ban 'toxic' e-cigarettes and arrest users
The Philippines will outlaw the use and importation of e-cigarettes and arrest anyone using them, its president said on Tuesday, joining a growing number of nations moving to ban devices that have been linked to deaths and addiction. President Rodrigo Duterte announced the order during a late night news conference after being asked about a Department of Health report confirming the first case of lung injury related to vaping in the country.
Even moderate drinking by parents may impact kids
Roughly half of UK adolescents have seen a parent who's not an alcoholic get drunk or tipsy, and more than one in three can name at least one downside to parents' drinking, a study suggests. A "substantial proportion" of UK children live with parents who aren't dependent on alcohol but who still drink at moderate levels, the study authors say.
Where Democratic presidential candidates stand on 'Medicare for All' ahead of next debate
Perhaps no issue has divided the field of Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls more than the debate over "Medicare for All." Progressive candidates favor the sweeping proposal, which would replace private health insurance with a single government-run plan. More moderate candidates have embraced less drastic measures they say would achieve universal healthcare coverage while allowing individuals to choose their plan.
Most states protect doctors who refuse to do abortions because of religion
The vast majority of U.S. states have passed laws blocking civil lawsuits that might result from a doctor refusing to perform an abortion or certain other medical procedures because of religious beliefs, a new study shows. The national survey found that 46 states had laws protecting medical professionals and institutions from being sued for harm to patients related to a refusal to provide services out of conscience, researchers report in JAMA.
Donors pledge $2.6 billion for 'last mile' of polio eradication
Donor governments and philanthropists pledged $2.6 billion on Tuesday to help fund a worldwide polio eradication plan that has taken decades to reach what global health specialists say is now the "last mile". The funding - almost of half of which came in a single donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - will be used to immunize 450 million children against polio each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.
California sues e-cigarette maker Juul for selling nicotine products to youth
The state of California on Monday sued e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc, alleging the San Francisco company engaged in a "systematic" and "wildly successful" campaign to attract teenagers to its nicotine devices. The lawsuit draws on internal correspondence and other evidence, asserting the company did little to prevent sales to underage customers. It also claims that Juul used a "flawed" age-verification process for online sales.
