Medical RSS News

'Omega-3 can help control eczema'
A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the severity of eczema symptoms reported one newspaper (28 March 2008). The newspaper report generally accurately summarised the findings of a well-conducted randomised controlled trial. The small size of the trial means that further research is needed to confirm the findings.
Source: NLH - Hitting The Headlines - October 26, 2008

Vaccine slashes diarrheal illness in kids (AP)
AP - A vaccine against rotavirus, the leading cause of diarrhea in infants, has led to a dramatic drop in hospitalization and emergency room visits since it came on the market two years ago, doctors reported Saturday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News - October 26, 2008

Divorce More Likely in ADHD Families?
Married couples who have a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly twice as likely to divorce by the time the child is age 8 than are couples who do not have children affected by the disorder, according to a new study.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

New Drug May Boost Weight Loss Efforts
An experimental diet drug may prove to be twice as effective as currently available weight loss medications if results from an early study are confirmed.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Are Fat Injections Safe for Breasts?
Reshaping the breasts by injecting a woman's own fat works well for "touch-ups" after breast reconstruction, but is not yet proven effective for breast augmentation, according to plastic surgeons.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Depression May Worsen COPD
Depression may be linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) flare-ups and hospitalizations, a Chinese study shows.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Lung Cancer Genes Raise Treatment Hopes
A huge NIH-funded study triples the number of genes linked to lung cancer and points toward new treatments.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Can Exercise Prevent Severe Stroke?
Study shows that people who were physically active before having a stroke had less severe symptoms and better long-term outcomes when compared to previously inactive people who had strokes.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Food Allergy in Kids Up 18%
Child food allergies are up 18% since 1997. And 4% of U.S. kids now suffer food allergies, more than doubling their risk of asthma or other allergies, according to the CDC.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Lyrica Eases Pain From Knee Surgery
Researchers say the fibromyalgia drug Lyrica may help relieve pain for patients who have undergone knee replacement surgery.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

50% of Doctors Prescribe Placebos
Survey: More than half of internal medicine and rheumatology doctors offer fake prescriptions to make patients feel better -- and most doctors think that's OK.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

The Psychology of Political Ads
Experts explain the psychology behind political ads -- how campaigns use advertising to trigger emotions and change minds.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Janet Jackson's Vestibular Migraines: FAQ
Janet Jackson has a "rare form of migraine called vestibular migraine or migraine-associated vertigo," according to a statement released by her publicists.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Transplant Surgery Abroad Rife With Risks
Having surgery abroad can be a risky proposition for “transplant tourists” from the United States who go overseas to get kidneys to avoid long waiting lists, a new study says.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Doctor’s Visit a Pain for Overweight Women
In a new study, overweight women have a message for doctors and nurses: If you want us to feel good about coming to see you, treat us well.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Prostate Grown From Adult Stem Cell
Genentech researchers have found adult prostate stem cells capable of regenerating a new prostate -- or, perhaps, able to become prostate cancers.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Heart Failure Boosts Bone Fracture Risk
People with heart failure are much more likely to suffer bone fractures than other cardiac patients, in part because they're less likely to exercise, a new study says.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Car Surfing Deadly, Even at Slow Speeds
At least 58 people in the U.S., mainly teenage boys, died from injuries suffered while car surfing from 1990 to 2008, the CDC reports.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Mild Sleep Apnea May Up Heart Risk
Sleep apnea -- even if it is so mild that people have no daytime drowsiness -- may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, a study shows.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Resveratrol May Help Treat Fatty Liver
Scientists looking for ways to help treat fatty livers have discovered that an ingredient in red wine can help protect from -- and possibly even be used to treat -- fat buildup in the liver that goes hand-in-hand with chronic alcohol use.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Adult Smokers Need Pneumococcal Vaccine
All adult cigarette smokers should get the pneumococcal vaccine, the CDC's vaccine advisory committee has recommended.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Guarded Optimism for Experimental MS Drug
An experimental multiple sclerosis drug proved to be much more effective for the treatment of early MS than a widely used treatment in a highly anticipated study, but the efficacy came at a price.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Debate: Joe the Plumber and Health Care
The health care discussion during the third and final presidential debate was dominated by a central theme: Would "Joe the Plumber" and the rest of us be better off under John McCain's health care plan or Barack Obama's?
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Study Sheds Light on Wrinkle Treatment
The same tiny lights found in electronic billboards and traffic lights might zap away wrinkles and lead to younger-looking skin without the need for cosmetic surgery or Botox, say researchers in Germany.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Hydrogen Sulfide May Treat High Blood Pressure
Humans produce hydrogen sulfide, which helps regulate blood pressure. Authors of a new study argue that hydrogen sulfide could be the key to new drug therapies for hypertension.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Health Insurance Costs Outpace Wages
Workers' health insurance premiums have shot up more than five times faster than their wages since 2000, according to a report by a health care consumer group.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Probiotic May Help Treat Crohn's Disease
A gut bacterium called F. prausnitzii may make a good probiotic treatment for Crohn's disease, French researchers report.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Tai Chi May Ease Knee Pain
A new study shows the ancient Chinese movement art of tai chi can help ease knee pain in people who have severe osteoarthritis.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Biologic Drugs Not Without Risks
Biologic drugs, especially the pioneering ones, may have safety issues that come to light after the drugs' approval, a new study shows.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Anesthesia May Affect Child Development
Early research suggests a possible link between exposure to general anesthesia in infancy and early childhood and behavioral and developmental disorders later on.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Suicide Risk High for Middle-Aged Whites
Middle-aged white people are at high risk for suicide, according to a study that looked at suicide trends from 1999 to 2005.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Obese Enjoy Food Less and Less
Obese people find food less rewarding than lean people do, a study shows. To compensate, they eat too much. And the effect is greater in those with a genetic defect in the brain's reward circuit.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Brain Training for Spinal Cord Injury
Scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle report success in their first attempts to harness the brain to treat paralysis in people with spinal cord injuries.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Boot Camps Help in Battle of the Bulge
Boot camps, which include no-frills exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, and squats, have been getting increasingly popular. Boot camp workouts provide both cardiovascular exercise and muscle conditioning, according to a new study.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Biden Is Healthy, Medical Records Show
Medical records released by the Obama-Biden campaign suggest that vice presidential candidate Joe Biden is in good health, according to press reports.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

2 Deaths Spur Delta Crib Recall
Delta Enterprise Corp. of New York is recalling nearly 1.6 million drop side cribs after two babies suffocated when the cribs' drop side detached.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Canada Banning Bisphenol A Baby Bottles
The Canadian government is banning baby bottles containing the controversial plastic chemical bisphenol A.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Gets FDA Warning
The FDA has ordered a "black box" warning for the psoriasis drug Raptiva about the risk of potentially life-threatening infections.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Spiral Flap Surgery vs. Breast Implants
Spiral flap surgery may offer an alternative to breast implants as a treatment for sagging breasts after major weight loss.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Fast, Full Eaters May Weigh More
Fast eaters who eat until full may be three times more likely to be overweight than slow eaters who stop eating sooner, a Japanese study shows.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

'Western' Diet Is a Global Heart Risk
A study shows that the risk of heart attack crosses geographic boundaries and correlates strongly to the so-called Western diet that favors salty snacks and fried foods, and to a lesser extent, meat.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

How the Weather Affects Our Moods
Researchers in Germany sought to examine whether day-to-day weather affected people’s moods.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

E-Cards Notify Sex Partners About STDs
Four years after the launch of inSPOT.org, which allows people with sexually transmitted diseases to notify sexual partners via email, nearly 50,000 e-cards have been sent, according to an article published in PLoS Medicine.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Music Can Boost Your Mood
A new study shows that music is prevalent in our lives and that music tends to correlate with positive emotions.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Cell Phone Skin Rash Tied to Nickel
Some cell phone users may get a skin rash in reaction to the nickel in their cell phones, a condition that the British Association of Dermatologists has dubbed "mobile phone dermatitis."
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Bug Bombs Can Also Harm Humans
Total release foggers (TRF) -- more commonly known as "bug bombs" -- are designed to kill bugs and pests, but they can also harm humans.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Many Children Lack Health Insurance
Many children don’t have health insurance, even if their parents do, according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Warm Hands, Warm Heart?
Yale researchers find that holding warm things may make people view others more favorably and may also make people more generous.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

Gardasil Passes a 2-Year Safety Check
Two years after Gardasil approval, safety monitors detect no major safety problems with the HPV vaccine.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008

CPR Gives "Stayin' Alive" New Life
When doing CPR, do the chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gees' pop song "Stayin' Alive," University of Illinois researchers suggest.
Source: WebMD Health - October 26, 2008