Singapore may broaden smoking ban to pubs
• Tobacco & Marijuana • Nov 24 04
Singapore may broaden a ban on smoking to include pubs, coffee shops and bus stops, the government said on Wednesday, as part of an…
Medicaid patients fare worse after cancer surgery
• Cancer • Nov 24 04
Low-income patients covered by Medicaid have more complications and higher death rates after colon cancer surgery than patients with private insurance, a U.S. study…
Amnesty: Violence against women is spreading AIDS
• Public Health • Nov 24 04
A worldwide “pandemic” of violence against women is fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS, human rights group Amnesty International said Wednesday.
Mass rape and sexual…
Dental plaques linked with pneumonia in elderly
• Dental Health • Nov 23 04
Bacteria in dental plaque can cause hospital-acquired pneumonia in elderly nursing home residents, according to a report in the medical journal Chest.
“The available…
Heart surgery performed in awake patients
• Surgery • Nov 23 04
Heart surgery is a frightening prospect for many people, but now imagine undergoing the operation completely awake! That’s what seven patients treated at a…
Paramedic-placed throat tube may up patient risk
• Emergencies / First Aid • Nov 23 04
People who sustain a brain injury often require an endotracheal tube in their throats to help them breathe. However, new research shows that the…
Arthritis pills little use in beating pain -study
• Arthritis • Nov 23 04
Painkillers taken by millions of arthritis sufferers worldwide are actually of limited use in relieving symptoms, Norwegian scientists said on Tuesday.
Researchers from the…
FDA adds restrictions to acne drug
• Drug News • Nov 23 04
Roche’s acne drug Accutane and its generic versions will face tighter prescription controls to prevent harm to unborn children, U.S. health regulators said on…
Birth rates for older women rising
• Childbirth • Nov 23 04
U.S. women in their 30s and early 40s had higher birth rates in 2003, while births among teenagers fell for the 12th straight…
Breast-conservation may be OK for inherited cancers
• Cancer: Breast • Nov 23 04
Breast-conserving therapy (BCT), which involves limited surgery and radiation, is a suitable option for young women with BRCA-associated breast cancer, the most common hereditary…
Chronic back pain linked to brain tissue loss
• Backache • Nov 23 04
The presence of chronic back pain is associated with a loss of gray matter in the brain similar to that seen in the normal…
Painful periods may be linked to stress: study
• Pain • Nov 23 04
The abdominal or low back pain that many women experience during their monthly menstrual periods may partly be due to stress, new study findings…
Hands-free phones may be unsafe for drivers
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Nov 23 04
People who are using headsets to talk on cell phones hands-free behind the wheel take significantly longer to detect and react to changes while…
China to strengthen bird flu monitoring
• Public Health • Nov 23 04
China is to establish bird flu monitoring centers in rural areas to strengthen the country’s efforts to deal with any outbreaks, the official Xinhua…
Nearly half of adults with HIV are women
• AIDS/HIV • Nov 23 04
Women make up nearly half of the 37.2 million adults living with HIV, and in sub-Saharan Africa the proportion rises to almost 60 percent,…
Babies exposed to HIV should get antibiotic—U.N.
• AIDS/HIV • Nov 23 04
Babies of HIV-infected mothers should be given an inexpensive antibiotic to prevent infections and prolong their lives, United Nations aid agencies said on Tuesday.
…
McDonald’s CEO Resigns to Fight Cancer
• Cancer • Nov 22 04
McDonald’s Corp. CEO Charlie Bell, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in May, resigned Monday to focus on his battle with the disease, the…
Dissolvable aspirin effective for migraine
• Migraine • Nov 22 04
Effervescent aspirin, which dissolves in water, is as effective as the drugs sumatriptan or ibuprofen for the treatment of migraine attacks, a study in…
Chemo technique can curb some melanomas
• Cancer • Nov 22 04
When malignant melanoma on an arm or leg advances it may become impossible to remove surgically, even if the cancer hasn’t spread to…
Asthmatics often have reflux, but don’t know it
• Asthma • Nov 22 04
People with asthma often have gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), but typical symptoms such as frequent heartburn may be absent, according to Finnish doctors.
Dr.…
Medicare drug plan to help poorest elderly most
• Public Health • Nov 22 04
Medicare’s new prescription drug coverage should help most elderly, including some of the poorest beneficiaries, save money, but nearly a quarter will pay more…
Low-dose supplements ward off cancer in men
• Food & Nutrition • Nov 22 04
Taking “nutritional doses” of antioxidants seems to reduce men’s risk of cancer, according to the findings of a French study. This approach doesn’t do…
Experimental drug prevents gallstones, in mice
• Drug News • Nov 22 04
Treatment with a synthetic agent that stimulates activity of receptors that latch on to bile acid prevents cholesterol gallstone disease in mice, new research…
Old habits really do die hard, study shows
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Nov 22 04
New research may help explain why people find it so easy to fall back into old habits after they’ve decided to change their…
Mandela unveils new project to mark World AIDS Day
• AIDS/HIV • Nov 22 04
Nelson Mandela has launched a new project to get people actively involved in fighting AIDS in South Africa, one of the countries hardest hit…