Health News

Health News for 09/15/10

September 15, 2010

Health Tip: Traveling By Air During Pregnancy

Flying is safe for most healthy women who are pregnant, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says, although some airlines have restrictions during the last month of pregnancy.

Health Tip: What Causes Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis occurs when the membrane that protects the eye, the conjunctiva, becomes inflamed. A red, watery eye is a primary symptom of this very contagious condition.

Radiation Exposure Raises Likelihood of Second Cancer

Radiation exposure increases the risk that cancer survivors will go on to develop another malignancy, finds a new study.

Good Preschools May Prevent Problem Behaviors Later

American children from low-income families who are exposed to well-structured, attentive and stimulating preschool programs between the ages of 2 and 4 years are less likely to develop behavioral problems during their preteen years, new research says.

Training Seems to Close Gender Gap in Spatial Ability

A gender gap in the ability of boys and girls to do spatial reasoning -- a divide that appears to favor boys -- can be eliminated through a specialized education program, new Israeli research suggests.

Helping Smokers Quit Could Save U.S. Money: Report

Proven smoking cessation treatments save money as well as lives, according to a new study.

Scans May Aid Early Detection of Dementia, Parkinson's

Brain imaging may help identify sleep disorder patients at greatest risk for neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson's disease, an international team of researchers has found.

Adult Memory Lapses May Not Be Due to 'Old Age'

Forgetting someone's name, losing track of a parked car or misplacing a set of keys may be common occurrences in adulthood, but there is nothing normal about them, a new study claims.

Men With Low PSA at 60 Might Not Need Further Screening

Fresh on the heels of a similar report released earlier this week, a new study shows that men who have a low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at 60 do not really need future screening.

Gene Rx May Fight Severe Blood Disorder

Patients suffering from a severe, inherited blood disorder may one day benefit from a new gene therapy and no longer need regular blood transfusions, new research suggests.

Mental Illness Stigma Hard to Shake, Survey Finds

The level of Americans' prejudice and discrimination toward people with serious mental illness or substance abuse problems didn't change over 10 years, a new study has found.

Tracking Groups of Friends May Aid Flu Surveillance

Social networks may help health officials predict epidemics of flu and other infectious diseases, according to new research.

Research Sheds Light on Why Autism Is More Prevalent in Boys

A new study is helping unravel an enduring mystery surrounding autism: Why boys are much more likely to be affected by the disorder than girls.

New Drug-Resistant 'Superbug' Reaches U.S. Shores

A new antibiotic-resistant germ that apparently has it origins in India has sickened a handful of people in North America, with three of the cases reported in the United States, health officials said Tuesday.

Experimental Drug Shows Promise for Bone Marrow Disorder

In ongoing early stage research, an experimental drug appears to go some distance toward reducing the tell-tale inflammatory impact of the deadly bone marrow disorder known as myelofibrosis.

Autistic Children Don't Seem to Yawn 'Contagiously'

Children with an autism spectrum disorder tend not to yawn "contagiously" -- that is, yawn in response to seeing others yawn, a new study suggests.

Smoke-Free Laws May Help Kids Breathe Easier

Laws that ban smoking in workplaces and public settings seem to show a fringe benefit: Scottish researchers report that such legislation is linked with a decline in hospital admissions for childhood asthma.

Anemia Drugs Could Pose Threat to Some Kidney Patients

When people with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes take certain anemia drugs, the level of hemoglobin cells in their blood should go up.

Health Highlights: Sept. 15, 2010

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Maternal Deaths Worldwide Decline by One-Third

The number of women worldwide who die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth has decreased 34 percent in the past 20 years, but more needs to be done to reduce the 1,000 maternal deaths that still occur each day, says a report released Wednesday.

Krystexxa Approved for Gout

Krystexxa (pegloticase) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with gout who do not respond to, or who cannot tolerate, standard treatments.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 15, 2010

Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

FDA Advisers Divided on Whether to Ban Diet Drug Meridia

U.S. health advisers were split Wednesday over whether the diet drug Meridia should be pulled from the market, because of evidence that it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.