Health News

Health News for 11/14/11

November 14, 2011

Health Tip: Make Your Garage Safer

The garage can be a prime spot for falls, accidents and injuries. But the U.S. Home Safety Council suggests how you can create a safer garage:

Health Tip: Protect Your Hearing

Prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss. So if you're exposed to loud noise on the job or at home, the American Academy of Family Physicians suggests how you can protect your hearing:

Regular Teeth Cleanings Could Cut Heart Attack Risk: Study

People who visit the dentist regularly to have their teeth cleaned may lower their risk for heart attack or stroke, new research suggests.

Babies Put on Transplant List Before Birth Get Hearts Faster

Unborn babies diagnosed with severe heart problems who are put on the heart transplant list before birth get new hearts more quickly than babies listed after birth, according to a new study.

Low-Income Seniors at Greater Risk for Heart Failure

Seniors with low incomes are more likely to develop heart failure than those with higher incomes, even if they have Medicare coverage and are college-educated, a new study finds.

Abused Girls at Greater Risk for Heart Disease as Adults: Study

Girls who are severely physically and sexually abused may be at greater risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke as adults, according to a new study.

Childhood Aggression May Predict Health Woes in Adulthood

Aggression in childhood is associated with poorer health in adulthood and should be recognized as a health risk, a new study says.

Hearing Loss Far More Common Than Expected

Hearing loss affects about one-fifth of Americans aged 12 and older, a far higher number than previously believed, researchers report.

Exposure to Toxic Solvents Linked to Parkinson's Disease

Exposure to the industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) appears to greatly increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, and exposure to two other solvents also boosts the chances of developing the neurodegenerative disorder, a new study indicates.

Intensive Control of Type 1 Diabetes Helps Kidneys: Study

People with type 1 diabetes who maintain tighter control of their blood sugar levels help protect their kidneys from long-term damage, finds a new study.

More Heart Attack Patients Take Meds When They Are Free

Heart attack patients are more likely to take needed medications if they're free, U.S. researchers find.

More Teens Getting Vaccines Against HPV, Other Infections: CDC

Although the number of teens getting three new recommended vaccines is growing, there's still room for improvement, government researchers report.

Sepsis Plus Heart Rhythm Disorder Linked to Stroke, Death

Patients who develop atrial fibrillation -- a heart rhythm disorder -- for the first time while they are hospitalized with severe sepsis are at increased risk for stroke and death, a new study finds.

Poor Sleep May Lead to Fibromyalgia in Women

Sleep problems are associated with an increased risk of fibromyalgia in women, especially those who are middle-aged and older, a new study says.

Warfarin May Need Less Monitoring for Some

Most people taking the blood-thinner warfarin need blood tests every four weeks to make sure they're receiving the right dose of medication, but new research suggests that some people could safely have those tests done just once every 12 weeks.

Blood Thinner Xarelto Shows Promise for Heart Patients

When added to standard treatment, a new blood-thinning drug called Xarelto (rivaroxaban) may help people with "acute coronary syndrome" lower their risk of death, subsequent heart attack or stroke, a new study finds.

Study Suggests Exercise May Help Memory of Fibromyalgia Patients

Fibromyalgia patients who stopped taking medication and then exercised regularly for six weeks reported improved memory function and less pain, according to a small, new study.

Sugar-Sweetened Drinks May Pose Heart Risks to Women, Study Suggests

Drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day may boost a woman's risk for developing heart disease and diabetes -- even if this habit isn't causing her to pack on extra pounds, a new study says.

Too Few Doctors Screen Young Athletes for Hidden Heart Trouble

Tragic stories appear in the media about seemingly healthy young athletes dying on the playing field due to an undetected heart problem.

Shot Might One Day Help Lower Cholesterol

Preliminary research suggests that a single injection of a man-made protein might lower levels of "bad" cholesterol.

Health Highlights: Nov. 14, 2011

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

Shock Fear May Curb Sex for People With Heart Devices

For people with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, the life-saving device may come at a cost: Fear of it firing a shock to the heart during sex drives some to avoid lovemaking altogether.

Experimental Drug for Irregular Heart Rhythm Raises Death Risk: Study

A once-promising drug for a common and dangerous form of irregular heart rhythm actually seems to raise the odds for patient death, a new study finds.

Could Women's Use of 'the Pill' Raise Men's Prostate Cancer Risk?

With the vast increase in the use of the contraceptive pill over the past 40 years, the amount of estrogen entering the water supply may be partly responsible for the increased incidence of prostate cancer around the world, Canadian researchers speculate.

Stem Cells Show Promise in Healing Damaged Hearts

Efforts to use stem cells to help revitalize hearts damaged by heart attack got a boost from three studies presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

Supreme Court to Rule on Obama's Health Care Reform

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear challenges to President Barack Obama's health reform legislation, with a decision expected in June on whether some parts of the controversial initiative are constitutional.

Drinking Risky for Women With Family History of Breast Cancer: Study

Drinking alcohol may be especially risky for young women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, including having mothers, grandmothers or aunts with the disease, a new study suggests.

Breast Cancer Chemo Tied to Memory Troubles

Researchers have homed in on which parts of the brain seem to be involved in "chemo brain," the memory problems and other impairments that often accompany chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer.