Previous Medical News
2010/02/13
1. Ex-President Clinton Undergoes Heart Procedure: Receives Two Stents (AP, 2/11/10)
Former President Bill Clinton had two stents inserted 2/11/10 to prop open a clogged heart artery after being hospitalized with chest pains. Clinton in 2004 underwent quadruple bypass surgery.
2. Psychiatric disorders to be redefined: Changes proposed in how psychiatrists diagnose (American Psychiatric Association, 2/10/10)
The American Psychiatric Association is proposing major changes to its diagnostic bible, the manual that doctors, insurers and scientists use in deciding what's officially a mental disorder and what symptoms to treat. Psychiatry has been accused of over diagnosis in recent years as prescriptions for antidepressants, stimulants and other medications have soared. So the update of this manual called the DSM-5 — the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition — has been anxiously awaited.
3. February is American Heart Month: Goals for the next ten years (American Heart Association, 1/20/10)
The American Heart Association has announced its “2020 Impact Goals” which are to improve the cardiovascular health of U. S. residents by 20 percent by 2020.
4. Mumps outbreak reaches nearly 2,000 in New York and New Jersey (CDC, 2/11/10)
Nearly 2,000 people, mostly adolescent and young adult males in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey, have contracted mumps since last summer.
5. Study Ties Soft-Drink Intake to Pancreatic Cancer (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 2/10)
Drinking sugared soda may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer. Those who drank two or more sugared sodas a week had an 87 percent increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
6. FDA approves Crestor for preventing heart disease with healthy cholesterol (FDA, 2/8/10)
Crestor won FDA approval for reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, bypass operations and artery-clearing procedures in people with high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) plus at least one other risk factor.
7. Scientists find first genes linked to stuttering: Stuttering May Be in Your Genes (New England Journal of Medicine, 2/10/10)
Scientists have found genes that could explain some cases of stuttering. They discovered mutations in three genes that appear to cause the speech problem in some people. Stuttering does tend to run in families.
8. H1N1 Swine Flu Down, Not Out (CDC, 2/5/10)
The fall/winter wave of H1N1 swine flu has long passed its peak. H1N1 swine flu is no longer widespread in any state, but new infections continue and the death rate remains high.
9. Representative John Murtha dies at 77 (AP, 2/8/10)
Rep. John Murtha, a retired Marine Corps officer who became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress died 2/8/10 at age 77. He experienced complications from gallbladder surgery.
10. Autism Risk Rises With Mother's Age (Autism Research, 2/8/10)
The older a mother is when she gives birth, the higher her child's risk of autism. A smaller effect also is seen for the age of the father, but only when the child is born to a father over age 40 and a mother under age 30.
11. Just How Real Is 'Pregnancy Brain'? (The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2/10)
According to a controversial new study, pregnancy and motherhood don't cause women to have memory lapses and other cognitive problems, even though the concept of ''pregnancy brain'' and ''momnesia'' are widely accepted. When focused on a task, women who are pregnant or new mothers do not have 'cognitive deficits,' and perform as well as their non-pregnant contemporaries. According to this study, women may have memory lapses, and change their focus to children and the upcoming birth, but his does not mean they have lost their capacities.
12. Michael Jackson's doctor (Conrad Murray) charged with involuntary manslaughter (AP, 2/8/10)
Michael Jackson's doctor pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop star at a brief hearing on 2/8/10.
13. Gout Raises Women's Heart Attack Risk (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2/8/10)
Women with gout may be at greater risk of suffering a heart attack than men with gout. Gout is a common and painful form of arthritis that affects up to 6% of elderly women and 9% of elderly men. It is caused by inflammation in the joints that occurs as a result of excess uric acid-related crystal deposits.
14. 'Third-hand smoke' could damage health (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 2/10)
Lingering residue from tobacco smoke which clings to upholstery, clothing and the skin releases cancer-causing agents.
15. Ski Helmets Encouraged for All (Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2/1/10)
Helmets reduce skiers' and snowboarders' risk of head injury by 35 percent and don't increase the risk of neck injury.
16. Dark Chocolate may lower stroke risk (Neurology, 2/10)
Eating chocolate may decrease your risk of stroke. Those who ate a weekly serving of chocolate were 22 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate no chocolate. Dark chocolate is high in anti-oxidant rich flavanoids but also high in saturated fat.
17. Being bored could be bad for your health (International Journal of Epidemiology, 4/10)
Can you really be bored to death? There's a possibility that the more bored you are, the more likely you are to die early. Boredom alone isn't likely to kill you — but it could be a symptom of other risky behavior like drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having a psychological problem.
18. Looking for love? Perfume may backfire (Psychological Science, 2/10)
When it comes to attracting a man, natural scent works best. A man's testosterone levels, which is linked with sexual interest, is significantly higher when he smells the shirt of a woman who is ovulating.
19. Energy Drinks, Alcohol a Dangerous Mix (Addictive Behaviors, 4/10)
Mixing caffeine-laden energy drinks and alcohol can lead to higher rates of of drunkenness and impaired driving.
20. Antidepressant Cymbalta Eases Back Pain (American Academy of Pain Medicine, 2/5/10)
A drug used to treat depression, fibromyalgia, and diabetic nerve pain may also provide relief from hard-to-treat chronic low back pain. People with chronic low back pain treated with Cymbalta experienced a significantly greater improvement in average pain scores than those treated with a placebo.
21. Drinking Milk While Pregnant May Lower Kids' MS Risk (American Academy of Neurology, 2/9/10)
Children born to mothers who drink lots of milk and have a high dietary intake of vitamin D during pregnancy have a much lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life. There is growing evidence that vitamin D has an effect on MS and this effect may begin in the womb. The three most important sources of vitamin D are fortified milk, fatty fish such as salmon and exposure to sunlight.
22. Mediterranean Diet May Prevent Stroke-Related Brain Damage (American Academy of Neurology, 2/8/10)
Avoiding potentially dangerous silent strokes may be another health benefit of following a Mediterranean diet. People who most closely followed a Mediterranean-style diet were 36% less likely to have areas of brain damage linked to silent strokes than those who least closely followed the diet. Not eating a Mediterranean-like diet had about the same effect on the brain as having high blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, legumes (beans, peas and seeds), fruits, cereals, fish, and monounsaturated fats such as those found in olive oil, dairy products, meat, and poultry, plus mild to moderate use of alcohol, especially wine.
23. Low IQ among top heart health risks: Mental Skills Eyed As Key to Longer Life (Britain's Medical Research Council, 2/10/10)
Intelligence is second only to smoking as a predictor of heart disease. Lower intelligence quotient (IQ) scores were associated with higher rates of heart disease and death, and were more important indicators than any other risk factors except smoking.
24. Migraines tied to risks of heart attack, stroke (Neurology, 2/10/10)
People who suffer migraines may have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those without the painful headaches.
25. Inflammatory Bowel Ups Risk for Blood Clots (The Lancet, 2/8/10)
People with active inflammatory bowel disease are much more likely to develop blood clots than people without the condition.
26. Obese Children Twice as Likely to Die Before 55 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2/10/10)
Childhood obesity more than doubles the risk of dying before age 55, according to a long-term study that followed nearly 5,000 children.
27. Recall: More Than 500,000 Cribs Recalled After 3 Deaths (Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2/9/10)
There’s a recall of more than 500,000 drop-side cribs sold at Buy Buy Baby, Kmart, Wal-Mart and other stores after the death of three infants. Plastic hardware on Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs can break and allow the drop side to detach. In addition, the mattress supports can break away from the crib frames. Both defects create gaps where a small child can be trapped and suffocate or strangle.
28. Recall: AED Recalled, May Fail During Resuscitation: CardioVive, CardioLife, and Powerheart units from Cardiac Science Corporation (FDA, 2/10/10)
