Feds: Teen use of pot can lead to dependency, mental illness
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released Friday....
Flu vaccine makers to set new doses record for next season
ATLANTA (AP) -- Flu vaccine manufacturers expect to make a record number of doses for next flu season despite concerns that demand may drop because this year's vaccine was largely ineffective....
Medical know-how raises suicide risk for doctors
CHICAGO (AP) -- There's a grim, rarely talked-about twist to all that medical know-how doctors learn to save lives: It makes them especially good at ending their own. An estimated 300 to 400 U.S. doctors kill themselves each year - a suicide rate thought to be higher than in the general population, although exact figures are hard to come by....
New rule would limit insurers contact with elderly, disabled
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Agents selling private health insurance plans to the elderly and disabled would be barred from cold-calling, door-to-door solicitations and pitching their products outside hospital waiting rooms or pharmacies, under a federal rule proposed Thursday....
Too much, too little sleep tied to ill health in CDC study
ATLANTA (AP) -- People who sleep fewer than six hours a night - or more than nine - are more likely to be obese, according to a new government study that is one of the largest to show a link between irregular sleep and big bellies....
Chantix recommended to quit smoking despite safety concerns
CHICAGO (AP) -- The federal government's new advice to doctors for helping smokers quit recommends the drug Chantix, which has recently been linked with depression and suicidal behavior. The new guidelines mention the psychiatric risks but also say the popular Pfizer Inc. drug is the most effective at helping people get off cigarettes....
More than half of US diabetics have arthritis
ATLANTA (AP) -- More than half of U.S. adults with diabetes also have arthritis, raising a serious obstacle for diabetic patients urged to exercise, according to a government study....
Group asks government to end use of birth-control patch
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A consumer advocacy group petitioned the government Thursday to pull the birth-control patch off the market, calling it far riskier than the pill....
Calling all carbs: Dietitian hired to arrest officer obesity
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Rana Parker tells pudgy police they have the right to remain chubby, but it can and will be used against them on the streets of Los Angeles. The dietitian lays down the law for recruits, veterans and top brass, letting them know that eating right can help them do a better job and could even save their lives....
Study: Restaurant tobacco bans influence teen smoking
BOSTON (AP) -- A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a big role in persuading teens not to become smokers. Youths who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than those in communities with no bans or weak ones, the researchers reported in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine....
10M children worldwide die from lack of health care
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- More than 200 million children worldwide under age 5 do not get basic health care, leading to nearly 10 million deaths annually from treatable ailments like diarrhea and pneumonia, a U.S.-based charity said Wednesday....
Caution urged in choosing gene tests
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Everyone's genes spell out a risk for some disease, and a coming anti-discrimination law is about to give genetic testing a boost....
FDA study: Insulin pumps linked to injuries, deaths in teens
CHICAGO (AP) -- Insulin pumps are used by tens of thousands of teenagers worldwide with Type 1 diabetes, but they can be risky and have been linked to injuries and even deaths, a review by federal regulators finds....
Official says Russia 'not ready' for tough HIV steps
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia is "not ready" to adopt measures that could prevent thousands of people from getting infected with the virus that causes AIDS, the country's chief public health officer said Monday....
Anti-psychotic drug use soars in UK children, too
CHICAGO (AP) -- American children take anti-psychotic medicines at about six times the rate of children in the United Kingdom, according to a comparison based on a new U.K. study....
Who should MDs let die in a pandemic? Report offers answers
CHICAGO (AP) -- Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die....
Doctors to reassess antibiotics for 'chronic Lyme' disease
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Patients who believe they suffer long-term problems from Lyme disease are claiming victory over a national doctors group. The Infectious Diseases Society of America has agreed to review its guidelines, which say there's no evidence long-term antibiotics can cure "chronic Lyme" disease - or even that such a condition exists....
FDA says wider use of Cephalon drug carries risks of misuse
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Government regulators on Friday said encouraging wider use of a powerful painkiller made by Cephalon Inc. raises the risk of potentially fatal misuse of the drug....
The Androgynous Pharaoh? Akhenaten had feminine physique
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Akhenaten wasn't the most manly pharaoh, even though he fathered at least a half-dozen children. In fact, his form was quite feminine, which has puzzled experts for years. And he was a bit of an egghead....
CDC: Measles cases in US top 70, highest in 6 years
ATLANTA (AP) -- Measles outbreaks in several states have led to more than 70 cases so far this year, the worst in six years, health officials said Thursday....
CDC: 3 out of 4 new moms in US now breast-feed their infants
ATLANTA (AP) -- More than 3 out of 4 new moms now breast-feed their infants, the highest rate in the U.S. in at least 20 years, according to a a government report released Wednesday. About 77 percent of new mothers breast-feed, at least briefly, up from 60 percent in 1993-1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said....
Families of contaminated heparin victims tell stories of deaths
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The widow of a man who died after receiving contaminated heparin told a congressional subcommittee Tuesday "we have a false sense of security" in a land where people expect to be protected and safe....
Researchers create health, happiness index
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Staying healthy and happy is a struggle for about half of Americans, according to a massive survey that attempts to measure the nation's general welfare, much like the Dow Jones Industrial Average portrays the health of the stock market....
Lasik worries? Some may see better with alternatives
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Frightened by headlines about Lasik side effects? Lasik gets all the advertising, but there are half a dozen alternate eye surgeries - from a simpler laser approach to implantable lenses - that might solve your squint....
Exercise-heart study casts doubt on 'fit but fat' theory
CHICAGO (AP) -- New research challenges the notion that you can be fat and fit, finding that being active can lower but not eliminate heart risks faced by heavy women. "It doesn't take away the risk entirely. Weight still matters," said Dr. Martha Gulati, a heart specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital....
Study finds increases in nursing home, assisted living costs
NEW YORK (AP) -- Costs for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and some in-home care services have increased for a fifth consecutive year, and could rise further if a shortage of long-term care workers isn't resolved, a new study indicates....
Singapore sees more HIV infections in 07
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore recorded 422 new HIV infections last year, the highest number in a single year since records started in 1985, the city-state of 4.5 million people said Tuesday....
Philippines health officials: No kidneys for foreigners
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Foreigners will be permanently banned from receiving kidneys for transplant in the Philippines to prevent the country from becoming a major Asian center in an already thriving black-market trade, health officials announced Tuesday....
FDA rejections suggest higher bar for cholesterol drugs
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Regulators ended last week and started this one by rejecting two potential blockbuster cholesterol drugs, leaving three drugmakers reeling and Wall Street wondering if tougher approval standards are here....
Study says FDA allowed risky tests of blood substitutes
CHICAGO (AP) -- Experimental blood substitutes raised the risk of heart attack and death, yet U.S. regulators allowed human testing to continue despite warning signs, says a scathing new report....
Study: Pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes doubles
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The number of pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes has more than doubled in seven years, a California study found, a troubling trend that means health risks for both mothers and newborns....
Federal panel seeks clearer warnings on Lasik eye surgery
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In fury and despair, patients harmed by Lasik eye surgery told federal health advisers Friday of severe eye pain, blurred vision and even a son's suicide. The advisers recommended that the government warn more clearly about the risks of the hugely popular operations....
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Newsmaker Interview: May 9th
Fred and State Rep Don Walko talk about larger Bingo pots supporting non profit groups
Voices of the Week, May 4 -10, 2008
Will Barack Obama become the Democratic candidate for President? A shooting in the South Side leaves many questions, and the Pens get ready face the Flyers. All part of the "Voices of the Week" from News Radio 1020 KDKA.
Newsmaker Interview: May 8th
Jason Altmire is an undecided SUPERdelegate? Is he feeling pressure from the Demorcatic party to make a decision? Fred Honsberger asks him.
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Drugs, Depression A Perilous Mix For Teens
Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report.
More Hepatitis Cases Tied To Vegas Clinic
Seventy-seven more people who were treated at a Las Vegas outpatient clinic have been diagnosed with hepatitis C, health officials said.
Medical Expertise Ups Suicide Risk For MDs
There's a grim, rarely talked-about twist to all that medical know-how doctors learn to save lives: It makes them especially good at ending their own.
New Guidelines For Osteoporosis In Men
The American College of Physicians is out with new guidelines to bring awareness to osteoporosis screening in older men.
Withdrawal Symptoms From Smoking Pot?
Heavy pot users who quit cold turkey may find themselves lighting up again to quell withdrawal symptoms, researchers say.
Computers Linked To Some School Shootings
Abrupt restrictions on excessive computer use may have contributed to the 1999 Columbine High School shooting rampage, according to a researcher.
Genetic Mapping More Hype Than Help?
Julian Awad had suspicions about what his own genes would indicate when he started a DNA-mapping company. But are costly tests that might do minimal good worth the cost? Nancy Cordes looks inside Your DNA Destiny.
Epilepsy Site Hacked With Seizure Images
Hackers bombarded the Epilepsy Foundation's Web site with hundreds of pictures and links to pages with rapidly flashing images. The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors.
L.A. Puts Its Police On A Diet
The Los Angeles Police Department has hired a dietitian to help veterans and recruits alike to slim down. While overweight officers aren't unique to Los Angeles, the police department believes it's the first to hire a full-time diet coach.
