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    2009/1/6 نسخه فارسی

Health News Headlines

: 1/6/2009 7:42:51 AM

CBC | Health News
  • Talk of sex on teens' MySpace profiles drops after warning: study
    Teenagers often mention risky behaviours on social networking websites but a single warning email from a doctor may decrease those references, say U.S. doctors who used MySpace to conduct their research.

  • Canadian researchers discover how to ID 'bad' from normal stem cells
    Doctors have long struggled to differentiate cancerous stem cells from healthy ones, but Canadian researchers now say they know how to tell the two apart to hopefully one day better identify how to kill only the dangerous ones.

  • Smokers with family history of aneurysm are at 'extremely high risk'
    The odds of suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm go up sharply among people who smoke and have a family history of aneurysms, compared with all other people, a new study suggests.

  • Change in FDA's ethical guidelines for clinical trials troubling: Lancet
    The Lancet medical journal is reporting that the United States Food and Drug Administration is abandoning the Declaration of Helsinki as an ethical foundation for international clinical trials.

  • N.B. nurses avoid strike with tentative deal
    The New Brunswick government and the province's 5,500 nurses have reached a tentative deal, avoiding a possible provincewide strike.

  • Insomnia costs Quebec billions annually, study says
    Insomnia costs Quebec about $6.5 billion a year, mostly through lost productivity among those who can't sleep, according to a new study.

  • Why some prostate cancer tumours grow back after treatment
    Prostate cancer patients receiving hormone-deprivation therapy often see their tumours grow back within a couple of years, and now some U.S. researchers think they know why.

  • Former CEO pleads guilty in Chinese tainted milk scandal
    An executive at the heart of the Chinese melamine milk scandal has pleaded guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard products, according to the state news agency.

  • Pennsylvania uses computer monitoring to fight hospital infections
    Pennsylvania has great hopes that a computer tool can fight infections in hospitals and save the health-care system money.

  • Company faces privacy probe into health records found on Ottawa street
    Ontario's privacy commissioner is launching an investigation into how patients' medical records ended up being blown around a downtown Ottawa street Wednesday.

  • N.B. government will open door to private health clinics in 2009
    Health Minister Michael Murphy will continue his reform of the health system in 2009 wtih more cuts to departmental adminstration and introducing legislation to deal with private clinics.

  • Understanding Alzheimer's
    Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and affects one in 20 Canadians over 65 - about 290,000. The number rises to one in four in those over 85. But it's not limited to seniors. A growing number of Canadians under the age of 65 show symptoms of the illness

  • Sensory phantoms: Dealing with the loss of a limb
    Losing a limb is devastating enough, both physically and mentally, but one of the hardest parts of adjusting to an amputation can be the distracting and often painful sensations from nerves that are no longer even there.

  • Scientists isolate genes that made 1918 flu lethal
    A set of three genes helped to make the 1918 flu pandemic strain so deadly by giving the virus the ability to copy itself in lung tissue, scientists have found in ferrets.

  • Hair loss rooted in Britney Spears-type extensions: scalp expert
    Hair extensions create the illusion of long, flowing hair, but can cause permanent damage to the scalp, says a hair-loss expert. Celebrities popularized the beauty trend, but having braids or ponytails that are too tight can cause the condition traction alopecia.

  • BBC News | Health | UK Edition
  • Females 'less physically active'
    Females are less physically active at all ages than their male counterparts, two studies suggest.

  • Stress hormone 'a marker for ME'
    Low levels of the stress hormone cortisol marks out children at higher risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome as adults, experts believe.

  • Scientists dismiss 'detox myth'
    Products that claim to help the body "detox" are often based on meaningless claims, scientists warn.

  • Warning over youth mental health
    Young unemployed adults need more help to deal with mental health problems, the Prince's Trust charity warns.

  • Cancer cells 'cheat suicide call'
    Cancer cells are able to escape death by reversing a process which triggers suicide in normal cells, scientists have shown.

  • Appeal to preserve Braille press
    A £2m appeal is launched to rehouse the nation's leading Braille printing press and protect its future.

  • Supermarket offers blood tests
    Shoppers at an Asda store in the West Midlands are now able to get a hospital blood test taken as they shop.

  • Nano device 'times drug release'
    Researchers say they can harness the power of gold nanoparticles to devise a better way of delivering drugs to patients.

  • Health group angered by 99p pint
    A pub chain is cutting the price of a pint to 99p but an alcohol charity fears it could have damaging health effects.

  • Why playing golf may damage your hearing
    Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.

  • Kiss of life
    Brave doctors try to revive Nigeria's health system

  • Period pains
    'The strain of PMS cost us our relationship'

  • Annus fabulous
    Five ways to force yourself to be happy in '09

  • New drug users
    Asian women using Class A drugs is on the rise

  • Medical notes
    A comprehensive guide to clinical conditions

  • From BBC Health
    Living with seasonal affective disorder

  • Tennis balls for tremor treatment
    Hundreds of patients in the East Midlands will use free tennis balls to help them improve their muscle control.

  • Hope of insulin cell transplant
    Scientists working on pancreatic cell transplants as a cure for diabetes closer to fixing immune rejection.

  • NHS end-of-life drugs rule change
    New rules should boost the chances of NHS approval for drugs which may extend the lives of terminally ill patients.

  • 'Keep off dieting' to avoid flu
    People should steer clear of New Year diets if they want to improve their chances of staving off flu, a study suggests.

  • Reuters: Health News
  • Scientists find a gene that makes cancer spread
    CHICAGO (Reuters) - A single gene appears to play a crucial role in deadly breast cancers, increasing the chances the cancer will spread and making it resistant to chemotherapy, U.S. researchers said on Monday.


  • More than half of U.S. cyclists forgo helmets: report
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than half of Americans admit they never use a helmet while bicycling and more than a quarter skip the sunscreen, even when they are in the sun all day, according to Consumer Reports National Research Center.


  • Social Security overestimates death rates: study
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Social Security Administration, which pays out $600 billion a year in benefits to retirees, may have underestimated how a decline in smoking will increase life expectancy, two experts reported on Monday.


  • Study sheds light on deadly childhood cancer
    LONDON (Reuters) - A gene involved in cell division also helps fuel a deadly childhood cancer called neuroblastoma and could offer a new way to develop drugs to treat the disease, German researchers said on Monday.


  • Diet tied to survival in breast cancer patients
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with early-stage breast cancer may live longer if they maintain a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy, a new study suggests.


  • Dutch study sheds light on virus that causes SARS
    LONDON (Reuters) - Dutch researchers have built a three-dimensional model of a type of virus that causes SARS in a step that could one day help in the battle against the deadly disease.


  • Meditation seen promising as ADHD therapy
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The practice of transcendental meditation may help children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder manage their symptoms, research suggests.


  • Angola shuts off border with Congo to avoid Ebola
    LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola closed part of its northeastern border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday to stop the contagious Ebola virus from spreading into the oil-rich African nation, the health minister said.


  • Prenatal test may raise birthmark risk
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A test performed in early pregnancy to check for genetic defects such as Down's syndrome in the fetus appears to be linked to increased chances that the baby will be born with a birthmark, or "infantile hemangioma," researchers report.


  • Antifungal treatment helps some asthma patients
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with severe asthma who are allergic to fungal organisms benefit substantially from treatment with the anti-fungal drug itraconazole, new research shows.


  • NPR Topics: Health & Science
  • A Close-Up Of The Milky Way Reveals New Insights
    A new high-resolution panorama is the sharpest infrared picture that scientists have ever made of the Milky Way's core. This mysterious region that surrounds a supermassive black hole is normally hidden by dust and gas, but infrared light can penetrate the dust clouds.

  • The Stories Behind The Statistics
    A recent report on the rise of young black males being killed in the U.S. continues to raise concern among youth, parents and community leaders. Some say the findings reflect a much larger problem, the failure of society on many levels. A roundtable of people directly affected by violence, including two moms whose sons were killed, share their perspective on the crisis.

  • Steve Jobs Discloses 'Nutritional Problem'
    The Apple founder and CEO says he'll stay on during "simple and straightforward" treatment for hormone imbalance.

  • Temple Grandin On 'The Best Life For Animals'
    In her new book, Animals Make Us Human, Temple Grandin examines common notions of animal happiness and concludes that dogs, cats, horses, cows and zoo animals — among other creatures — possess an emotional system akin to that of humans.

  • Fishermen Make Mad Dash For Dungeness Crab
    As many West Coast fisheries collapse, more fishermen are turning to the delectable Dungeness crab. It's one of the last thriving fisheries in California, but the winter race for the crabs means fewer fresh crabs on tables and smaller profits.

  • A Bumpy Anniversary For Braille
    Happy birthday to Louis Braille, the founder of the tactile communication system for the blind, born 200 years ago Sunday.

  • Yellowstone Shaken By Swarm Of Earthquakes
    The volcanic system that powers the geysers, mud pots and steam vents at Yellowstone National Park has shaken the ground more than 400 times in the past eight days. The quakes have scientists scratching their heads and sleep-deprived park rangers hoping for relief.

  • NASA's Mars Rovers Still Making Tracks
    Five years ago, NASA's roving robot called Spirit landed safely on Mars, followed by the rover Opportunity three weeks later. Expected to explore for about three months, the rovers are still exploring the Red Planet today.

  • Mexican Hospitals Aim To Attract More Americans
    As many Americans struggle to pay for health care or health insurance, hospitals in Mexico are expanding in hopes of wooing more patients from north of the border. Costs for procedures are often significantly cheaper due to lower overhead in Mexico.

  • Weak Bond Market Stunts Hospital Construction
    When nonprofit hospitals need money to modernize their emergency rooms or build a new wing, they go to the bond market. For five weeks in September and October, the hospital bond market essentially shut down, poisoned by the mortgage crisis. Meanwhile, hospitals have had to scale back construction plans.

  • Conflicted Emotions Follow Tennessee Coal Ash Spill
    Cleanup continues in the Tennessee coal ash spill that released more than a billion gallons of toxic sludge last week. The work is slow, and many residents highlight the complex relationship between the utility company that owns the plant and residents of the surrounding areas.

  • Iowa Family Pitches In To Make Profit Off Livestock
    Each year, the Griffieons net about $5,000 from the cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys they raise on their farm. Craig Griffieon tends to the cattle, while his wife, LaVon, and daughter Autumn sell the meat. Autumn says she gets attached to the animals, but the money helps reconcile her feelings.

  • Helper Parrots, Guide Horses Face Legal Challenges
    Chances are you've seen a blind person accompanied by a guide dog. But what about a guide horse or a monkey trained to help an agoraphobic? Non-traditional service animals help many people with disabilities, but a new proposal would ban them.

  • CNN.com - Health
  • Scientists: True love can last a lifetime
    Love's first blush fading? Lost that loving feeling? Love is not all around?


  • Smoke-free laws may cut heart hospitalizations
    Implementing smoke-free policies can lead to a fewer hospitalizations resulting from heart attacks, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


  • Forgetting things? Mnemonics can make them stick
    Arriving at your uncle's holiday party in suitable dress and good cheer, you are greeted at the door by an old friend from school whose name, you suddenly realize, you cannot recall.


  • China milk scandal executive pleads guilty
    An executive of the Chinese dairy company Sanlu Group pleaded guilty Wednesday over her role in the contaminated milk scandal that sickened nearly 300,000 infants, state-run media reported.


  • Virginity pledges don't mean much, study says
    As many as one in eight teens in the United States may take a virginity pledge at some point, vowing to wait until they're married before having sex. But do such pledges work? Are pledge takers more likely than other teens to delay sexual activity?


  • Eight signs your man may be depressed
    Though the stigma is lessening, men are still far more likely than women to let their depression go untreated. Blame it on Rambo, Brando, or the lure of the martini, but many guys still aren't getting the help they need.


  • Zimbabwe cholera deaths pass 1,500
    The number of cholera deaths in Zimbabwe continues to increase, a World Health Organization spokesman said Monday.


  • NYT > Health
  • For Privacy’s Sake, Taking Risks to End Pregnancy
    Some Latina women are using drugs or potentially harmful home methods to end their pregnancies.



  • Vital Statistics: Accidental Injuries Higher in Rural Areas
    There is a much higher rate of hospitalization for most kinds of accidental injury in rural areas than in cities, a new report indicates.



  • Morning Rounds: New Year’s Diets, Testosterone and Safe Sex
    Health news from around the Web.



  • Q & A: Microwaves and Leaks
    Could cooking oil, spices or canned foods stored next to a microwave oven be receiving unhealthy doses of microwave emissions?



  • A New Cigarette Hazard: ‘Third-Hand Smoke’
    Toxic residue from cigarette smoke clings to hair and carpets, endangering children, experts say.



  • Blood Sugar Control Linked to Memory Decline, Study Says
    As the body loses its ability to regulate glucose, parts of the brain involved in memory lose blood flow, researchers find.



  • Law on Flu Vaccinations May Be Tested
    New Jersey, the first state in the nation to require flu shots for young schoolchildren, set a Dec. 31 deadline for parents to obtain flu vaccinations for their children.



  • Lives: Forbidden Nonfruit
    A childhood devoid of junk food breeds certain cravings.



  • Rough Crossing
    In Robin Romm’s account of her mother’s death from cancer, her fury is transformed into an instrument for pursuing truth.



  • Consumed: Slow Pitch
    An “anti-energy” drink’s novel image: chic — or shameful?



  • Economy Blunts Korea’s Appetite for Plastic Surgery
    An indicator of the economic doldrums in South Korea: Seoul’s obsession with plastic surgery is waning, and once-crowded clinics are closing.



  • Skin Deep: To Squint or to See the Light
    With new treatments, baby boomers pay the price to shed the glasses.



  • The Evidence Gap: Patient’s DNA May Be Signal to Tailor Medication
    Genetic tests can show which patients are suited to which drugs, but obstacles remain for personalized medicine.



  • The Doctor's World: Leaving Platform That Elevated AIDS Fight
    As Dr. Peter Piot, the only head of the United Nations AIDS program in its 13-year history, retires on Wednesday, he reflects on the success and failures of his tenure.



  • Global Update: Fewer Human Deaths From Virus Even as It Spreads Among Poultry
    Rates of the avian flu tend to rise during the winter months, but deaths are declining.



  • Vital Signs: Risks: Extra Sleep Is Found to Lower a Heart Risk
    Need another reason to sleep in? It seems it's good for your heart.



  • Fitness: The Enlightened Path, With a Rubber Duck
    Some yogis are using humor as their vehicle to self-improvement and understanding.



  • In Reality, Oliver’s Diet Wasn’t Truly Dickensian
    A seemingly meager diet of gruel, onions and bread may be a sufficient diet after all, researchers say.



  • Recipes For Health: At the Start of the New Year, Prosperity Means Beans
    Beans are the perfect beginning to a new year -- particularly this new year.



  • Personal Best: Don’t Starve a Cold of Exercise
    Studies show that continuing to work out while you have a cold works in your favor.



  • Yahoo! News: Health News
  • Shaping good health as teens outgrow pediatrician (AP)
    AP - Ever watched a teen skulk in the corner of a toddler-packed pediatrician's waiting room, obviously wishing to be anywhere else?

  • MySpace is research place for busybody 'Dr. Meg' (AP)
    AP - Many teenagers cleaned up their MySpace profiles, deleting mentions of sex and booze and boosting privacy settings, if they got a single cautionary e-mail from a busybody named "Dr. Meg." The e-mail was sent by Dr. Megan Moreno, lead researcher of a study of lower-income kids that she says shows how parents and other adults can encourage safer Internet use.

  • Nursing industry desperate to find new hires (AP)

    Registered nurse Pat Boodoo reviews patient data during a shift last month at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, Oct. 22, 2008. While other industries are shedding jobs, nursing recruiters are frantically trying to hire new workers to address a nationwide nursing shortage expected to worsen as the population ages.(AP Photo/ Dinesh Ramde )AP - Please, please accept a high-paying job with us. In fact, just swing by for an interview and we'll give you a chance to win cash and prizes.




  • Cell phone soap operas deliver safe-sex message (AP)

    Rutgers College of nursing professor Rachel Jones talks in her home office in Boonton Township, N.J., Saturday Jan. 3, 2009. Jones who has dedicated her career to reducing HIV/AIDS among young, urban black and Latina women, recently received a $2 million National Institutes of Health grant to test the  effectiveness of using short videos to go beyond pamphlets on safe sex and deliver the message to women who might otherwise tune it out. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)AP - "Hey baby, you OK?" Mike asks his girlfriend as she sits down next to him.




  • Danny's heart: College swimmer faces mortality (AP)

    Danny Thrall, 19, a sophomore on the swim team at Fordham University in New York, forms his hands in the shape of a heart over the scars from open heart surgery he had about six weeks earlier during workouts at a downtown Chicago health club Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008. A routine physical in September revealed a problem with a valve in his heart that required the surgery. Six weeks later he is back in the pool and hopes to get back to competitive form. In January, he will return to Fordham and hopes to practice with his teammates, even if he can't compete this season. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)AP - This time, when the lanky young man stepped into the pool, his chest was tight. His muscles ached. He pushed off to take his first strokes, and grimaced at the pain.




  • Obesity Linked to Ovarian Cancer (HealthDay)
    HealthDay - MONDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Obese postmenopausal women who have never used hormone replacement therapy may face an increased risk of ovarian cancer, compared to normal-weight women, a new study suggests.

  • Viagra May Shield Heart From Blood Pressure Damage (HealthDay)
    HealthDay - MONDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Tests in mouse hearts show that sildenafil, the key ingredient in Viagra, may shield hearts from damage caused by high blood pressure, a new study suggests.

  • Clinical Trials Update: Jan. 5, 2009 (HealthDay)
    HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch:

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to childhood trauma (AFP)

    A flooded children's playground in Hamburg, Illinois. Childhood trauma, including sexual abuse, emotional abuse and emotional neglect, was linked to a six-fold risk increase for chronic fatigue syndrome in adults, in a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry(AFP/Getty Images/File/Win Mcnamee)AFP - Childhood trauma, including sexual abuse, emotional abuse and emotional neglect, was linked to a six-fold risk increase for chronic fatigue syndrome in adults, in a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.




  • Diabetes Epidemic Now Poses Challenges for Nursing Homes (HealthDay)
    HealthDay - MONDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- More and more people with diabetes are living to older ages, thanks to medical advances. But the long-term facilities, such as nursing homes, that care for aging Americans may not be ready for the additional challenges that come with treating patients with diabetes.

  • Scientists find a gene that makes cancer spread (Reuters)
    Reuters - A single gene appears to play a crucial role in deadly breast cancers, increasing the chances the cancer will spread and making it resistant to chemotherapy, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

  • msnbc.com: Health
  • Apple's Steve Jobs' condition a 'puzzle'

    Jan. 5: Hoping to put to rest rumors that he was again suffering from pancreatic cancer, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said Monday he is suffering from a hormone imbalance that has caused dramatic weight loss in the past year. NBC's Brian Williams reports.  (Nightly News)Reports that a hormone imbalance may  be responsible for Apple chief executive Steve Jobs’ recent weight loss do little to quell concerns about the pancreatic cancer survivor’s health, endocrinologists said.




  • Work out for less: Shape up and save in 2009

    If you’re doing some financial belt-tightening at the same time you’re working to whittle your waistline, don’t give up. There are  ways to keep that New Year's resolution. If you’re doing some financial belt-tightening at the same time you’re working to whittle your waistline, don’t give up. There are  ways to keep that New Year's resolution.




  • Holes in health care means teens face future ills
    Many adolescents are falling through cracks in the health care system — what a major new report calls missed opportunities to shape the next generation’s health.

  • Gene that makes breast cancer spread is found
    A single gene appears to play a crucial role in deadly breast cancers, increasing the chances the cancer will spread and making it resistant to chemotherapy, U.S. researchers said.

  • Newsweek: Using MySpace to help troubled teens
    A new study suggests that parents and health-care professionals can use social-networking sites to curb risky teen behavior.

  • 3-D model sheds light on SARS-causing virus
    Dutch researchers have built a three-dimensional model of a type of virus that causes SARS in a step that could one day help in the battle against the deadly disease.

  • Go green for your health and the planet’s

    Try this thorough list of the everyday items that might be doing you wrong that may harm your health — and the easy alternatives that are free of worrisome chemicals.




  • At 19, college swimmer faces mortality

    Danny Thrall, 19, a sophomore on the swim team at Fordham University in New York, forms his hands in the shape of a heart over the scars from open heart surgery he had about six weeks earlier during workouts at a downtown Chicago health club.In Danny Thrall's heart, he was a swimmer. But his heart betrayed him.




  • China milk scare in U.S.: Adopted kids tested

    Kathy Demetrius, 44, who adopted her daughter Zuzu from China when she was 9 set up a Yahoo group for adoptive parents concerned with melamine contamination in Chinese baby formula and milk.China's worst product-safety scandal in years has hit home for thousands of U.S. adoptive parents who are seeking answers about potential effects of melamine in tainted formula.




  • WHO confirms 3 Ebola deaths in Congo
    The World Health Organization confirmed the Ebola virus had killed three people in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo and said more deaths were being investigated.

  • Soap operas deliver safe-sex message

    Nurse educator Rachel Jones has dedicated her career to reducing HIV/AIDS among young, urban women and recently received a $2 million National Institutes of Health grant to test the effectiveness of using short videos to distribute a message on safe sex.A federal study is using short videos to go beyond pamphlets on safe sex and deliver the message to women who might otherwise tune it out.




  • Better lungs for kids fed from breast, not bottle
    Children who are breast-fed for at least 4 months may have better lung function than those breast fed for shorter periods of time and kids who are bottle fed, a new study suggests.

  • British couple has 'black-and-white twins' twice

    Big sisters Hayleigh, left, and Lauren Durrant, right, hold their new siblings Leah, left, and Miya, right. Scientists say the odds of their parents, Dean Durrant and Alison Spooner, having two sets of fraternal twins with strikingly different skin tones and eye colors is 'one in millions.'A mixed-race British couple has defied the odds — twice — by producing two sets of twins in which one sibling appears to be black and the other white.




  • The family sleep cure

    Only one in three Americans gets enough sleep, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.Everyone tosses and turns for different reasons. Here's how to make sure the whole clan gets the Zzzs they need to stay happy and healthy.




  • Suicides in national parks increased in 2008
    At least 33 people who chose to end their lives last year in a national park, a higher number than in recent years.

  • FDA recalls chemical agent used in eye surgery
    Federal regulators are calling on physicians to return a chemical agent made by Advanced Medical Optics Inc., saying it has been linked to dozens of eye problems.

  • Cold med ingredient may treat prostate cancer
    Noscapine, a natural substance found in cough medicine, may prove useful in treating advanced prostate cancer, according to studies in mice.

  • Preemies at risk for mental disorders as teens
    Results of a Swedish study hint that children born prematurely have some risk of developing anxiety, depression or other psychiatric disorders.

  • Shape up in '09 with a month of fitness tips

    Out of shape and stressed out? Exercise can help on both accounts. If you've resolved to give yourself a tune-up in 2009 — or more like a full-body makeover — we've got lots of expert advice to help you reach your get-fit goals.If you've resolved to give yourself a tune-up in 2009 — or more like a full-body makeover — we've got lots of expert advice to help you reach your get-fit goals.




  • Weight loss surgery revs sexual function in men
    Sexual dysfunction that commonly occurs in morbidly obese men improves after weight loss surgery, according to a new study.

  • ABC News: Health
  • The Truth About 10 Trendy New Year's Diets
    ABCNews.com takes a look at the best and the worst New Year's diet searches.

  • Jett Travolta's Cause of Death 'Seizure'
    Death certificate says teen died of "seizure"; autopsy report not released yet.

  • Apple CEO Reveals Truth About Weight Loss
    Apple CEO Steve Jobs says a hormone imbalance is "robbing" his body of proteins.

  • Surgery-Free Fat Blaster Looks Promising
    Procedure that uses ultrasound to break down fat could be OK'd in United States.

  • Would You Breast-Feed Your 6-Year-Old?
    One mother speaks out, saying she's doing what's best for her family.

  • Couple Has 'Black and White' Twins Twice
    A U.K. couple has yet another set of twins who appear to be of different races.

  • Cruise: Scientology Cured My Dyslexia
    Tom Cruise says he was functionally illiterate until Scientology helped him.

  • Death of a Controversial AIDS Skeptic
    Friends say Christine Maggiore endured media stress. Docs say she caused misery.

  • Are You Resolving to Fail in the New Year?
    Lower the bar on your resolutions and set realistic lifestyle goals.

  • Cutting Mosquitoes' Life Short to Fight Disease
    Scientists try to breed mosquitoes that die young to fight dengue and malaria.

  • Fosamax Side Effect Reports Scare Patients
    As new research emerges, public opinion of osteoporosis drugs may be at stake.

  • washingtonpost.com - Health
  • Preach What You Plan To Practice
    One thing is true about New Year's health resolutions:



  • Women Push for Hair Relaxers That Are Less Caustic
    Julia Coney, 36, can still remember her first chemical burn. She was a teenager, and she'd been getting her hair straightened since she was 8. In the early days, her mother used to take her to a hairdresser, who would gently spread a relaxer on her thick hair to tame its tight coils. The sodium-h...



  • Black American Women Are Getting Shorter, Study Says
    On average, black American women are getting shorter.



  • One Cochlear Implant Made an Impact. Might Two Do Even More?
    If anyone had suggested to me just a few years ago that my deaf daughter should undergo intricate operations on both ears to receive cochlear implants, I would have recoiled. Believe me, I wanted Ruthie to be able to hear -- and speak. Her progressive hearing loss had been identified when she was...



  • India Opens Call Center to Help Control Population Growth
    NEW DELHI -- The phone rang at a call center in New Delhi one recent afternoon. When an agent picked up the receiver, a young woman whispered hesitantly. She said that she lived with her large extended family in a remote rural settlement and that nobody knew she was calling.



  • Prenatal Nutrition, Postnatal Allergy Protection
    SUNDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- An apple a day while you're pregnant may indeed keep the doctor away. But the real beneficiary could be your unborn child.



  • US parents want answers after China milk scare
    -- Beth Flanders was on her way to China to adopt her 17-month-old daughter in September when she received a warning from her adoption agency: An industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones had been found in Chinese baby formula, and parents should not feed it to their new children.



  • Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
    THURSDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The proportion of people taking widely prescribed oral osteoporosis drugs who develop a nasty jaw condition may be much higher than previously thought, a new study suggests.



  • Winter Workouts Are Cool
    SATURDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Outdoor exercise in the winter can be wonderful as long as you take a few simple precautions, says the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).



  • Doctor, former patient now colleagues in Detroit
    DETROIT -- When Dr. Trevor Banka treats cancer patients alongside Dr. Michael Mott he is working with not only his mentor, but the physician who helped save his life. "I wanted to work next to Dr. Mott and I wanted to train with him," said Banka, a 28-year-old second-year oncology resident at...



  • Kick the Habit
    THURSDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDay News) -- If you plan to kick the smoking habit this New Year, the American Lung Association recommends you start with a solid smoking-cessation plan and be prepared for anything.



  • Rural Areas Facing Dangerous Shortage of General Surgeons
    BURLINGTON, Iowa -- It's not yet 9 a.m., and as most of his 27,000 neighbors are getting ready for Saturday chores, John Phillips has a familiar one in front of him.



  • Giant Food to Offer Free Prescription Antibiotics
    Giant Food stores will give free generic antibiotics to customers with a prescription for the next three months in what retail experts called an aggressive move in supermarkets' heated battle for shoppers.



  • Health Tip: Log Your Exercise
    (HealthDay News) -- You may have tried tracking what you eat, but how about logging your daily exercise?



  • America Losing the Fight With Type 2 Diabetes
    TUESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The type 2 diabetes epidemic that continues to sweep across the United States has left an estimated 24 million Americans struggling with the disease, up more than 3 million people since 2005.



  • China Dairy Executive Knew of Problems With Milk
    BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- An executive for the dairy company at the heart of China's tainted-milk scandal admitted knowing there were problems with Sanlu-brand products for months before she informed authorities, and she pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that could lead to the death penalty, state news...



  • Risk-Takers May Lack Ability to Limit Brain Chemical
    TUESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Just in time for New Year's Eve comes research suggesting that "thrill-seeking" behaviors may be hard-wired into the brain.



  • New Policy to Tighten Smoking Ban in Federal Buildings
    Government workers at federal buildings who want a cigarette break will have to take a stroll before they light up, according to a new federal policy.



  • Obama Team Engages Public on Health Care
    DUBLIN, Ind., Dec. 29 -- Dolly Sweet, 77, has battled cancer more than once. She's a fighter. But when her doctor recently prescribed a medication that cost $35,000 a year, she felt she had no choice.



  • Study: Obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens
    NEW YORK -- Obesity surgery can reverse diabetes in teens, just as it does in adults, according to a small study.



  • FOXNews.com
  • FOXSexpert: Orgasms During Childbirth? It Happens
    Orgasmic isn't exactly the first word most women use to describe childbirth. Yet thanks to a new DVD, 'Orgasmic Birth,' we're learning that birthing has perks beyond the obvious. For some women, this includes actual orgasms during delivery.

  • Jett Travolta Had History of Seizures, Meds Ineffective
    John Travolta's lawyers said Sunday that Jett Travolta suffered a grand mal before he died and had taken an anti-seizure medication for years.

  • Woman, 90, So Neglected Shoes Grew Into Her Feet
    Authorities say an elderly Port St. Lucie woman was so neglected by her son that her never-removed shoes had grown into her feet.

  • Woman With Two Wombs Beats Odds, Gets Pregnant
    A woman in England received a huge surprise five weeks after doctors told her she was pregnant – she found out she has two reproductive systems and her baby is growing in one of her two wombs, the Daily Mail reported.

  • Teen Died After Blood Clot Diagnosed as Stomach Bug
    A 16-year-old teenager died of a brain hemorrhage when medical staff failed to give her a brain scan because they thought she had a stomach infection, the Daily Mail reported Monday.

  • Musician to Have Surgery After Two-Year Hiccup Battle
    For most people, hiccups are usually a temporary annoyance. But for a man in England, having the hiccups has been a constant battle for nearly two years.

  • Baby Dies Because Hospital Short-Staffed
    A baby boy died just minutes after his birth because the hospital did not have an anesthetist available for an emergency Caesarian section, The Sunday Mirror reported.

  • World's Oldest Woman, 115, Dies in Ambulance
    A woman who was widowed for nearly 60 years and who was the world's oldest living person died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital in Portugal, officials said Friday.

  • Ark. Scientists Developing Breast Cancer 'Vaccine'
    Scientists at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hope to begin clinical trials this spring on a vaccine to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer.

  • Magazine: More Sex, Less Depression in 2009
    If were depressed in 2008, here's some good news — we're all going to be having more sex in 2009, according to one magazine.

  • Couple Gives Birth to 'Miracle' Black and White Twins, Again
    Black and white twins Hayleigh and Lauren Durrant proudly hold their new sisters Leah and Miya — who incredibly are also twins with different colored skin.

  • Two Docs Needed to Lift 14-Pound Baby Out of Womb
    Richard Sault Jr. came into the world on Dec. 23 weighing a whopping 14.2 pounds.

  • USATODAY.com Health - Top Stories
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    Dining out on a dime while trying to lose weight can be done if you've got a smorgasbord of tricks, according to several readers ...



  • Spending on prescription drugs slows
    Spending on prescription drugs in 2007 showed the smallest increase in more than four decades, driven by rising use of low-cost ...



  • 7 hospitals in N.Y. accused of $50M Medicaid fraud
    Four hospitals in New York state paid kickbacks to get more patients into their drug treatment programs, which billed Medicaid ...



  • Chronic fatigue, early trauma linked
    Suffering a trauma could predispose children to chronic fatigue syndrome as adults, a study shows. In a report in today's Archives ...



  • Kids reveal a lot about themselves online
    A new study shows that more than half of teenagers mention drugs, alcohol, sex or violence on their MySpace pages. Yet getting ...



  • Tightening the belt leads to a trimmer, healthier waistline
    If you want to lose weight in 2009 without spending a fortune, consider embracing the theme of USA TODAY's sixth annual Weight-Loss ...



  • Spend less, lose weight and eat better with these strategies
    Dieting on a dime doesn't mean you have to milk the cows, churn butter or pluck chickens, but you may need to spend a little ...



  • Seizures are a 'terror' for parents like Travolta
    Parents and doctors of children prone to seizures say they live in fear of the tragedy that has befallen 16-year-old Jett Travolta. ...



  • Experts' tips for Dieting on a Dime
    A look at tips from five diet books that offer cost-effective ways to trim down.



  • For grandparents, child care can be a blessing and a curse
    A grandparent's care often is good for children, studies show. But is it good for the grandparents?



  • Resolved to break an addiction in '09? Tips to help it stick
    No matter the addiction drugs, gambling, shopping, smoking, alcohol or more people who want to kick their habit in the new ...



  • Study: Smoking ban leads to major drop in heart attacks
    A smoking ban in one Colorado city led to a dramatic drop in heart attack hospitalizations within three years, a sign of just ...



  • Chains' ties run deep on pharmacy boards
    A USA TODAY examination shows employees of major drugstore chains or supermarket pharmacies accounted for nearly one in four ...



  • Country Doctor of Year honors man in needed, hard-to-fill role
    David Watson received the Country Doctor of the Year award, which honors a primary care physician who best exemplifies the spirit ...



  • Breast cancer survivors try new methods to fight arm swelling
    Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether some simple steps, such as arm-strengthening exercises, could reduce the ...