Health Library

Can Coffee Protect You From Melanoma? TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Your morning coffee might do more than perk you up. Researchers suggest it also might help protect you against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Coffee drinkers are less likely to suffer from malignant melanoma, and their risk decreases somewhat with every cup they swallow, according to findings published Jan. 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute . "We found that four or more cups of coffee per day ...

Could Nutrients in Fish Shield Fetus From Mercury's Harms? WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Despite concerns over mercury exposure, pregnant women who eat lots of fish may not harm their unborn children, a new study suggests. Three decades of research in the Seychelles, the islands in the Indian Ocean, found no developmental problems in children born to women who consume ocean fish at a much higher rate than the average American woman, the study concluded. "They eat a lot of fish, historical...

California Measles Outbreak Shows How Quickly Disease Can Resurface in U.S. WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Fifteen years after measles was declared eliminated in the United States, the recent outbreak traced to two Disney parks in California illustrates how quickly a resurgence can occur. As of Wednesday afternoon, 59 cases had been reported in California residents as a result of the outbreak, which began in the third week of December. Eight others in four U.S. states and Mexico have also ...

Could a Drink a Day Lower Your Risk for Heart Failure? MONDAY, Jan. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Having a drink each day might help lower a middle-aged person's odds for heart failure, a new study reveals. The investigation suggests that men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who drink as much as seven comparably sized glasses of wine, beer and/or spirits per week will see their risk for heart failure drop by 20 percent. For women the associated drop in risk amounted to roughly 16 percent, according to the study...

Children of Melanoma Survivors Often Get Sunburned: Study FRIDAY, Jan. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Common wisdom holds that adults who've experienced the trauma of melanoma would go to greater lengths to shield their children from the sun's rays. But a new study shows that nearly half of parents who were also melanoma survivors said their child had experienced a sunburn over the previous year. "Sunburns were common among the children in our study despite their elevated risk for skin cancer," study auth...

Child Medicaid Recipients Become Healthy, Productive Adults: Study WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Adults who received expanded Medicaid benefits as children contribute more in taxes, were more likely to attend college, and have a lower risk of premature death, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed the tax returns of nearly all people born in the United States between 1981 and 1984, to compare those from similar backgrounds who were eligible for Medicaid during childhood for different len...

CDC Lab Worker Has No Sign of Ebola Infection, Agency Says TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab technician who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus in an agency laboratory in Atlanta last month did not get sick, agency officials said Tuesday. The possible exposure occurred Dec. 22 when CDC scientists doing research on Ebola mistakenly transferred a sample of the potentially lethal virus to another CDC lab in the same building. The sample, o...

Cluster of Heart Risk Factors Tied to Uterine Cancer Risk TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A collection of health risk factors known as the "metabolic syndrome" may boost older women's risk of endometrial cancer, even if they're not overweight or obese, a new study suggests. Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of health conditions occurring together that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. These conditions include high blood pressure, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol,...

Cancer Survivors May Struggle for Years With Mental, Physical Problems MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Many U.S. cancer survivors have unresolved physical and mental health issues long after being cured, a new study finds. One expert wasn't surprised. "Many oncologists intuit that their patients may have unmet needs, but believe that these will diminish with time -- the current study challenges that notion," said Dr. James Ferrara, chair of cancer medicine at Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Si...

Cooler Temps May Boost Calorie-Burning 'Brown Fat,' Mouse Study Suggests THURSDAY, Jan. 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Cold temperatures may raise levels of calorie-burning "brown fat" in your body, a new study conducted with mice suggests. Unlike white fat, brown fat burns calories instead of storing them, and some studies have shown that brown fat has beneficial effects on glucose (blood sugar) tolerance, fat metabolism and body weight. "Overall, the percentage of brown fat in adults is small compared to...

Cancer Groups Urge More Regulation of E-Cigarettes THURSDAY, Jan. 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The potential health hazards of e-cigarettes remain unclear, and more regulation on their use is needed, say two groups representing cancer researchers and specialists. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) together issued a list of recommendations on Thursday aimed at bringing e-cigarette regulations more in line with those of traditional cigar...

Coordinated Care Through 'Medical Home' Best for Chronically Ill Kids: Study WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Very sick children with complex chronic illnesses can receive effective, less expensive care from a clinic that functions as a "medical home," with easy access to a team of dedicated health care professionals, a new study shows. Children were less likely to become seriously ill and need either hospitalization or a trip to the emergency room when they received treatment at an enhanced...

Can Fast Food Hinder Learning in Kids? TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A steady diet of fast food might hurt your child in the classroom, a new study finds. Kids who frequently ate fast food in fifth grade lagged behind by eighth grade, said researchers who reviewed questionnaires and test scores of more than 8,500 U.S. students. "The largest effects were found for the kids who reported daily consumption of fast food," said study leader Kelly Purtell, assistant professor of human sciences at ...

Concussion Laws Helping Student-Athletes, Study Finds MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A large increase in the number of U.S. school-age athletes receiving treatment for concussions is likely due to new laws and increased public awareness, a new study suggests. Researchers examined data collected from privately insured 12- to 18-year-olds across the United States between 2006 and 2012 in order to assess the impact of concussion laws. Since 2009, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have e...

Certain Antibiotic/Statin Combos May Be Unsafe Mix: Study MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who take the antibiotic Biaxin (clarithromycin) along with certain types of cholesterol-lowering statins are at risk for drug interaction side effects that can lead to hospitalization or even death, a new study suggests. "Physicians need to be made aware of this newly described dangerous interaction and consider alternative antibiotics to prevent toxicity that could be life-threatening," said expe...

Combination Antibiotic Zerbaxa Approved MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The combination antibiotic Zerbaxa (ceftolozane/tazobactam) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with complicated abdominal infections and complicated urinary tract infections. The approval for abdominal infections was approved in combination with another drug, metronidazole, the agency said in news release. The approval for urinary tract infection includes infection of the kidney. Zer...

Cocaine, Amphetamines May Up Injection Drug Users' Suicide Risk FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Injectable drug users who also use cocaine and amphetamines have nearly double the suicide attempt rate of other substance users, a new study finds. "We know that substance use is associated with the risk of suicide attempt and completed suicide," Didier Jutras-Aswad, a psychiatry professor at the University of Montreal, said in a university news release. "However, there are many different profiles ...

Could Bacteria Play a Role in Colon Cancer? FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Dense bunches of bacteria called biofilms can be found on most colon polyps and cancers, a new study finds. The researchers said these biofilms were especially prevalent on the right side of the colon. The presence of these biofilms may represent an increased likelihood of colon cancer and could offer a new way to predict a person's risk for the disease, the researchers said. Like tooth plaque and slime on pond stones,...

Crohn's, Colitis May Have Genetic Underpinnings, Study Finds FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The intestinal bacteria that cause inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, may be inherited, researchers report. The findings, published recently in the journal Genome Medicine , could help in efforts to prevent the disease and treat the 1.6 million Americans with Crohn's or colitis, the study authors added. "The intestinal bacteria, or 'gut microbiome,' you d...

Cancer Treatment Costs Weigh Heavily on Patients, Study Finds FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The cost of cancer treatment can cause financial stress that threatens patients' well-being, a new study finds. Researchers examined data from 1,000 people in the United States who had been diagnosed with colorectal or lung cancer. Of those patients, almost 900 had finished their treatments and were cancer-free, and more than 100 had advanced cancer. Nearly half of the patients said they were struggli...

CDC Warns of Listeria Danger From Caramel Apples FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. and state health officials are investigating a listeria outbreak linked to caramel apples that has killed at least four people and sickened 28 others in 10 states. Consumers should not eat any commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples until more information becomes available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release. As of Dec. 18, a total of 28 people had been infect...

Can You Balance on One Leg? You May Have Lower Stroke Risk THURSDAY, Dec. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you can't balance on one leg for at least 20 seconds you may be at risk of a stroke, Japanese researchers suggest. Difficulty standing on one leg may indicate that small strokes or tiny bleeds have already occurred, which means the risk for more serious strokes is high, the investigators reported online Dec. 18 in the journal Stroke . "Individuals showing instability while standing on one leg, as we...

Common Painkillers May Help Prevent Certain Skin Cancers, Study Finds THURSDAY, Dec. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Common painkillers, including ibuprofen, might slightly reduce your risk of developing a form of skin cancer, researchers say. Use of ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) appear to reduce the risk of squamous cell skin cancer by 15 percent, the researchers concluded after reviewing nine prior studies. Squamous cell skin cancer is usually caused by sun exposure. These painkillers "h...

Cheap Natural Compound May Help Smokers Quit WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The naturally occurring plant compound cytisine may be more effective than nicotine replacement therapy in helping smokers quit, a new study suggests. Cytisine, an acid-like chemical found in the seeds of the golden rain tree, has been used in Eastern Europe for decades to help smokers quit, researchers say. But it's not widely available. "Cytisine is one of the most affordable smoking cessation medicines available...

College Students Say 'Curiosity' Leads Them to Fake Pot WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Curiosity is the main reason why college students try synthetic marijuana, a new survey finds. Of more than 330 students in undergraduate and graduate health programs at a public university, 17 percent said they used fake pot at least once in their lifetime, and 3 percent reported recent use, University of Cincinnati researchers found. The leading reasons for trying synthetic marijuana included: curiosit...

Cyramza Approval Expanded to Include Non-Small Lung Cancer FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the anti-cancer drug Cyramza (ramucirumab) has been expanded to include aggressive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the agency said Friday. NSCLC, the most common form of lung cancer, will be diagnosed in an estimated 224,000 Americans this year, and about 159,000 Americans will die from it, the FDA said, citing U.S. National Cancer Institute projections. ...

Could a Supplement Prevent Weight Gain? THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A newly developed food supplement appears to prevent weight gain and trim fat around the waist, researchers say. However, the chemical compound doesn't seem to help people lose pounds, and the preliminary study is so small that the findings could be misleading. Still, it did "lower appetite and prevented weight gain in overweight people," said study co-author Gary Frost, chair of nutrition and dietetics at Imperial Colle...

Cutting Docs-in-Training Hours Hasn't Improved Patient Care: Studies TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cutting medical residents' work hours hasn't reduced death rates, hospital readmission rates or outcomes of surgery, two new studies find. "The work-hour restrictions have been controversial because there have been questions whether they are positive or negative," said Dr. James Arrighi, an associate professor of medicine at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Arrighi is also the co-author of ...

Cost of Job-Based Health Insurance Outpaces Family Income: Report TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Americans who get job-based health insurance are spending a bigger chunk of their paychecks on health care than they were a decade ago, and they may be getting less financial protection for the money, a new report suggests. Premium increases sharply outpaced wage growth between 2003 and 2013, researchers at the Commonwealth Fund reported Tuesday. Family health plan premiums jumped 73 percent, to $...

Cigarettes Cause One-Third of U.S. Cancer Deaths: Report TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Despite large declines in smoking rates, cigarettes still cause about one-third of cancer deaths in the United States, according to a new study. "Our results indicate that cigarette smoking causes about three in 10 cancer deaths in the contemporary United States. Reducing smoking prevalence as rapidly as possible should be a top priority for U.S. public health efforts to prevent future cancer deaths," rese...

 

California Infants Hit Hard by Whooping Cough Epidemic: Report THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new analysis of the whooping cough epidemic in California finds that infants have been hit the hardest, and it calls for increased efforts to vaccinate pregnant women so their babies are protected. In what state health officials are calling the worst outbreak in 70 years, 9,935 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) were diagnosed between Jan. 1 and Nov. 26. That translated into 26 cases per 100,000 ...

Common Knee Surgery May Boost Arthritis Risk, Study Suggests WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A common type of knee surgery may increase the chances of arthritis, a new study suggests. The procedure repairs tears in the meniscus, a piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. There are two in each knee, and they stabilize the knee joint. Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries, and surgery is often performed to reduce pain and improve joint function, the researchers said....

Could a 'Mediterranean' Diet Extend Your Life? TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There are hints in a new study that eating the much-lauded Mediterranean diet may help boost longevity. Researchers found that the regimen -- rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish and olive oil -- appears to be associated with longer telomere length, which are indicators of slower aging. Telomeres are located on the ends of chromosomes -- much like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces. Ac...

CDC Endorses Circumcision for Health Reasons TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials are poised to endorse circumcision as a means of preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday released its first-ever draft guidelines on circumcision that recommend that doctors counsel parents and uncircumcised males on the health benefits of the procedure. The guidelines do not outright call for circumcision of all male ...

Could Popular Heartburn Drugs Upset Your 'Good' Gut Bugs? TUESDAY, Nov. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Heartburn drugs such as Prilosec and Nexium may disrupt the makeup of bacteria in the digestive system, potentially boosting the risk of infections and other problems, a small new study suggests. The research doesn't confirm that these changes make it more likely users will become ill, and study authors aren't recommending that anyone stop taking the so-called proton pump inhibitors. However, these antac...

Calorie Counts Mandated at Chain Restaurants, FDA Says TUESDAY, Nov. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New rules announced Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have many restaurant chains posting calorie counts on their menus, and the rules even apply to movie theater popcorn and ice cream parlor fare. "Americans get about a third of their calories away from home, often consuming less nutritious food and underestimating the calories they eat," FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said durin...

Close Friends May Be Key to Teens' Drinking FRIDAY, Nov. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Close friends have more influence on teens' alcohol use than their general peer group does, a new study says. "We've known for a long time that friends and peers have an influence on individual alcohol use, but there are no common studies that distinguished between the broader peer group and the friend group's influence on those decisions," Jonathon Beckmeyer, an assistant professor at Indiana University's School of Pu...

Cost of Diabetes Care Keeps Climbing, Report Shows THURSDAY, Nov. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The cost of diabetes care in the United States has increased 48 percent in recent years, climbing to more than $322 billion annually, a new report shows. Even greater increases in cost were seen with prediabetes care, which have risen 74 percent, and undiagnosed diabetes, which have jumped 82 percent, the researchers added. In 2012, excess medical costs and lost productivity associated with diabetes totaled mo...

Could Your Job Help Preserve Your Aging Brain? THURSDAY, Nov. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Jobs requiring intellectually challenging tasks may help preserve thinking skills and memory as workers age, a new study suggests. The researchers compared IQ scores obtained around age 11 from more than 1,000 Scottish people with their memory and reasoning scores around age 70. The scientists found that those who had mentally stimulating jobs appeared to retain sharper thinking even years after retirement. Resear...

Coordination of Heart Attack Care Trims Time to Treatment: Study WEDNESDAY, Nov. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Improved coordination between paramedics and hospitals can reduce heart attack deaths nearly fivefold by getting patients quicker treatment, a new study shows. That's the conclusion of a clinical trial that measured the impact of an American Heart Association initiative designed to improve care for heart attack patients. The findings were to be presented Wednesday at the heart association's annu...

Chasing, Tackling Suspects Raises Cops' Odds of Sudden Death TUESDAY, Nov. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Police face a higher risk of sudden cardiac death when they're restraining or chasing suspects or engaging in altercations, compared to routine duties, according to new research. The risk of sudden cardiac death rose during the most stressful times about 30 to 70 times higher than during non-stressful work, said Dr. Stefanos Kales, associate professor of environmental health at the Harvard School of P...

Cocaine Can Cause Heart Problems: Study TUESDAY, Nov. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cocaine users can have abnormal blood flow in the heart that is hard to detect, which can put them at increased risk for heart disease or death, a new study warns. Researchers in Chicago compared heart imaging test results from 202 cocaine users and 210 people who didn't use the illegal drug. Those using cocaine showed subtle abnormalities in blood flow through the heart's smallest blood vessels, which were considered sig...

Could Too Much Medication for Irregular Heartbeat Raise Dementia Risk? SUNDAY, Nov. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with atrial fibrillation who are overtreated with anti-clotting drugs may be doubling their risk for dementia, a new study suggests. Atrial fibrillation causes the upper chambers of the heart to contract quickly and irregularly. These abnormal contractions allow blood to pool in the heart, forming clots that can cause a stroke if they break off and are carried into the brain. However, ...

Certain Heart Attacks Are Deadlier in Hospital SUNDAY, Nov. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that patients are more likely to die of a certain type of heart attack if they suffer it in a hospital while being treated for non-cardiac conditions. At issue are heart attacks known as ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI. The treatments include opening narrowed arteries with a stent or using medication to dissolve clots. But health officials haven't focused much on treating patients who ...

Could Flu Raise Risk of Fatal Artery Tear? SUNDAY, Nov. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza is a nasty virus in its own right. But, it might also increase a person's risk of suffering a life-threatening tear in the body's most important artery, a new study suggests. During flu season, an increased number of people land in the hospital with a potentially fatal leak in their aorta, the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the body, report researchers from the University of Texas Health Sci...

Certain Heart Dysfunction More Likely in Hispanic Women With Many Kids: Study MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Hispanic women who've had at least five children are much more likely to develop a certain type of heart trouble than those who've had fewer children or none, a new study finds. A team of researchers led by Shivani Aggarwal of Wake Forest School of Medicine analyzed data on 855 Hispanic women, 45 and older, from Chicago, Miami, New York City and San Diego. About 12 percent of them had ...

Calorie-Tracking Apps May Not Help You Lose Weight MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans use smartphone apps that help them track how many calories they consume each day, but a new study finds that people who used a popular one after their doctor recommended it did not lose any weight. The study doesn't conclusively debunk the idea of using such apps as weight-loss tools. Some participants were barely overweight in the first place, and their level of motivation varied, the rese...

Cholesterol Drug Vytorin Linked to Reduced Heart Attack Risk MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Driving "bad" LDL cholesterol down to extremely low levels with a combination drug appears to significantly reduce heart attacks and strokes in high-risk patients with clogged arteries, a new study found. Patients experienced fewer heart attacks and strokes when taking Vytorin, a drug that combines a cholesterol-lowering statin called simvastatin with a non-statin medication called ezetimibe, said prin...

Could Wine, Chocolate Help Shield Your Heart From Smog? MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A diet rich in chocolate, wine, fruits and vegetables may help protect people from heart disease caused by air pollution, new research suggests. The researchers found that elderly men were less likely to experience changes in heart function during heavy smog days if they ate foods loaded with flavonoids, an antioxidant found in plants. For example, eating about 100 grams of blueberries (about three-quarters...

CPR Phone Guidance Boosts Cardiac Arrest Survival, Study Says SATURDAY, Nov. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Talking bystanders through CPR methods for a cardiac emergency during a 911 call can significantly boost survival rates, a new study suggests. State researchers in Arizona examined the aggressive use of so-called pre-arrival telephone CPR guidelines -- step-by-step dispatcher instructions on administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation before trained rescuers arrive -- and found that it bumped surviv...

Cancer Patients in Hospice Face Less Aggressive Treatment: Study TUESDAY, Nov. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer patients who choose hospice care are less likely to receive aggressive end-of-life treatment or to die in hospitals and nursing homes, a new study finds. Researchers studied more than 18,100 elderly Medicare patients who had advanced cancer and received hospice care, and compared them with the same number of patients who did not receive hospice care. Non-hospice patients used significantly ...

Can Video Game Play Help Young Minds Learn? MONDAY, Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Action video games like "Call of Duty" can teach young adults new skills while also improving the way the skills are learned, new research suggests. It's not clear how the improved learning abilities may translate to life outside of screen and joystick. And don't get too excited, gamers: There's also no evidence that endless playing of video games is a good idea. "Our studies are no excuse for binging on video games," ...

Chronic Pot Smoking May Alter Brain, Study Suggests MONDAY, Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term marijuana use appears to alter a person's brain, causing one region associated with addiction to shrink and forcing the rest of the brain to work overtime to compensate, a new study reports. MRI scans revealed that people who use pot for years have a smaller-than-usual orbitofrontal cortex, a region in the frontal lobes of the brain that is involved in decision-making and assessing the expected reward...

Common Blood Pressure Drug May Lower Risk For Lou Gehrig's Disease: Study MONDAY, Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medications commonly used to lower blood pressure might also lower the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, researchers suggest. In fact, those who took particular doses of the medications known as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) for more than four years appeared to reduce their risk of ALS by 57 percent, the ...

CDC Spends $2.7 Million on Ebola Hospital Kits FRIDAY, Nov. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- About $2.7 million in personal protective gear has been ordered for health care workers at U.S. hospitals treating Ebola patients, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The Ebola-specific protective equipment is being sorted into 50 kits that can be rapidly delivered to hospitals. Each kit contains enough gear to enable medical teams to care for one Ebola patient for up to five days, the...

Certain Painkillers Tied to Raised Risk of Death After Stroke WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Arthritis pain relievers known as COX-2 inhibitors, including Celebrex and Lodine, are associated with an increased risk of dying within a month after a stroke, according to a new study. "This large study from Denmark adds to the prior concerns about COX-2 inhibitors and stroke risks," said Dr. Ralph Sacco, chairman of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "Patients at high...

Climate Change Will Boost Grass Pollen Production, Study Contends WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Climate change will boost levels of grass pollen in the air in the next 100 years, resulting in increased misery for people with grass allergy, a new study contends. Researchers predict that climate change-related rises in carbon dioxide will increase grass pollen production and people's exposure to the pollen by up to 202 percent in the next 100 years. "The implications of increasing CO2 for hu...

Colon Cancer on the Rise for U.S. Adults Under 50 WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There's good news and bad news in the war against colon cancer: While rates have fallen among older Americans, cases among adults aged 20 to 49 are rising and expected to continue to do so, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed U.S. National Cancer Institute data from 1975 through 2010 and found that the overall colon cancer rate for Americans fell by about 1 percent each year during that time, with a similar...

Child's Appendix More Likely to Rupture in Regions Short of Surgeons FRIDAY, Oct. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Children and teens with poor access to general surgeons are at increased risk of suffering a ruptured appendix, and the risk is particularly high among young children, a new study finds. If an infected appendix isn't removed quickly enough, it can burst or rupture, leading to a serious, sometimes fatal infection, according to background information from the study. Researchers analyzed data from...