Health and Medical News Headlines for October 29, 2008

UPDATE 1-Accuray delays first-quarter results

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Accuray Inc delayed the
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 1:11 pm

Tests Could Predict Benefit From Cancer Drugs (HealthDay)

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- What if a blood test or biopsy could predict if a cancer therapy will help cure you, or only make you feel worse?
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 1:02 pm

UPDATE 1-ViroPharma Q3 results beats Street

better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by a lower tax
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:59 pm

UPDATE 2-Garmin Q3 results beat Street; cuts '08 outlook

(Recasts; adds analyst comments, details, share movement)
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:51 pm

Cast a vote, get vaccinated, nonprofit urges

Record numbers of early voters are lining up across America, and one nonprofit hopes health is on at least some of their minds. The non-partisan program Vote & Vax is teaming up with local health agencies to provide flu vaccinations at 250 polling locations around the country.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:47 pm

UPDATE 3-Aetna profit down on investments, but meets views

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Aetna Inc posted a 44
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:41 pm

Teenager on acne treatment dies

A teenager dies from a suspected allergic reaction after taking a medical treatment for acne for the first time.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:40 pm

UPDATE 1-China SMIC's loss widens, calls halt to expansions

International Corp , China's top contract chip
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:38 pm

UPDATE 2-BCE reports lower profit on restructuring charges

TORONTO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - BCE Inc , the
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:23 pm

UPDATE 2-Cardinal earnings fall, but beat Wall Street view

(Adds details on quarter, outlook, shareholder comment and
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:20 pm

UPDATE 1-Shire third-quarter results meet expectations

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Britain's third biggest drugmaker
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:17 pm

Old blood 'boosts infection risk'

Storing donated blood too long increases the chance of an infection, US researchers claim.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:16 pm

IMS forecast: Drug sales growth seen steady in 2009

growth is expected to hold steady in 2009 with anemic growth of
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:13 pm

REFILE-UPDATE 3-Toshiba, Fujitsu Q2 drop on weak chips

(Corrects typographical errors, removes extraneous text)
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsHealth | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:10 pm

Woman loses assisted suicide case

A woman with multiple sclerosis has lost her High Court case to clarify the law on assisted suicide.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 11:55 am

China: More eggs found containing melamine

Health authorities in Hong Kong have found more eggs contaminated with the chemical melamine.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 11:22 am

Hospice Chaplains Take Up Bedside Counseling

More and more, ministering to the terminally ill in hospice care is likely to be nonsectarian, or even secular.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 11:19 am

Environmentalists hail questioning of FDA finding (AP)

AP - Environmentalists are welcoming a report by an independent panel of scientific advisers which found flaws in the government's assurance that a controversial chemical is safe for use in food containers.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 11:09 am

Long-term Reciprocity Of Grooming In Wild West African Chimpanzees

Humans are well known for their ability to exchange helpful acts, and keep track of social favours over long periods of time. However, there is ongoing debate over whether non-human primates can keep track of previous interactions and, if so, if they can do it long term, or are constrained to finalize exchanges within a single encounter.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Support For GPs In Delivering Palliative Care In Aged Care Homes, Australia

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has launched a new online learning module to support general practitioners, practice nurses and general practice managers in the delivery of palliative care in aged care homes. These activities have been developed by Palliative Care Australia, with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Grapes May Protect Heart

New research from the US on laboratory rats suggests that eating grapes could help to fight high blood pressure resulting from a salty diet and could also reduce other cardiovascular risks and heart muscle damage. The effect is thought to be due to the high level of flavonoids in grapes.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Nicotine Addiction In US Highest In 15 Years

Addiction to nicotine has reached a 15 year high in the United States, where nearly three quarters of people asking to be treated for tobacco dependence are classed as highly dependent, said lung disease researchers at a conference in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Key To Sonic Hedgehog Control Of Brain Development Discovered By Penn Researchers

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have discovered how the expression of the Sonic hedgehog gene is regulated during brain development and how mutations that alter this process cause brain malformations. The results appear online this month in Nature Genetics.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Reduction In Prostate Specific Antigen Levels Associated With Statin Use

Use of cholesterol-lowering statins is associated with a statistically significant decline in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, according to a report in the October 28 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Previous studies examined whether statin use was associated with a reduction in prostate cancer risk. The results, however, have been inconsistent.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Evolution Of Trust And Trustworthiness: Social Awareness Favours Personality Differences

Individuals differ predictably in what they are likely to do even if they live in the same place or experience similar conditions.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Whiplash Management Gets Education Boost, Royal Australian College Of General Practitioners

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has launched a new online learning activity designed to support general practitioners and other members of the practice team in managing whiplash associated disorders.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

The New Facelift Procedures: Surgical Vs. Non-Surgical Facelift

The Three Ways of Facial Aging - Facial aging has always been associated with the visual signs of sagging skin. For decades, the favored treatment of this sagging skin has been a facelift. When aging recurred, another facelift was done, and so on. After a second or third facelift, the individual no longer looked natural, and instead had a "tight or pulled" appearance.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Students Showcase Ageing Research, Australian National University

Could insect vision help older drivers to stay on the road longer and safer? That will be one of the questions addressed at the 2008 Intergenerational Forum on Ageing Research to be held tomorrow at The Australian National University.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 29 Oct 2008 | 10:00 am

Study Links Age of Blood in Transfusions to Infections

Patients receiving transfusions of blood stored 29 days or longer are twice as likely to contract an infection as those receiving newer blood, according to researchers.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 6:43 am

F.D.A. Warns Bayer on Marketing of 2 Aspirins

Aspirin medicines from Bayer intended to promote healthy hearts are being illegally marketed with unproven health claims, federal regulators said.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 6:42 am

Doorknobs and TV remotes are germ hotbeds (AP)

AP - Someone in your house have the sniffles? Watch out for the refrigerator door handle. The TV remote, too. A new study finds that cold sufferers often leave their germs there, where they can live for two days or longer.

Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 5:52 am

Sex selection

UK couples choose baby gender at overseas clinics
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 5:16 am

Broader Financial Turmoil Threatens Biotech’s Innovation and Cash

Biotech companies, some of the riskiest stock around because most experimental drugs fail, have been negatively impacted by the financial crisis.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 5:14 am

UK couples 'choosing baby gender'

Many British couples are choosing the sex of babies at clinics abroad, which often offer the procedure illegally, the BBC learns
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 5:14 am

Swayze’s Best Act: Being Able to Show Up

Diagnosed less than a year ago with pancreatic cancer, the actor is defying expectations and putting in 12-hour days as the lead in a television series, “The Beast” on A&E.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 4:28 am

Calories Do Count

Complex diet regimens are starting to look like exotic mortgages and, just like a reliable savings account, good old calorie counting is coming back into fashion.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 3:51 am

Clinical Trials Update: Oct. 28, 2008 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch:
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 3:47 am

Successive Births, HRT Use Boost Joint Replacement Risks (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Early puberty, having lots of children, and hormone replacement therapy all increase a woman's likelihood of having knee or hip replacement surgery, according to a study that looked at 1.3 million British women whose health was tracked for an average of six years after they turned 50.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 3:47 am

Cialis May Help Ease Pulmonary Hypertension (HealthDay)

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Cialis (tadalafil), a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction, appears effective in treating pulmonary hypertension, researchers report.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 3:47 am

High-Dose Flu Shot Benefits Elderly (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A high dose of seasonal flu vaccine gives an added boost to the immune system of people aged 65 and older and provides them with better protection, according to a U.S. study that included nearly 4,000 people.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 29 Oct 2008 | 3:47 am

Mind: When All Else Fails, Blaming the Patient Often Comes Next

Lots of patients elude doctors’ clinical skill and therapeutic cleverness. That’s often when the trouble starts.

Source: NYT > Health | 29 Oct 2008 | 2:43 am

Chile HIV error minister resigns

The Chilean health minister resigns after a hospital fails to tell dozens of patients that they have HIV.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 2:11 am

NHS alcohol services 'struggling'

The NHS is failing to get to grips with the growing alcohol problems in England, the National Audit Office says.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:14 am

Single vaccine 'safety' warnings

UK researchers have raised concerns over the monitoring of the safety of single measles and rubella vaccines.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 29 Oct 2008 | 12:13 am

Wearing red may boost your sex appeal

Does wearing the color red give you a sexual edge? Maybe, according to a new study, which found that men find women sexier if they're sporting a crimson hue rather than, say, blue or green.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:43 pm

Recipes for Health: Oven-Steamed Salmon With Pan-Cooked Mushrooms

Mushrooms make a wonderful accompaniment to a moist piece of salmon.

Source: NYT > Health | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:29 pm

Child Abuse Often Overlooked in Emergency Department

At least one third of children diagnosed with abuse had at least 1 visit to the emergency department before diagnosis, according to a new study.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:16 pm

Skin Laceration Repair Reviewed

A review offers recommendations for best techniques for the primary care clinician to use when repairing skin lacerations.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Topiramate May Be Helpful for Treatment of Alcohol Dependence

In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, topiramate was effective for treatment of alcohol dependence.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Early HIV Therapy Improves Survival

Initiating vs deferring highly active antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV with a CD4 count between 351 and 500 cells/mm3 is associated with a 70% reduction in mortality rates.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Guidelines Issued for Management of Psoriatic Arthritis

The American College of Rheumatology has issued recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic arthritis.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Guidelines Issued for Management of GERD

The American Gastroenterological Association has issued a medical position statement and technical review on the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Metformin Top Oral Antidiabetic for CV-Risk Reduction, Says Meta-Analysis

The widely prescribed metformin was alone among oral antidiabetic agents to show a significant effect on cardiovascular risk in a meta-analysis of 40 select controlled trials.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Higher Doses of Vancomycin Associated With Increased Nephrotoxicity

Current recommendations for trough concentrations of vancomycin are associated with greater risk for nephrotoxicity.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

High Conscientiousness Linked to Decreased Risk for AD

Being conscientious having the ability to control impulses and to be goal directed may provide some protection against developing Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 9:00 pm

Anti-HIV Monoclonal Antibody Targeting CCR5-Tropic Virus Shows Promise

An interim analysis of early-phase trials looks promising, but hurdles remain.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 28 Oct 2008 | 8:50 pm

Well: Bad News on Vitamin E and Selenium

A once-promising study shows two simple supplements don’t help prevent prostate cancer.

Source: NYT > Health | 28 Oct 2008 | 8:43 pm

Kids' Eye Problems Often Emerge in Homework Battle

Some kids may have a common yet often missed vision problem.
Source: Livescience.com - Health | 28 Oct 2008 | 7:21 pm

NFL stars no match for bacteria

A 6-foot-4 football player is more than a million times the size of a typical Staphylococcus bacterium. But under the right conditions, that athlete could find himself defenseless against the microscopic bug. Hospitals have long been known to be hot spots for transmitting staph, but recently cases have cropped up in the sports world and other community settings.