Health and Medical News Headlines for February 18, 2009

AIDS becomes China's deadliest infectious disease (AP)

AP - AIDS was the top killer among infectious diseases in China for the first time last year, with 6,897 people dying from the virus in the nine months through September, a state news agency said.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:35 pm

Report: FDA scaled back enforcement at labs (AP)

AP - An independent watchdog group says the government has quietly scaled back enforcement of federal quality regulations at labs that develop medical devices.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:09 pm

UPDATE 2-Atos Origin seeks margin boost in slump

PARIS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - French IT services group Atos Origin rolled out a long-awaited action plan to improve profitability despite the economic slump, as it posted in-line 2008 earnings on Wednesday...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:01 pm

For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care

People in their 20s who lack insurance may try everything from self-diagnoses to borrowing medications.

Source: NYT > Health | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:53 am

Indonesia Antam eyes two coal miners to meet energy needs

JAKARTA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Indonesian state-owned miner, PT Aneka Tambang Tbk , said on Wednesday that it is looking at two coal-mining firms as possible acquisitions to meet its rapidly rising energy...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:48 am

Delek in talks to sell U.S. insurance unit Republic

JERUSALEM, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Israeli conglomerate Delek Group said on Wednesday it was in talks to sell U.S. insurance unit Republic Companies Inc.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:46 am

Delek in talks to sell U.S. insurance unit Republic

UPDATE 2-Roche plans dollar bonds for Genentech offer -lead

* To use own funds, commercial paper, bank financing as well
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:43 am

UPDATE 1-Flagstar gets $25 mln investment from MatlinPatterson

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Flagstar Bancorp Inc , one of the largest savings and loans based in the U.S. Midwest, said MatlinPatterson Global Advisers LLC completed a $25 million investment in the company through...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:38 am

SNAPSHOT - Financial Crisis - 1130 GMT

- Obama signs $787 billion stimulus, to unveil housing plans
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:34 am

Teva invests $10.5 mln in diabetes drug developer

TEL AVIV, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries , the world's biggest generic drug maker, has decided to exercise an option to invest $10.5 million in Andromeda Biotech, which is developing...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:32 am

Teva invests $10.5 mln in diabetes drug developer

UPDATE 3-Russia launches LNG plant to supply Asian markets

PRIGORODNOYE, Russia, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Russia will supply about 50 cargoes of liquefied natural gas this year, mostly to Japan, from a new plant on the Pacific island of Sakhalin that will establish...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 18 Feb 2009 | 11:28 am

Why hobbies such as knitting may delay memory loss

Hobbies such as reading a book, knitting or even playing computer games can delay the onset of dementia, a US study suggests.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 18 Feb 2009 | 10:39 am

Air Quality Improves When Live Plants Introduced

The toxic gas formaldehyde is contained in building materials including carpeting, curtains, plywood, and adhesives. As it is emitted from these sources, it deteriorates the air quality, which can lead to "multiple chemical sensitivity" and "sick building syndrome", medical conditions with symptoms such as allergies, asthma, and headaches.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

No Link Found Between Heroin Clinics And Crime

Providing heroin to drug addicts at medically supervised clinics does not pose risks to surrounding neighbourhoods, according to a new study by Serge Brochu, a researcher at the UniversitÃ© de MontrÃ©al School of Criminology.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Estrogen Found To Increase Growth Of The Most Common Childhood Brain Tumor

University of Cincinnati researchers have discovered that estrogen receptors are present in medulloblastoma - the most common type of pediatric brain tumor - leading them to believe that anti-estrogen drug treatments may be beneficial in limiting tumor progression and improving patients' overall outcome. This research is being published in the March 2009 edition of Endocrinology.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Indicator That Warns Leukemia Is Progressing To More Dangerous Form Uncovered By Scientists

Scientists at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, Stanford University School of Medicine and other centers have identified a mechanism by which a chronic form of leukemia can progress into a deadlier stage of the disease.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Gene Linked To Aggressive Progression Of Liver Cancer Identified By Researchers

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified a gene that plays a key role in regulating liver cancer progression, a discovery that could one day lead to new targeted therapeutic strategies to fight the highly aggressive disease. Hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC, or liver cancer, is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the world.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Outbreak Of Deadly Virus Predicted By NASA Study

An early warning system, more than a decade in development, successfully predicted the 2006-2007 outbreak of the deadly Rift Valley fever in northeast Africa, according to a new study led by NASA scientists. Rift Valley fever is unique in that its emergence is closely linked to interannual climate variability.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Supplement Of Probiotics Provides A New Therapy For Ulcerative Colitis

Animal and clinical studies indicated that gastrointestinal bacteria play an important role in the development of UC, and the supplement of probiotics was beneficial for UC. While Because of the specific damage site of UC and the different colonization of each bacterium, it is suggested that different probiotics displayed different effects on UC.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Temple Research Finds An ADHD Drug Could Help Individuals With Aphasia Regain Language Abilities.

When ABC journalist Bob Woodruff was injured while reporting in Iraq in 2006, he suffered severe head injuries that caused him to lose his ability to recall and produce common words - a condition called aphasia. Today, Woodruff has recovered most of his language skills thanks to intensive behavioral therapy - reading and repeating words and sounds.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Psychologist Says There Is No 'Right' Way To Cope With Tragedy

After a collective trauma, such as Thursday's crash of Continental Flight 3407, an entire community (or even the nation) can be exposed to the tragedy through media coverage and second-hand accounts, according to Mark Seery, Ph.D., University at Buffalo assistant professor of psychology.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

An Adjuvant Chemotherapeutic Agent In Gastric Cancer Therapy

Peritoneal carcinomatosis can be thought of as a series of events that together form a peritoneal metastatic cascade. The peritoneal stromal tissue appears to be a friendly host for tumour proliferation, providing a rich source of growth factors and chemokines known to be involved in tumour metastasis.
Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 18 Feb 2009 | 9:00 am

Court Upholds the City’s Rule Requiring Some Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts

An appellate court rejected the New York State Restaurant Association’s argument that posting calorie counts violated First Amendment rights of restaurants.

Source: NYT > Health | 18 Feb 2009 | 7:34 am

The Minimalist: Your Morning Pizza

Everything is fair game at breakfast, and whole grains can be the basis for a quick, satisfying savory morning meal.

Source: NYT > Health | 18 Feb 2009 | 7:29 am

Beijing Investigates Transplants for Tourists

China said it was investigating whether 17 Japanese tourists had received illegal kidney and liver transplants in China.

Source: NYT > Health | 18 Feb 2009 | 7:19 am

Jerry Yang, Who Did Early Cloning Work, Dies at 49

Dr. Yang was a reproductive biologist who did early work on the cloning of farm animals and helped establish the safety of meat and milk produced by cloned cattle.

Source: NYT > Health | 18 Feb 2009 | 6:26 am

Cancer Survivors Struggle to Find Jobs, Study Finds

Many patients win the fight against cancer only to face mounting bills and few employment prospects, researchers reported.

Source: NYT > Health | 18 Feb 2009 | 5:03 am

Doctors' Guide to Cancer Drugs May Need Revising (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors may not always have complete or clear information when they prescribe cancer medications for uses beyond what the drugs have been approved for, a new study finds.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 4:48 am

Eye Problems, Hearing Loss May Be Linked (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- About 20 percent of children with sensorineural hearing loss also have eye disorders, a new study has found.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 4:48 am

Menopause Drug Tied to Breast Cancer Recurrence (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A large study of tibolone, a drug used to treat menopausal symptoms and to prevent osteoporosis, was halted early after researchers found that the synthetic steroid significantly increased the risk of recurrent breast cancer among survivors of the disease.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 4:47 am

Aids is China's deadliest disease

HIV/Aids has become China's deadliest infectious disease, the government says, killing 7,000 in nine months.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 18 Feb 2009 | 3:35 am

Smoking kills regardless of class

A new study reveals that being female or wealthy offers no defence against ill health caused by smoking.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 18 Feb 2009 | 2:10 am

Report: Fetal stem cells trigger tumors in ill boy (AP)

AP - A family desperate to save a child from a lethal brain disease sought highly experimental injections of fetal stem cells injections that triggered tumors in the boy's brain and spinal cord, Israeli scientists reported Tuesday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 1:01 am

Appeals court upholds NYC's calories-on-menus rule (AP)

AP - A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the city's regulation requiring some chain restaurants to post calories on menus and menu boards, saying the rule is a reasonable effort to curb obesity.

Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:23 am

Shingles 'risk' of arthritis drug

Some popular treatments for rheumatoid arthritis could increase the risk of shingles, a German study suggests.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:02 am

Stem cell 'cure' boy gets tumour

A boy treated with foetal stem cells for a rare disease develops tumours, raising questions over the therapy's safety.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:01 am

Risky tan jab warnings 'ignored'

Repeated warnings about potential health risks of so-called tan jabs appear to be going unheeded, experts believe.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 18 Feb 2009 | 12:01 am

Morning Rounds: Nursing Home Restraints, Contaminated Baby Formula and the Bedbug Invasion

Health news from around the Web.

Source: NYT > Health | 17 Feb 2009 | 11:35 pm

Adalimumab May Help Induce Fistula Healing in Patients With Active Crohn's Disease

Adalimumab therapy was more effective than placebo for inducing fistula healing, and complete fistula healing was sustained for up to 2 years in most patients in an open-label extension trial.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 11:13 pm

Statin Adherence Associated With Lower All-Cause Mortality, Even in Primary Prevention

Primary- and secondary-prevention patients who consistently take their statin medication have a significantly lower risk of death than those who do not adhere to therapy.
Heartwire
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 11:07 pm

ICUs see big drop in dangerous staph superbugs (AP)

AP - A government report says the rate of dangerous staph infections has dropped dramatically in hospital intensive-care units, a rare encouraging sign about a hard-to-treat "superbug." The report involving nearly 600 hospitals is the largest to document a long-term decline in the level of IV tube-related infections of MRSA, a deadly drug-resistant staph germ.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 17 Feb 2009 | 11:01 pm

Americans Fuzzy on Peanut Product Recalls

According to a new poll, most people are aware of the peanut product recalls, but many don't realize the scope of those recalls.
WebMD Health News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 10:54 pm

TADS: Combination Therapy Achieves Remission Earlier Than Monotherapy in Adolescent Depression

The majority of adolescents with depression will experience a remission of their symptoms if they continue therapy for 9 months. However, teens treated with a combination of an antidepressant and cognitive behavioral therapy will remit earlier than those who receive either treatment alone.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 10:27 pm

Certain Skin-Related Adverse Drug Events May Have Genetic Basis

In the first initial data released by the Food and Drug Administration in conjunction with the International Serious Adverse Events Consortium, the genetics associated with drug-induced serious skin rashes, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, are described. The data are expected to help better predict an individual's risk of developing these reactions.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 10:04 pm

Adalimumab May Help Induce Fistula Healing in Patients With Active Crohn's Disease

Statin Adherence Associated With Lower All-Cause Mortality, Even in Primary Prevention

Primary- and secondary-prevention patients who consistently take their statin medication have a significantly lower risk of death than those who do not adhere to therapy.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm

Half of First-Time Moms With Postnatal Psychosis Have No History of Mental Illness

During the first 90 days postpartum, the risk for psychoses in mothers without previous psychiatric hospitalization is increased with maternal age of at least 35 years.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm

Mediterranean Diet May Protect Against Mild Cognitive Impairment

Elderly individuals who follow a healthy Mediterranean diet are less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment and to convert from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm

Genetic Marker in Lymph Nodes May Predict Recurrence of Colorectal Cancer

GUCY2C expression in histologically negative nodes appears to be independently associated with time to recurrence and disease-free survival in patients with pN0 colorectal cancer.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 17 Feb 2009 | 9:42 pm

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