Other

Breastfeeding Recommended to Protect Infants During Swine Flu OutbreakReported May 01, 2009 (HealthNewsDigest.com) - Washington, DC - As the nation monitors the intensifying "swine flu" outbreak, the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) recommends breastfeeding as a critical strategy to prevent infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued … [Read more...]

Alcohol brain injury 'crisis' looms August 06, 2007 MORE than 200,000 Australians are living with undiagnosed permanent brain damage caused by drinking alcohol. And a further two million people - one in eight adults - are at serious risk of joining them due to the amounts they consume, health experts warn. Yet the country is … [Read more...]

Canada's swine flu cases jump to 13, all mildReported April 29, 2009 VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Canada increased to 13 on Tuesday, as Canadians were urged to avoid unnecessary travel to Mexico and tour operators postponed flights between the countries. Ontario, the country's most populous province, confirmed its … [Read more...]

Third Canadian Influenza A (H1N1) Victim DiesReported June 02, 2009 Toronto, Ontario (AHN) - Influenza A (H1N1) claimed a third Canadian victim over the weekend. According to Ontario Ministry of Health spokesman Andrew Morrison the third fatality to have died of swine flu is an Ontario man who has been confined at a hospital for quite some time and has other medical … [Read more...]

Persistent cough could be a sign of COPD November 11, 2007 BANGALORE: Smokers beware! You may be aware that smoking leads to lung cancer and heart disease. But do you know it also leads to serious respiratory condition in which the airways get blocked? More than 13 million Indians are victims of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), … [Read more...]

Japan premier says government responsible for hepatitis from tainted blood December 24, 2007 TOKYO - The Japanese government bears the ultimate responsibility for hepatitis C infections caused by tainted blood products, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Monday. "Pharmaceutical matters are the responsibility of … [Read more...]

Spinal cord research shows promiseReported November 13, 2007 MONTREAL - Montreal researchers have identified what may be a pivotal first step toward regenerating injured spinal cords using the body's own stem cells. The repair mechanism that works well in a developing or embryonic nervous system seems to work in reverse in adults following injury, explained … [Read more...]

Areas in the brain size up competition Reported November 01, 2007 ATLANTA: Humans spend a lot of time sizing each other up a fact long known to social scientists. But a new study has pinpointed the brain areas that appear to be involved in this process of social comparison. The study, led by Caroline Zink, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health, … [Read more...]

Alcohol brain injury 'crisis' looms August 06, 2007 MORE than 200,000 Australians are living with undiagnosed permanent brain damage caused by drinking alcohol. And a further two million people - one in eight adults - are at serious risk of joining them due to the amounts they consume, health experts warn. Yet the country is … [Read more...]

Brazil to provide free sex-change operations Reported November 17, 2007 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Brazil’s public health system will begin providing free sex-change operations in compliance with a court order, the Health Ministry said Friday. Ministry spokesman Edmilson Oliveira da Silva said the government would not appeal Wednesday’s ruling by … [Read more...]

More teenage girls saying no to sexReported June 01, 2009 OTTAWA - Despite living in a seemingly more sex-crazed society, fewer Canadian teenagers - particularly girls - are having sex compared to their counterparts a decade ago, according to data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. The surprising findings found that 43 per cent of youth aged 15 to 19 said they had … [Read more...]

B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (B-CLL) December 10, 2007 The European Commission has granted marketing authorization to MabCampath® (alemtuzumab) for the treatment of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) for whom fludarabine combination chemotherapy is not appropriate. … [Read more...]

Health alert declared across country to guard against Swine Flu infectionsReported April 28, 2009 New Delhi, April 28: Government has put on high alert all international airports and ports for identifying persons with suspected infection of swine flu. Those traveling to affected areas have also been advised to defer their non essential travel. Official sources said that … [Read more...]

New HIV/AIDS cases in Japan reach record high 13 August, 2007 The number of people newly diagnosed with HIV and those who developed AIDS in Japan in 2006 reached record highs of 914 and 390, respectively, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the Japanese AIDS Surveillance Committee, the … [Read more...]

Stress fractures: an invisible enemy Reported January 14, 2008 THE adage "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" doesn't always apply to distance runners. Promising running careers can be interrupted or cut short -- and training goals derailed -- by overuse injuries known as stress fractures. Repeated pounding causes these tiny breaks in bones in the feet, legs and … [Read more...]

How's Your Health, San Antonio?Reported November 09, 2007 How healthy are San Antonians? What are the biggest risks we face? Much of the report by Metro Health focused on the link between poverty and a child's health. The report identified 10 zip codes near the Downtown area where some of the highest health risks are, and the rate immunizations is still low . One of the … [Read more...]

HIV Carriers Keep Virus a Secret   Reported November 26, 2007 Those carrying HIV often hide the illness from people close to them, finds a survey by NordPol, a Nordic umbrella organization for HIV positive persons. Under half of the respondents said they had told their parents about being HIV positive. In the work … [Read more...]

Health concerns, income determine drinking water choices among TurksReported March 22, 2009 A rapid increase in immigration from rural areas to cities as a result of industrialization has inevitably led to more densely populated cities in Turkey. The fact that the existing water infrastructure in many urban areas is insufficient to meet the resulting increase in demand, … [Read more...]

Refusing to have sex on the first date 'increases the chance of finding a good man' Reported January 13, 2009 Prolonging the mating courtship increases a woman's chance of finding a "good" man, mathematicians have found. A new study shows that refusing to sleep with a partner on the first date could be one of the keys to making a successful … [Read more...]

Women's mental health hit by recessionReported May 02, 2009 WASHINGTON -- A majority of U.S. women polled indicate the sagging economy has negatively affected their mental health, a survey indicates. A survey by the American Psychiatric Association examines the impact of the economic crisis on the mental well-being of women nationally and in Clinton County, Ohio, where air … [Read more...]

Australia Tests 89 for Swine Flu, Raises SurveillanceReported April 29, 2009 April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Australia is testing 89 people for swine flu and the government has increased surveillance, detention and disinfection powers to combat any outbreak, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said. Some 89 passengers showing flu symptoms have been detained through airport medical checks … [Read more...]

Canadian number-crunchers gather in Africa to build disease-fighting models Reported November 05, 2007 VANCOUVER - Mathematics could be the newest weapon in the fight against HIV-AIDs. Canadian and African mathematicians, scientists and health officials are travelling to Kampala, Uganda for a first-of-its-kind meeting next week to discuss the spread of diseases such as … [Read more...]

Unions: Nursing training course not enoughReported February 27, 2009 The province is going ahead with a pilot program to help foreign nurses get accreditation in Canada. But the union representing nurses says it doesn't go nearly far enough to address the shortage. There are currently around 13-hundred nursing vacancies in the province. The pilot project will train … [Read more...]

Flu fears alter life at U.S. universitiesReported May 02, 2009 BOSTON (Reuters) - Northeastern University in Boston dropped the traditional handshake for graduating students accepting diplomas, while Cisco Junior College in Texas cancelled its commencement ceremonies altogether. Coast to coast, fears of the H1N1 flu strain are altering American campus life in both subtle … [Read more...]

Therapist treats wartime trauma with artReported June 01, 2009 GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Art therapy is the latest approach the Army is using in Europe to address soldiers’ psychological problems stemming from downrange deployments. Since early May, soldiers and civilians seeking psychological treatment have … [Read more...]

Possible health hazards from mobile phone radiation Reported June 16, 2008 NEW DELHI: Electromagnetic radiation from base station antennas of mobile networks and mobiles phones could pose serious health hazards to people, particularly children below 16 years, pregnant women and those using medical aids, according to a draft guidelines report … [Read more...]

Heavy drinking may effect genders differently Reported August 13, 2008 Heavy drinking may protect men from heart disease, but the effect in women is less clear, a Japanese study in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke found. Men who consumed four or more alcoholic drinks a day lowered the risk of … [Read more...]

CDC: Tests Prove Stomach Flu Can KillReported August 23, 2007 ATLANTA (AP) -- A 90-year-old nursing home patient died from the stomach flu last year, marking the first time U.S. health officials confirmed that the highly contagious bug is sometimes fatal. The North Carolina woman so far is the only person for whom lab tests confirmed norovirus as the killer, but health … [Read more...]

Teen Smokers Struggle To Kick The Habit; Most Want To Quit And Can'tReported July 20, 2008 Most teenagers who smoke cigarettes make repeated attempts to quit but most are unsuccessful, according to new research from the Université de Montréal and funded by the Canadian Cancer Society.   "The study found that teen smokers make their first serious attempt to quit … [Read more...]

Genes responsible for hearing lossReported November 15, 2007 WASHINGTON: A new study of twins has revealed that genes play a significant role in the level of hearing loss that often appears in late middle age. Researchers from the Brandeis University examined genetic and environmental factors affecting hearing loss in the frequency range of speech recognition. “This … [Read more...]