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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...]

Depression can often be more serious for men   Reported June 11, 2009 She has trouble getting out of bed, perhaps confides in a few close friends, and is likely to seek professional help. He gets irritable and nasty, bottles up his feelings inside, and the last thing he wants to do is talk to a counsellor. … [Read more...]

Major leap for stem cellsReported November 21, 2007 In an advance that could transform stem-cell research and accelerate progress toward treating patients with personalized replacement tissue, American and Japanese researchers report they have reprogrammed ordinary human skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells. By inserting four key genes into the cells, the … [Read more...]

Houston targets syphilis increaseReported August 29, 2007 To deal with a syphilis outbreak, the city Department of Health and Human Services is offering extended hours at two of its clinics that specialize in sexually transmitted diseases. The new hours start Saturday, and city residents can be diagnosed and receive treatment for free. • Medical Center Clinic, 1115 S. … [Read more...]

NY health official: Higher tax helps smokers quitReported June 15, 2008 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York smokers have been sent outside in all kinds of weather, coughed at in disdain, and now they are burdened with the most expensive cigarette taxes in the nation. Now, to add cost to injury, the state is declaring its highest-in-the-nation cigarette tax a success. The number … [Read more...]

Fewer U.S. doctors focusing on primary care; international docs take up slackReported February 12, 2008 WASHINGTON - Fewer American doctors are focusing on primary care, but the decline is being covered by physicians from other countries. The General Accountability Office said Tuesday that as of 2006 there were 22,146 American doctors in residency programs in the United … [Read more...]

Insights Into Lung Disease And Lung Function In Young Adults Reported May 21, 2008 ScienceDaily (May 21, 2008) — Two studies being presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on May 21 provide insights into lung disease and lung function in young adults. One links low levels of a protein called … [Read more...]

Tuberculosis breaches borders, but not public health Reported November 04, 2007 Immigrants from countries with high rates of tuberculosis who move to countries of low TB incidence do not pose a public health threat to native citizens, according to researchers in Norway, who analyzed the incidence and genetic origins of all known cases of TB in the … [Read more...]

Thank You for Smoking… PassivelyJuly 12, 2007 This spring, legislators are once again taking to battling windmills - standing up for some half of the nation's windpipes - as they tackle the nation's problem with a set of new laws aimed at curbing smoke in public places. Who said it was a problem? We did. The non-smokers at this paper. Two … [Read more...]

Body piercing brings health risks Reported 13 June, 2008 More than a quarter of people who have body piercing suffer complications, the first medical study of the trend said today. The warning comes after research published in the British Medical Journal estimated that one in 10 adults in England have piercings somewhere other than their earlobes. … [Read more...]

Stem cell research in DubaiReported December 01, 2009 When I was expecting my first child, I was baffled by the choices my hormonally charged brain was expected to process. Did I want to know the sex of my baby? Would my husband be allowed at the delivery? And really vital ones like should I do pre-natal yoga classes or eat a third doughnut? Which hospital would give me … [Read more...]

Third death related to the H1N1 flu virus confirmed in QuebecReported June 14, 2009 MONTREAL — Quebec's public health department has confirmed a third death in the province linked to the H1N1 flu virus. Health officials say the victim was a woman in her 50s with an underlying chronic illness. They also confirm 40 new cases of the swine flu in the province, which … [Read more...]

Justice sought for nurse who died of SARSReported February 26, 2009 Their lawyer calls it "SARS-gate." But to Kenneth and Grace Laroza, it's less about catchy names than loss of life. Their mother, Nelia, a nurse at North York General Hospital, died in June 2003 at age 51 from the second wave of SARS to hit Toronto. So it was hard for the Larozas to listen from the benches … [Read more...]

France warns of health risks from mobile phones January 03, 2008 A French health ministry on Wednesday issued a warning against excessive mobile-phone use, especially by children, though it recognized cellular technology had not been scientifically proved to be dangerous. The appearance on the market of mobile phones designed for young children has … [Read more...]

Grassroots Efforts In India Fight Spread of HIV Reported June 19, 2008 After a prolonged back-and-forth between diverse agencies over actual HIV/AIDS statistics in India, the figure that India's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has settled on is an estimated 2.5 million people who are living with the virus in the country, accounting for … [Read more...]

Do life events trigger mental disorders? Reported November 12, 2007 A new epidemiological study performed in Italy addresses an old question in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Although life events have been consistently reported as precipitating factors for most psychiatric disorders, there is no comprehensive … [Read more...]

Depression can often be more serious for men   Reported June 11, 2009 She has trouble getting out of bed, perhaps confides in a few close friends, and is likely to seek professional help. He gets irritable and nasty, bottles up his feelings inside, and the last thing he wants to do is talk to a counsellor. … [Read more...]

Infections jump 45% among young Central OhioansReported November 21, 2007 Columbus--The number of Central Ohio teenagers and young adults infected with HIV has exploded 45 percent in just three years. Of all the Franklin County women living with HIV, nearly three-quarters are African American. As dozens of countries commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, Central … [Read more...]

Healthcare Crisis Looms in LA, Nationally Reported June 11, 2008 LOS ANGELES -- Health care is one of the burning issues being discussed in the presidential primaries along with the economy, gas prices and Iraq. At the local level, it is also one of the main issues of the second supervisorial race. Along with the status of Martin Luther King Jr. hospital, it is … [Read more...]

How to care for your bones through the agesReported July 07, 2008 Bones are the body's first lines of defense. They protect the brain, heart and lungs and anchor the muscles. They keep us mobile. And all they ask in return is our support to keep them strong: good nutrition, weight-bearing exercise, calcium and Vitamin D. Bones' needs also vary with age. You accumulate an … [Read more...]

Change of season increases illness Reported January 22, 2009 A common time for people to experience a cold or flu is during a change of season. My office gets flooded with calls in September as kids head back to school, sniffles and coughs are common complaints as summer gives way to autumn weather. Now, as the snow hits the ground, we prepare for the second round of stuffy … [Read more...]

France douses 'last social pleasure' January 02, 2008 PARIS -- The smell of cigarette and cigar smoke may never completely disappear from Le Saint Claude, a combination bar, café, betting shop and tobacconist in southeastern Paris. But France's new smoking ban, which took effect yesterday, has altered the chemistry of the place. "They are taking away one … [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...]

New way to look inside our brainsReported December 10, 2007 The world's most powerful MRI -- 100,000 times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field -- is going on-line at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The machine will be especially useful for imaging the brain for such conditions as tumors and strokes. A recent study of 12 men and 13 women found the machine to be … [Read more...]

Report Warns Of Danger From CT ScansReported November 28, 2007 Millions of Americans, especially children, needlessly get dangerous radiation from "super X-rays" that raise the risk of cancer and are increasingly used to diagnose medical problems, a new report warns. In a few decades, as many as 2 percent of all cancers in the U.S. might be due to radiation from CT scans … [Read more...]

Rising use of highly radioactive CT scans has scientists worriedReported November 29, 2007 MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Doctors might be overusing CT scans, the popular diagnostic tool that exposes patients to far more radiation than conventional X-rays, scientists in Manhattan will report today. The analysis by investigators at Columbia University Medical Center comes on the heels … [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...]

Machismo, Homophobia Undermine HIV-Prevention Efforts In Mexico, Advocates Say   July 15, 2007 Mexico's National Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, known as Censida, has launched efforts to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS and combat machismo and homophobia, both of which … [Read more...]

Tobacco corporations kill ignorant Russians with 'light cigarettes' Reported May 21, 2008 According to the World Health Organization, Russia has the largest number of smokers after China, India and Indonesia. Russia has the largest number of male smokers in the world (70.2 percent). This is actually the limit, since others will not start smoking … [Read more...]

Attitudes to alcohol in SpainNovember 13, 2007 Spain's problem with alcohol is minor compared with countries like the United Kingdom. The relative size of drinks in Spain is a good guide to the scale of the problem. When you order in a bar, the standard serving of beer is a caña - a glass with a volume of 200 millilitres, just … [Read more...]