Yahoo! News: Health News

Health News

• Women on the pill may live longer, study says (AP)

  AP - Women who took the birth control pill beginning in the late 1960s lived longer than those never on the pill, a new study says.

  
  

• Court says thimerosal did not cause autism (AP)

  AP - The vaccine additive thimerosal is not to blame for autism, a special federal court ruled Friday in a long-running battle by parents convinced there is a connection.

• Experts say even Obama getting too many med tests (AP)

  AP - Too much cancer screening, too many heart tests, too many cesarean sections. A spate of recent reports suggests that many Americans are being overtreated. Maybe even President Barack Obama, champion of an overhaul and cost-cutting of the health care system.

  
  

• FDA warning: some patients cannot process Plavix (AP)

  AP - The Food and Drug Administration is adding its strongest warning to the label for Plavix, cautioning that some patients do not respond to the blockbuster blood thinner.

  
  

• People with variable blood pressure at stroke risk (AP)

  AP - People with occasional spikes in their blood pressure could be at higher risk of having a stroke than those with regularly high blood pressure, new studies said Friday.

• Study suggests too many invasive heart tests given (AP)

  AP - A troublingly high number of U.S. patients who are given angiograms to check for heart disease turn out not to have a significant problem, according to the latest study to suggest Americans get an excess of medical tests.

  
  

• Obesity, Drinking a Double Threat to the Liver (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity plus daily drinking boosts the risk of liver disease in men and women, researchers report in two new studies.

• As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Better health translates into better sex lives, with healthy people more likely to engage in sex (and good sex at that) and to express an interest in sex, new research finds.

• Clinical Trials Update: March 12, 2010 (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

• U.S. court rules again against vaccine-autism claims (Reuters)

  Reuters - Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children's illness.

• New Knee May Improve Balance (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- A knee replacement can help improve an elderly person's balance, according to a new study.

• MRIs May Detect Hidden Tumors in Breast Cancer Patients (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - FRIDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- MRI scans are more likely to turn up undiagnosed tumors in the breasts of postmenopausal women who already had cancer in their other breast, researchers report.

• Health Tip: Risk Factors for Melanoma (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Melanoma is an often deadly form of skin cancer. Protecting yourself from sun damage can help protect your skin.

• Health Tip: Having an Epidural (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- An epidural is an injected anesthetic often used during labor and delivery to ease the pain of childbirth.

• S.Africa announces plans to ramp up HIV testing (AFP)

  AFP - The South African government on Thursday announced a ramped up AIDS plan that aims to test 15 million residents for HIV in the world's worst affected country by next June.

  
  

• Health Tip: Symptoms of Ketoacidosis (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Ketoacidosis occurs when diabetic people develop dangerously high levels of ketones, which are produced when stored fat is burned for energy.

• Health Tip: Treating a Sinus Headache (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- A sinus headache usually is caused when the air-filled cavities around your nose, eyes and cheeks become congested and inflamed. Doctors call this condition sinusitis.

• Health Tip: What's Behind Childhood Obesity (HealthDay)

  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is a major problem in the United States, and children are no exception. Today's kids are spending more hours watching TV, sitting at the computer or playing video games, and less time being active.