HEALTH NEWS
Woman dies after receiving smoker's lungs in transplant
Jennifer Wederell, a 27-year-old British woman with cystic fibrosis, died of lung cancer after she received the lungs of a heavy smoker in an organ transplant. ...Read More
Patients who Google hemorrhoids may want to avoid doctor
Google's annual roundup of the year's top search trends revealed that people took to the Internet to learn more about Whitney Houston, Hurricane Sandy and Big Bird, but an unlikely pain in the butt joined the group, too: hemorrhoids. ...Read More
Newtown shooting puts spotlight on US mental health care -- Again
It has not yet been confirmed whether Adam Lanza had been diagnosed with mental illness, but the 20-year-old, who murdered his mother, then drove to a Newtown, Conn., elementary school and gunned down 20 first-graders and six adults, has again shined the spotlight on care for the mentally ill in the United States, and has many asking whether yet another mass shooting could have been prevented. ...Read More
Nearly all US states see hefty drop in teen births
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's record-low teen birth rate stems from robust declines in nearly every state, but most dramatically in several Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to a new government report. ...Read More
Doctors save Ohio boy by 'printing' an airway tube
In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day. ...Read More
Polish man gets quick face transplant after injury
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland's first face transplant. ...Read More
What do we eat? New food map will tell us
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Do your kids love chocolate milk? It may have more calories on average than you thought. ...Read More
Measles surges in UK years after vaccine scare
LONDON (AP) — More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the specter of autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease. ...Read More
Drugmakers, health groups bring poor girls vaccine
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Two multinational drugmakers are teaming up with top global health groups to protect millions of girls in the world's poorest countries from deadly cervical cancer. ...Read More
Obama wades back into the health care debate
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is launching a new effort to rally the public around his hotly disputed health care law, a strategy aimed at shoring up key components of the sweeping federal overhaul and staving off yet another challenge from Republicans. ...Read More
3 suspected cases of SARS-related virus in France
PARIS (AP) — French health officials said Friday they are investigating three suspected cases of a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS, in people who had close contact in the hospital with France's only confirmed case. ...Read More
Judge in NYC refuses to suspend his Plan B ruling
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge on Friday refused to delay enforcement of his decision giving women of all ages broad access to morning-after birth control, calling the government's appeal frivolous, a "silly argument" and an insult to the intelligence of women. ...Read More
Obama says health care law 'here to stay'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is rallying support for his health care law, saying the law has already provided an array of benefits and will now give those without insurance a chance to obtain it. ...Read More
Obama declared health care law 'is here to stay'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Caught between nervous Democrats and emboldened Republicans, President Barack Obama on Friday stepped up the sales pitch on his health care overhaul as the final elements of his top domestic achievement go into effect. With his legacy and the law's success at stake, Obama said: "The law is here to stay." ...Read More
Govt stops study seeking to prevent type of stroke
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government has halted a study testing treatments for a brain condition that can cause strokes after early results suggested invasive therapies were riskier than previously thought. ...Read More
Obama calls on Congress to help more homeowners
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Congress must give more homeowners the chance to refinance their mortgages to save money. ...Read More
France confirms 2nd case of SARS-related virus
PARIS (AP) — France has confirmed a second case of a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS, authorities said Sunday, as they increased efforts to inform the public about how to avoid the illness and watch for its signs. ...Read More
2 new viruses could both spark global outbreaks
LONDON (AP) — Two respiratory viruses in different parts of the world have captured the attention of global health officials — a novel coronavirus in the Middle East and a new bird flu spreading in China. ...Read More
UN: Eat more insects; good for you, good for world
ROME (AP) — The latest weapon in the U.N.'s fight against hunger, global warming and pollution might be flying by you right now. ...Read More
Huge drug cost disparities seen in health overhaul
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn. ...Read More
Monday last day for morning-after pill appeal
NEW YORK (AP) — The government is running out of time to try to halt implementation of a federal judge's ruling that would lift age restrictions for women and girls wanting to buy the morning-after pill. ...Read More
US government files morning-after pill appeal
NEW YORK (AP) — The Obama administration on Monday filed a last-minute appeal to delay the sale of the morning-after contraceptive pill to girls of any age without a prescription. ...Read More
Study questions if bed rest prevents prematurity
WASHINGTON (AP) — New research is raising fresh concern that an age-old treatment for troubled pregnancies — bed rest — doesn't seem to prevent premature birth, and might even worsen that risk. ...Read More
Deaths from West Nile virus hit record last year
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials say last year was the worst ever for West Nile virus deaths. ...Read More
Popular psychologist Joyce Brothers dead at 85
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Popular psychologist, columnist, and television and film personality Joyce Brothers has died. She was 85. ...Read More
Women have new options for breast cancer surgery
CHICAGO (AP) — Treating breast cancer almost always involves surgery, and for years the choice was just having the lump or the whole breast removed. Now, new approaches are dramatically changing the way these operations are done, giving women more options, faster treatment, smaller scars, fewer long-term side effects and better cosmetic results. ...Read More
Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy: Q&A
Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie disclosed Tuesday that she had a preventive mastectomy after learning she had a gene mutation that significantly raised her risk of breast cancer. A look at the procedure: ...Read More
Women have more options for breast cancer surgery
CHICAGO (AP) — One of the world's most glamorous women had an operation that once was terribly disfiguring — removal of both breasts. But new approaches are dramatically changing breast surgeries, whether to treat cancer or to prevent it as Angelina Jolie just chose to do. As Jolie said, "the results can be beautiful." ...Read More
Study questions how sharply US should cut the salt
WASHINGTON (AP) — A surprising new report questions public health efforts to get Americans to sharply cut back on salt, saying it's not clear whether eating super-low levels is worth the struggle. ...Read More
Jolie admired for bravery in mastectomy revelation
NEW YORK (AP) — "I hope that other women can benefit from my experience," Angelina Jolie wrote in a powerful op-ed article Tuesday, explaining her decision to go public with having her breasts removed to avoid cancer. ...Read More
Jolie: From girl with tattoos to girl with a cause
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In her bad girl days, Angelina Jolie's body was a billboard for tattoos that said such things as "Billy Bob." ...Read More
St. Louis doctor with cerebral palsy offers hope
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez gently but sternly admonishes a teenage cerebral palsy patient who clearly hasn't been doing his exercises, stressing the importance of keeping muscles loose and limber. ...Read More
Jolie: From girl with tattoo to woman with a cause
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In her bad girl days, Angelina Jolie's body was a billboard for tattoos that said such things as "Billy Bob." ...Read More
AP Exclusive: Health reforms penalize some Indians
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When Liz DeRouen needs any kind of health care services, from diabetes counseling to a dental cleaning, she checks into a government-funded clinic in Northern California's wine country that covers all her medical needs. ...Read More
Stem cells recovered from cloned human embryos
NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. ...Read More
Shrinks, critics face off over psychiatric manual
CHICAGO (AP) — In the new psychiatric manual of mental disorders, grief soon after a loved one's death can be considered major depression. Extreme childhood temper tantrums get a fancy name. And certain "senior moments" are called "mild neurocognitive disorder." ...Read More
Health care workers sickened by SARS-like virus
NEW YORK (AP) — Global health officials say a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS has apparently spread from patients to two health care workers in eastern Saudi Arabia. ...Read More
Saudi health workers sickened by SARS-like virus
NEW YORK (AP) — A deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS has apparently spread from patients to health care workers in eastern Saudi Arabia, health officials said Wednesday. ...Read More
Details of Jolie's breast treatment revealed
Angelina Jolie's mother had breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer, and her maternal grandmother also had ovarian cancer — strong evidence of an inherited, genetic risk that led the actress to have both of her healthy breasts removed to try to avoid the same fate, her doctor said Wednesday. ...Read More
Tiny preemies get a boost from live music therapy
CHICAGO (AP) — As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes. ...Read More
Correction: New Virus story
NEW YORK (AP) — In a story May 15 about a new SARS-like virus spreading from patients to health care workers in Saudi Arabia, The Associated Press reported erroneously the location of the 20 deaths attributed to the virus. There have been no deaths reported in France and Qatar, only in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany and Britain. ...Read More
Organic industry clout grows with consumer demand
WASHINGTON (AP) — The organic food industry is gaining clout on Capitol Hill, prompted by rising consumer demand and its entry into traditional farm states. But that isn't going over well with everyone in Congress. ...Read More
WHO says single yellow fever shot is enough
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says a yellow fever booster vaccination given 10 years after the initial shot isn't necessary. ...Read More
Rising consumer demands aids organic industry sway
WASHINGTON (AP) — The organic food industry is gaining influence on Capitol Hill, prompted by its entry into traditional farm states and by increasing consumer demand. ...Read More
Portland, Ore., voting on water fluoridation
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oral health and politics collided Tuesday as Portlanders — proudly nonconformist and environmentally minded — decided whether their city remains the largest in the U.S. without public fluoridation. ...Read More
Portland, Ore., rejecting water fluoridation
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The mayor of Portland, Ore., has conceded defeat in an effort to add fluoride to the city's drinking water. ...Read More
Life-saving face transplant performed in Poland
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A 33-year-old Polish man received a life-saving total face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest timeframe to date for such an operation. ...Read More
Measles surges in UK years after flawed research
LONDON (AP) — More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of now discredited research that linked the vaccine to autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease. ...Read More
Sports seem OK for many with heart-zapping device
WASHINGTON (AP) — New research is challenging medical guidelines that say people with a heart-zapping device in their chests should avoid intense sports like basketball and soccer in favor of golf or bowling. ...Read More
Report: NPS hantavirus response followed policy
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Federal investigators probing the hantavirus outbreak blamed for three deaths at Yosemite National Park recommended on Monday that design changes to tent cabins and other privately run lodging first be reviewed by National Park Service officials. ...Read More
After a decade, global AIDS program looks ahead
WASHINGTON (AP) — The decade-old law that transformed the battle against HIV and AIDS in developing countries is at a crossroads. The dream of future generations freed from epidemic is running up against an era of economic recovery and harsh budget cuts. ...Read More
Tunisia announces 3 cases of coronavirus, 1 death
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A 66-year-old Tunisian man has died from the new coronavirus following a visit to Saudi Arabia and two of his adult children were infected with it, the Tunisian Health Ministry reported. ...Read More
Cancer Society hits 100 as US cancer rate falls
NEW YORK (AP) — The American Cancer Society — one of the nation's best known and influential health advocacy groups — is 100 years old this week. ...Read More
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