Other News

Giving up smoking has rapid health benefits, says study Reported 07 May, 2008 People who give up smoking begin to improve their health almost immediately, according to a study of more than 100,000 women carried out between 1980 and 2004. Within five years the risk of death from all causes fell by 13%, it found. By 20 years, people had no extra risk of … [Read more...]

US swine flu victims had chronic health problemsReported May 08, 2009 ATLANTA (AP) — America's two swine flu deaths — a toddler and a pregnant woman — each suffered from several other illnesses when they were infected with the virus, according to a study released Thursday. The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented a clearer picture of the … [Read more...]

Brazil to distribute 19.5 million condoms during carnival Reported January 30, 2008 Health officials in Brazil on Sunday began distributing millions of condoms ahead of the country's five-day Carnival in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The Ministry of … [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...]

Gift cards key to new AIDS prevention strategy Reported August 08, 2008 ATLANTA (AP) — Could the AIDS virus be stopped with gift cards? Desperate for a way to stop the escalating spread of HIV among young gay men, public health officials are looking to novel strategies, such as enlisting local gay opinion leaders to urge their peers to practice safe sex. Promising signs … [Read more...]

India HIV caseload seen dramatically lowerJuly 4, 2007 NEW DELHI, July 4 (Reuters) - India has fewer than 2.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, a senior health official said on Wednesday, nearly 60 percent lower than the 5.7 million estimated by the United Nations. India has been ranked with the world's biggest HIV-positive caseload, but the … [Read more...]

Concept 1010 for daily fitnessReported June 13, 2008 A new fitness facility, Concept 1010, has no entertainment system or mirrors. Yet it promises results by eliminating distractions and maximising intensity. Stephen Snowball reports. "Cardio is a waste of time at best, and fitness clubs are more club than fitness. If you want strength and fitness, but don't have the time … [Read more...]

Sleep Apnea Patients May Suffer Memory Loss Reported June 12, 2008 People with sleep apnea are more likely to suffer brain injury and disrupted memory and thinking, new research by the University of California, Los Angeles reveals. Sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airways, usually when the tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. … [Read more...]

Study says artificial blood may carry risksReported November 07, 2007 A national two-year study of an experimental blood substitute in critically injured patients, including 19 in San Antonio, found that those transfused with the artificial blood were more likely to die, and more likely to suffer a nonfatal heart attack, than those who received saline solution instead, … [Read more...]

CWS: Celebrating women's day every dayMarch 09, 2007 Church World Service: Celebrating women's day every day March 8, 2007 NEW YORK -- Humanitarian agency Church World Service joins the world in celebrating International Women's Day (March 8) by heralding the women it works with in countries worldwide. "In fact, we pay tribute … [Read more...]

Government moves to restrict access to toxins and pathogensReported February 27, 2009 OTTAWA — Attention mad scientists: It may soon be illegal to store Ebola in your basement. The federal government has introduced legislation to limit access to disease-causing pathogens and toxins and to dictate how they should be handled. The aim of the bill, which is heading to a … [Read more...]

China draws on SARS lessons as swine flu spreads globallyReported April 29, 2009 GUANGZHOU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese provinces are drawing on their experience handling the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to cope with the global swine flu outbreak. Huang Fei, deputy director of the health bureau in south China's Guangdong Province, said … [Read more...]

Frequent Moves Increase Suicide Risk in Teens Reported June 01, 2009 Teenagers and pre-teens who had moved frequently were more likely to make suicide attempts in later years than similar youngsters who had not moved, and the more often they had moved, the higher their risk, a study of children in Denmark has found. Adolescents ages 11 to 17 who had … [Read more...]

40 percent Indian children are underweight, says global indexReported October 14, 2009 New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Over 40 percent of children in India are underweight, says this year’s Global Hunger Index, which finds that South Asia now has higher levels of hunger than sub-Saharan Africa. India ranks 65th on the index, with Democratic Republic of Congo at the bottom - … [Read more...]

Woman, son test positive for Swine Flu in CoimbatoreReported June 03, 2009 New Delhi: The latest update on two confirmed cases of swine flu in India is that they have been traced to Coimbatore. The two are first cases of human to human transmission of the swine flu virus. The 34-year-old woman and her five-year-old son who flew in from Boston, US via Chennai to Coimbatore … [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...]

Pregnant Woman Suspected of Contracting Flu A   Reported June 01, 2009 A 32-year-old pregnant woman is suspected of having contracted the H1N1 influenza A virus. According to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Monday, the woman was hospitalized last week after her 18-month-old child was confirmed to be … [Read more...]

Emergency medical center planned for Diley-Route 33Reported December 26, 2007 Mount Carmel Health Systems and Fairfield Medical Center have unveiled plans to build a state-of-the-art emergency care facility at U.S. Route 33 and Diley Road in Violet Township. The project is expected to start construction in spring 2008 and be completed by fall 2009 on the west side of … [Read more...]

Friends quit smoking? You probably will too, new study suggests Reported May 21, 2008 LOS ANGELES - The urge to smoke is contagious, but quitting apparently is, too. A team of researchers who showed that obesity can spread person-to-person has found a similar pattern with smoking cessation: A smoker is more likely to kick the habit if a spouse, friend, co-worker or … [Read more...]

Dog Owners Show Aggression Over Latest Health ScareReported December 21, 2007 Dallas, TX, December 21, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Candice Merchant’s day consists of getting her three kids ready for elementary school in the morning, managing a small insurance office for nine hours, attending to her homebound neighbor in the late afternoon and keeping her own home in order in the … [Read more...]

Longer school closures in flu fight Reported May 01, 2009 (05-01) 12:46 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- California schools where students are diagnosed with probable swine flu should close for two weeks, state health officials recommended Friday. And school districts where more than one school is found to have students with swine flu should consider closing all district schools for … [Read more...]

Mexico tackles drug abuse Reported June 04, 2009 MEXICAN government officials rarely miss a chance to point to America’s demand for illegal drugs as the cause of their violent struggle with traffickers. But the notion of the country as an innocent victim of geography is increasingly outdated. Although Mexico is still a middleman between … [Read more...]

Three U.S. carriers cut Mexico flights on flu fearsReported May 02, 2009 ATLANTA/NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Airways (LCC.N), Continental Airlines (CAL.N) and United Airlines parent UAL Corp (UAUA.O) temporarily cut service to Mexico on Friday, citing lower demand for flights to the country hardhit by a flu outbreak. U.S. Airways said late on Friday they would cut 38 … [Read more...]

Half of students at risk of hepatitis C November 01, 2007 As many as half of British students may be putting themselves at risk of contracting the hepatitis C virus, a survey has revealed. Research conducted at various universities' freshers' weeks has revealed that two in three students know little about the virus or are unaware of the … [Read more...]

Age not linked to Achilles pain in older athletesReported July 07, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Age does not seem to play a role in the development of Achilles tendon problems among older athletes, nor do training and participation in walking, jumping, sprinting, running, or hurdling competitions, findings from a European study suggest. Achilles tendon pain results … [Read more...]

Smart Phones Apps Help Doctors Track Your HealthReported November 01, 2009 HOUSTON - A Houston-based hospital system is getting international recognition for putting technology into the hands of its doctors. The Memorial Hermann Healthcare System has aggressively adapted the Apple iPhone to its needs. And ultra-hip Apple, in turn, has put Memorial Hermann in its … [Read more...]

CWS: Celebrating women's day every dayMarch 09, 2007 Church World Service: Celebrating women's day every day March 8, 2007 NEW YORK -- Humanitarian agency Church World Service joins the world in celebrating International Women's Day (March 8) by heralding the women it works with in countries worldwide. "In fact, we pay tribute … [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...]

Researcher questions keno's moderate riskReported February 27, 2009 One of Nova Scotia's leading gambling research firms says the province has not properly evaluated the risks of a new high-speed electronic bar game about to be introduced. Electronic keno, a game where patrons buy numbered tickets for draws every five … [Read more...]

HIV testing compulsory before marriage in India Reported February 03, 2008 The Indian state Maharashtra government has proposed the testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) be made compulsory before marriage in the state. If the decision is made into law, Maharashtra would be the first state in the India to have such a scheme.   This … [Read more...]