Reuters: Health News

Being breast-fed may lower breast cancer risk

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:56:27 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adult women who were breast-fed as infants may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who were not breast-fed, unless they were first-born, study findings suggest.

Mom's infection may boost epilepsy risk in offspring

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:28:43 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exposure to certain maternal infections in the womb increases the odds of epilepsy in childhood, according to an analysis of data from a Danish study. Among the infections cited were cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney and upper urinary tract), and vaginal yeast infection.

Prior assault boosts PTSD risk after combat

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:27:26 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men and women who were assaulted before entering military service are more than twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after combat deployment, Navy researchers report.

New bowel prep drink easier to take: study

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:29:18 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new 2 liter bowel cleansing solution for colonoscopy appears to work as well as the standard 4 liter solution and is more acceptable to patients, researchers report.

Very premature baby survival not improving

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:36:28 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - There has been no improvement in the survival rate of babies born before Britain's 24-week legal limit for abortion, doctors said on Friday, ahead of an expected attempt by pro-life legislators to reduce the cut-off period.

Cool kids can help others avoid smoking: study

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:16:50 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Getting the cool kids to talk to their peers about the dangers of smoking cut the number of young people who started using cigarettes in one study by nearly 25 percent, British researchers said on Friday.

Drug curbs pain due to leg artery disease

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:28:03 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who experience leg pain caused by narrowed arteries in their legs -- a condition called intermittent claudication -- can find some relief by taking the drug naftidrofuryl, a review of published studies indicates.

Canadian train in quarantine after death, illness

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:30:33 -0400

TORONTO (Reuters) - One person died and several others were taken to hospital after a mystery illness hit passengers on a Canadian long-distance train, local media said on Friday.

Half of diabetics in U.S. have arthritis, CDC says

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:27:46 -0400

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People with diabetes are twice as likely to have arthritis, putting them in a double bind as the pain in their joints keeps them from getting the exercise they need to keep both diseases at bay, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

Free AIDS drugs slash death rate in Malawi study

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:19:01 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Providing free AIDS drugs to people in northern Malawi has slashed adult mortality rates, vindicating a recent ramp-up in treatment in poor parts of rural Africa, researchers said on Friday.