 By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Flu shots reduced the number of U.S. flu cases and hospitalizations last year by an estimated 17 percent, highlighting the need for increasing vaccination rates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. Vaccinations prevented more than six million cases of the flu and 79,000 hospitalizations, according to a CDC model that compared the actual number of flu cases and hospitalizations with the projected number that would have occurred had there been no vaccinations. "This is by far the largest number of hospitalizations and other illnesses we've seen prevented" since 2005, said CDC Director Thomas Frieden.
|
By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with eczema are especially vulnerable to allergic reactions to certain preservatives in lotions and creams, according to a new study. With eczema, the skin doesn't function as a barrier the way it normally would, said senior author Dr. Donald V. Belsito, a dermatologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. People with eczema often apply lots of moisturizers and topical medications to combat dryness and itchiness, Belsito said. "The more exposure, the more likely you are to develop an allergic reaction to a chemical," he told Reuters Health.
|
 Thanks to the delicious bounty of protection I bestowed on myself, I was able to enjoy the party, focus on guests with clarity, and enjoy a few of the protein and vegetable options put forth by the caterers, who mercifully realized, that not everyone wants to be back at square one on Jan. 1.
|
When a Medical Test Reveals an Unwelcome Surprise
|
 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Residents in some parts of the U.S. are signing up for health care coverage at a significantly greater rate than others through the new online insurance marketplaces now operating in every state.
|
 I had my surgery. They put a metal box in my chest the size of a deck of cards. I was lying in the recovery room, numb. Not upset, not anxious, not thinking about what I was doing that weekend. I was just numb and alone.
|
 One key problem repeatedly encountered with both psychiatrists and psychologists is the failure to adequately monitor clinical progress of patients with autism according to any objective standard.
|
A decision by a Texas judge this week to give an affluent teenager probation after he killed four people while driving drunk has sparked a backlash and complaints of a miscarriage of justice. State District Judge Jean Boyd on Tuesday sentenced the 16-year-old boy to 10 years probation and ordered him to get therapy. The four people killed in the June incident were Breanna Mitchell, whose car broke down, Hollie and Shelby Boyles, who lived nearby and came out to help and youth minister Brian Jennings, who stopped to help, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported. Eric Boyles, whose wife and daughter died in the incident, said on CNN on Wednesday night that he was shocked at the sentence.
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — Technology problems with President Barack Obama's health care website are forcing the administration to extend a federal insurance plan for some of the sickest patients by a month.
|
 You can look for things that make your new life better, you will find them, and they will make you happy.
|
 The Obama administration called on private health insurers on Thursday to make it easier for Americans to obtain coverage and access medical services starting January 1, even if technical troubles or other issues prevent timely enrollment in Obamacare plans. In addition, the administration extended a federal insurance program for people with severe health conditions, and urged insurance companies to provide retroactive coverage beginning January 1 to consumers who sign up for coverage after the first of the year or make their first premium payments sometime in January. The administration has made major fixes to HealthCare.gov, which provides access to new federal health insurance marketplaces in 36 states, after a disastrous October 1 launch. Officials said last week that about 10 percent of applications to the main website are not being accurately transmitted to insurance companies, fueling fears that people will believe they have obtained insurance for the new year, only to discover they are not actually enrolled.
|
 About 6.6 million people who would have gotten sick during the 2012-2013 flu season, didn't, thanks to the flu shot, according to a new government report. In addition, flu vaccination prevented about 3 million influenza illnesses that would have required medical attention and 79,000 hospitalizations from influenza illness during last year's flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. In total, last flu season there were 31.8 million influenza-associated illnesses, 14.4 influenza illnesses that required medical attention and 381,000 hospitalizations due to influenza illness.
|
 There are many reasons why consumers with the means to do so should select grass-fed over conventional beef. If the decision is based on perceived health benefits, then the studies suggest they might be right.
|
 We all know great conversations when we find ourselves in one. But these moments don't come along as often as we like. With a stranger, we don't know where to begin. And in a long-term relationship, we may feel like we've exhausted the subjects of common interest, and the dialogue becomes more mundane.
|
 (Reuters) - A panel of experts advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said an oral drug made by Merck & Co was effective in treating grass pollen allergy but expressed concerns about the drug's safety in children. The advisory panel voted 9-0 that available data supported the efficacy of the immunotherapy drug, Grastek, in treating Timothy grass pollen allergy in patients 5 years or older. The committee also voted unanimously in favor of the drug's safety, on the condition that patients taking the drug have easy access to epinephrine - a medicine used to treat serious allergic reaction such as ones that can result from the use of immunotherapies. Panelists recommended post-approval studies of the drug to test its safety in children aged 5 to 11 years, citing side effects such as lip swelling, throat irritation and tightness and oral blistering.
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's a growing side effect of modern medicine: A test for one condition turns up something completely unrelated. It might be a real danger, or an anxiety-provoking false alarm.
|
 By Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African sign-language interpreter accused of miming nonsense as world leaders paid tribute to Nelson Mandela defended himself as a "champion" signer on Thursday but said he suffered a schizophrenic episode during the event. The interpreter, 34-year-old Thamsanqa Jantjie, told Johannesburg's Star newspaper he started hearing voices and hallucinating while on stage, resulting in gestures that made no sense to outraged deaf people around the world. The government admitted Jantjie was not a professional interpreter but played down security concerns at his sharing the podium with world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama at the memorial on Tuesday. We accept all that." After the memorial, South Africa's leading deaf association denounced him as a fake, making up gestures to be put into the mouths of Obama and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma.
|
(Reuters) - A nipple fluid test is not an effective screening tool for breast cancer, U.S. regulators warned on Thursday, noting that mammography is the best way to detect the disease in its earliest, most treatable stages. The Food and Drug Administration, in a statement to healthcare professionals, said it is concerned that women will believe misleading claims about a nipple aspirate test and not get mammograms or other needed breast imaging tests or biopsies. The agency noted that it had issued a warning letter earlier this year to Atossa Genetics Inc about its nipple aspirate fluid collection device and process. The FDA said it is not aware of any valid scientific data to show that nipple aspirate testing by itself is an effective screening tool for any medical condition.
|
 The reasons why I suffered a nervous breakdown are none of your business. What is the business of anyone who cares about mental health is that the most harrowing days of my life were when I recently tried to get help for a mental illness.
|
 Yoga Xpress is for those of you who just don't have time to get to a class and want a less-than-20-minute routine for the road or at home.
|
By C. E. Huggins NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A history of acute mountain sickness may not predict future bouts of the condition, according to a team of Canadian researchers. Likewise, those who have never experienced such altitude sickness may not necessarily be protected against it in the future. The Wilderness Medical Society's current consensus guidelines to prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS) are partly based on an individual's prior history of the illness. "A previous history of AMS (or the absence of AMS) doesn't seem to be as informative as we used to think," lead study author Martin J. MacInnis, a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia, told Reuters Health via e-mail.
|
By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - California's Obamacare insurance marketplace experienced a surge in enrollment last week, officials said on Thursday, offering welcome news for President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare law from a state crucial to its success. Some 144,146 applications were completed and 49,708 people selected commercial plans in the first week of December, compared to 403,323 completed applications and 109,296 enrollments in the previous two months since the Covered California marketplace opened, officials said. At that rate, California would meet its 2013 enrollment target. "This is a good day for Californians," Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the state's Obamacare marketplace, told reporters.
|
DENVER (AP) — Synthetic marijuana is believed to have sickened 221 people in Colorado during a monthlong outbreak this year, according to a federal report released Thursday.
|
By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - College students who consume energy drinks tend to drink more alcohol and having both in the same day may lead to more negative consequences, a new study says. Combining heavily caffeinated energy drinks and alcohol is a trend, especially among college students. In fact, about half of energy drink users admit to combining them with alcohol while partying. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks is a serious public health concern when compared to drinking alcohol alone.
|
 Whether consciously or not, the holidays are filled with situations in which we feel socially evaluated by others, and assessed by our ability to give others what they want -- materially and emotionally.
|
 By Caroline Humer NEW YORK (Reuters) - Aetna Inc has decided not to reinstate or extend individual health insurance plans that are being canceled with the advent of the U.S. Affordable Care Act because the time frame is too short. Aetna is the largest insurer yet to announce a decision on how it would proceed across the United States after President Barack Obama said last month that insurers could extend these health plans under a temporary transitional policy. Aetna's move means that some consumers, who are required to have health insurance in 2014 or pay a fine, will need to buy a new plan for 2014. Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini made the comments at an investor meeting on Thursday.
|
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with an irregular heartbeat may also be at increased risk of being depressed, suggests a new study from Germany. The added risk was small, researchers found, but it's in keeping with other studies linking heart disorders with depression. "It's consistent with a large and growing literature on the role that depression plays with heart disease," Richard Sloan, who was not involved with the new study, said. Sloan is the Nathaniel Wharton Professor of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York.
|
Attorneys general from 28 U.S. states have asked the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its approval of the powerful painkiller Zohydro ER, which Kentucky's top law enforcement official said could start an epidemic of abuse. The drug, manufactured by Zogenix Inc of San Diego, was approved by the FDA in October. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway said his state had been hurt by abuse of prescription painkillers, especially OxyContin, and he feared more problems with Zohydro ER. Conway joined attorneys general from 27 states and the U.S. territory of Guam in signing a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, dated Tuesday, asking that approval of Zohydro be reconsidered or that the drug be reformulated with chemical deterrents to abuse.
|
 This year had its remarkable share of senseless diets, bizarre research and odd inventions. Here's what you might've missed.
|
By a lopsided vote of 13 to 1, an independent committee of medical experts voted on Thursday to recommend approval of a new type of diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb that U.S. regulators rejected two years ago due to safety concerns. The advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the benefits of the medicine, called dapaglifozin, appear to outweigh its risks. Bristol-Myers is developing the drug, which is already approved in Europe, in partnership with AstraZeneca Plc. The FDA typically follows the advice of its advisory panels, but is under no obligation to do so. The FDA rejected the medicine in January 2012 after a previous medical advisory panel said clinical data did not provide enough certainty about its cancer and heart risks.
|
 Far too often I hear of people going overboard with their cheat meal -- which turn into day-long bingers. Stop the madness and take control of your life and do what will make you happy. Think long term satisfaction rather than immediate or short-term satisfaction.
|
 I try, not always successfully, to live in integrity with the truth of my experience not because I want to be a good person, but because it's the best thing that I can do for myself. It's the most direct path to my own heart and to the hearts of others.
|
 'Tis the season to, well, buy stuff. Increasingly, the stuff we buy is electronic. In fact, not only that, but increasingly the stuff we buy with is electronic, too. We are using gizmos to shop for gadgets, or possibly gadgets to shop for gizmos.
|
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Exercise might help women beat breast cancer. Researchers found it can ease the achy joints and muscle pain that lead many patients to quit taking medicines that treat the disease and lower the risk of a recurrence.
|
ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials say the flu season seems to be getting off to more normal start this year.
|
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Women at high risk of developing breast cancer because of family history or bad genes have a new option to help prevent the disease.
|
 Continued from Part 3 of 4 My fondest memories of growing up was when we bought that house just across the road from you, and spent our summers there. On the weekends, Dad made Wayne and I mow and weed-eat your grass. Following, Dad would present watermelons from the farmer's market and Grandmother brewed Luzianne sweet tea for everyone. Dad invited all of your sons and daughters to join us, his brothers and sisters, who never left town, who all had found clerk and desk and teaching jobs in order to be near one another. Once we ate, drank, and
|
 So I made a pact with myself: to live in this winter, not just through it. To play more and complain less. And to appreciate each white winter day for how peacefully alive it can make you feel if you get outside long enough to really feel it.
|
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a two-year, bipartisan budget plan that would end some automatic spending cuts on federal agencies and replace them with more targeted government savings. By an overwhelming margin, the House passed the measure that also aims to end the partisan fighting between Republicans and Democrats over fiscal affairs, which led to last October's 16-day partial government shutdown. The budget deal must next pass the Democratic-controlled Senate before being sent to President Barack Obama for signing into ...
|
Flavored little cigars can be sold virtually anywhere, and kids are a prime target of these new products, Dr. Tom Frieden says. 
|
Contrary to the recent musings of Miley Cyrus that sex goes kaput once you hit 40, there's research to support that older people are right to have "great sexpectations." 
|
Research shows bariatric surgery is not only helping people lose weight, but also reducing their risk for cardiovascular disease and reversing type 2 diabetes. 
|
Scientists have reconstructed a nearly complete mitochondrial genome of an ancient humanlike species. 
|
Long-awaited rules have been established to require doctors and insurers to treat mental illness the same as physical illness. 
|
Obamacare might be off to a slow start but it's starting to pick up steam, at least in states that are not using the beleaguered HealthCare.gov website. 
|
As the politicians fuss and fight over the merits of the biggest overhaul of the health insurance system in this country, you may be wondering, "What does this all mean to me?" 
|
Mia Vayner threw out her motorized wheelchair and decided to push herself into a new life. 
|
Now at 165 pounds, Matthew Mullins walks around shirtless so much his friends teasingly ask if he'll ever put his shirt back on. 
|
Acclaimed chef Richard Blais lost all that weight and kept it off, he says, by overhauling his lifestyle. 
|
HLN's Susan Hendricks shows us an innovative program that is helping people cope with stress no matter where they are. 
|
Reporter Calandra Corder gives us tips on how to eat healthy at Thanksgiving without losing out on the fun. 
|
CNN's Holly Firfer looks at ways to make your holiday cooking safer. 
|
Within the healthcare system is an underused but highly effective resource for diabetics. Holly Firfer reports. 
|
Today is the Great American Smokeout and CNN's Holly Firfer tells us about why it's never too late to quit. 
|
Temptations are everywhere. HLN's Susan Hendricks reports on ways to limit your intake of sweets. 
|
The FDA says it will ban all trans fats, which give products consistency and taste, but are unhealthy. 
|
Millions more Americans may soon be prescribed a statin drug for cholesterol management. 
|
Reporter Holly Firfer tells us how we can handle the blues after someone breaks our heart. 
|
Not all attacks to the heart are the same. Some are more deadly than others. CNN's Carl Azuz reports. 
|
James Bond may be in danger of seriously damaging his liver or suffering other health problems, British researchers say. 
|
Experts say health care could help former inmates stay out of jail. But is necessary infrastructure in place? 
|
The Food and Drug Administration Wednesday will announce a plan aimed at phasing out the use of certain antibiotics in food-producing animals. 
|
A new study of pediatric care finds wide regional variations in the kinds of treatment and medication children receive, which is "raising troubling questions," according to its authors. 
|
Attorneys for Texas teen Ethan Couch claimed that his "affluenza" meant he was blameless for driving drunk and causing a crash that left four people dead in June. 
|
Mercedes Smith walked out of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility after 20 years, hoping to become a productive member of society.
|
The New York City Board of Health unanimously approved a mandate Wednesday requiring all children under 5 enrolled in city-licensed preschools and day cares to receive the flu vaccine. 
|
CNN's Carl Azuz reports on why experts say certain vaccines are necessary. 
|
As the holidays roll around, some of us can't wait to pile our plates with cookies, candy and family favorites. 
|
Because one of the strongest risk factors for lung cancer is smoking, we've come to the conclusion that people diagnosed with lung cancer somehow deserve it, that it was brought on by their own "bad" behavior. 
|
For years there has been much discussion -- and confusion -- about mammography screening. Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, answers the most common questions. 
|
The greatest number of hospitalizations due to asthma happen this month. Learn how to prevent attacks -- for yourself and your kids. 
|
Attorneys for Texas teen Ethan Couch claimed that his "affluenza" meant he was blameless for driving drunk and causing a crash that left four people dead in June.
|
IKEA has recalled eight of its children's wall-mounted lamps after one toddler died and another was injured, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday. 
|
The FDA has announced new measures to make us safer -- by limiting the use of antibiotics in animals. 
|
The New York City Board of Health unanimously approved a mandate Wednesday requiring all children under 5 enrolled in city-licensed preschools and day cares to receive the flu vaccine.
|
When my friend Elaine Rivera died, it felt almost like the end of a fireworks show, when the smoke hangs in the air and crowds walk slowly home. The fun was over in a flash. 
|
After an experimental therapy, Nick Wilkins is now cancer free. Doctors taught his immune cells to become more adept at killing cancer. 
|
They were married just a week. It was the best week ever. And then, it was the worst. 
|
Julie Seitz was diagnosed with thyroid and breast cancer after trusting her instincts and seeking a second look. 
|
Hungry? Grab a handful of nuts. Not only are they packed with protein, but it turns out they may be the food for longevity. 
|
We've all heard how important it is to get enough rest, even though most of us don't. So how much is too much? 
|
Want to skip being sick? Then it's time to defend yourself against the flu virus, starting with your home. 
|
You hope that your hand-sanitizer habit is protecting you from colds and flu and gross bugaboos like E. coli. But even if it doesn't, at least it's harmless. Right? 
|
I've got hundreds of photos from my recent Europe trip, split between a smartphone and a big camera. A lot are shots of the same thing -- my attempt to get the perfect lighting on a fountain or a cathedral, for example -- so that I'll have these scenes to remember always. 
|
CNN's Holly Firfer gives us tips on how to get a good night's sleep when you travel. 
|
Holly Firfer gives us tips on how to keep kids warm and safe as they venture out in the cold weather. 
|
CNN's Carl Azuz reports on why certain vaccines are necessary.
|
CNN's Carl Azuz reports on new study that looks at high chair injuries. 
|
HLN's Susan Hendricks tells us that new parents don't need to worry about spoiling their newborn baby. 
|
Messy toddlers make better learners, according to a new study. 
|
Foam rollers are used to "roll out" muscles and ease pain 
|
Carl Azuz reports on Flu View, a weekly update on the flu season from the Centers for Disease Control. 
|
Can your doctor be your Facebook friend too?
|
How the size of a baby's footprint can be used to spot premature babies in low-income countries
|
A motorbike ambulance and pop-up clinic that can be used to reach remote villages in developing countries have been on show at the World Innovation Summit for Health.
|
Medical students from the US have brought together a number of medical mobile phone applications to create a 10 minute physical examination, including and ultrasound scan and heart rate monitor.
|
Viv Galley, whose husband Bill has advanced Alzheimer's disease, had told the BBC her story.
|
The goal of finding a treatment to cure or halt dementia by 2025 is "within our grasp", Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
|
A tone deaf US teenager has recovered from a concussion to find he can play thirteen musical instruments.
|
The medical ethicist Julian Savulescu says the current doping rules in sport are not working.
|
A mass vaccination programme is getting underway in the Philippines to immunise 33,000 children affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
|
'If mum takes her mask off, we are all at risk'
|
Research into the biggest care problem of a generation
|
Why Uruguay is legalising its marijuana market
|
Would you want to know how ill you might become?
|
How singing can help a chronic lung condition
|
Why all kinds of infections thrive in conflict zones
|
A month on from Typhoon Haiyan, healthcare is being restored
|
Why do people troll themselves online?
|
Is how long you'll live simply down to your postcode?
|
How dangerous is 'highway hypnosis'?
|
Future challenges in the fight against HIV/Aids
|
A "landmark study" shows a drug can more than halve the development of breast cancer in high-risk women.
|
The number of people being diagnosed with cancer in the world each year has leaped to more than 14 million, the World Health Organization says.
|
Genetic influence explains almost 60% of the variation in GCSE exam results, twin studies suggest.
|
Leading nations have committed to developing a cure or treatment for dementia by 2025 at the G8 dementia summit.
|
Uruguay's decision to legalise the production, sale and consumption of marijuana violates international law, the UN drugs watchdog says.
|
Medication used to treat stomach ulcers may cause vitamin B12 deficiency, a study finds.
|
All patients in a coma or vegetative state should have access to specialist care, according to new guidelines.
|
The artificial sweetener aspartame is safe and poses no threat to health, checks by European food regulators concludes.
|
The US food safety regulator is moving to phase out some use of antibiotics in livestock in an effort to curb growing microbial antibiotic resistance.
|
The founder of French company PIP, which distributed defective breast implants, is sentenced to four years in prison for fraud.
|
A trial has begun to see whether a drug used to treat diabetes can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
|
The drug ketamine should be upgraded from a Class C drug to Class B, government advisers say, after new evidence shows frequent use can cause "disabling" bladder damage.
|
Exercise throughout a person's life can play a significant role in reducing the risk of dementia, a study spanning 35 years finds.
|
A fifth of patients on an intravenous drip develop complications because they are given the wrong levels of fluid, according to a review of guidance in England and Wales.
|
Though at first muted in his approach to HIV/Aids, Nelson Mandela became a dedicated advocate for a more vigorous approach to the disease.
|
Up to 100,000 people in Saudi Arabia are to have their genetic codes mapped by 2017.
|
A soldier injured in battle is believed to be the first person in the UK to control a bionic arm with his mind.
|
A project that uses sensors to monitor eating and exercise with a view to reducing obesity levels is to be funded by the EU.
|