Reuters: Health News

Public bans mean smokers also light up less at home

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:07:33 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking bans in offices, restaurants and other public places don't drive smokers to light up more at home, but in fact prompt them to impose their own extra restrictions on the habit, according to a European study published Tuesday.

Want to lose weight? Trade sugary drinks for water

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:11:59 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Swapping your soda for water -- or at least diet soda -- really can help you shed a few pounds, a new clinical trial finds.

Air pollution tied to stroke, memory loss

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:08:40 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Living in a crowded city or near a busy highway may be tied to a higher chance of having a stroke or losing your memory, new research suggests.

Catholics lean slightly toward Romney

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:01:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite a battle over birth-control policy between the White House and Roman Catholic leaders, U.S. Catholics' political views differ little from those of non-Catholic voters, according to Reuters/Ipsos poll results released on Monday.

Pet owners' hearts may cope better with change

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:00:39 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pet owners with chronic diseases appear to have healthier tickers than people living without an animal companion, a new study shows.

Obama asks for hike in industry funding for FDA

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:57:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked on Monday for a 17 percent hike in the Food and Drug Administration's budget, but much of the increase would come from companies, not tax dollars.

Obama's '13 budget to increase healthcare savings

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:01:56 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday proposed more aggressive deficit reductions through savings from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs than the White House put forward just five months ago.

Pre-ski preparations help before hitting the slopes

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:54:07 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hitting the slopes can be daunting for an out-of-shape beginner and even for more experienced skiers, but fitness experts say whatever your level of expertise, everyone can benefit from a bit of pre-ski preparation.

New study casts doubt on lung cancer treatment

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:12:06 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A controversial radiation treatment for patients who've had lung cancer surgery may not help elderly people live longer, U.S. researchers have found.

With no firm science, sleep standards are slipping

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:29:23 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids never got enough shuteye, even back in grandpa's day.

Insight: India's sour food safety record

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:19:39 GMT

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bhim can't understand what he's done wrong.

Insight: Soapy milk, toxic apples: India's sour food safety

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:59:11 GMT

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bhim can't understand what he's done wrong.

White House sticking to contraception plan

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:19:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will not make any more changes to the rule announced last week requiring health insurance plans to provide women with coverage for contraception, although U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have said it violates the Church's religious principles.

Test for Komen charity looms at next Race for the Cure

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:57:14 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Rebecca Reza has participated in fundraising races held by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer charity, for the past five years. She planned to sign up for the next Race for the Cure in El Paso, Texas, with her cousin.

Obama shift seeks to defuse birth-control fight

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:25:29 GMT

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama, in an abrupt policy shift aimed at quelling an election-year firestorm, announced on Friday that religious employers would not be required to offer free birth control to workers and the onus would instead be put on insurers.

FDA issues plan to avoid heparin contamination

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:35:28 GMT

(Reuters) - Health regulators issued recommendations to ensure the safe production of the blood-clot prevention drug heparin, four years after a contamination involving the widely used product set off concerns about the global pharmaceutical supply chain.

'Hunger hormone' could help chemo patients: study

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:02:23 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A synthetic version of the "hunger hormone" ghrelin might help limit the loss of appetite that can come with cancer chemotherapy, a small study from Japan suggests.

Return to running possible after hip resurfacing

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:01:47 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Recreational runners who undergo hip resurfacing, an alternative to a total hip replacement, may be able to return to the sport after surgery, according to a recent study from France.

Erectile drugs might help premature ejaculation

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:51:10 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most studies looking at whether erectile dysfunction drugs can help men overcome premature ejaculation problems agree that the pills make a difference, but much of the research is flawed, according to a new review of the evidence.

Woman: court ruling on pumping breast milk unfair

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:50:30 GMT

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A woman whose firing from her job over a request to pump breast milk was supported by a Texas judge said on Thursday the decision was unfair and discriminatory, and her lawyer said an appeal was under consideration.

Holiday weight gain affects active people too

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:48:16 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to the belief that people who burn a lot of calories are less vulnerable to gaining weight, a new study finds they and slow burners alike tend to put on pounds during the sweets-filled holiday season.

China probes "bouncing" boiled eggs

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:30:28 GMT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are investigating eggs which bounce after being boiled and may make men sterile, state media reported Friday, in the latest food safety scare to hit the country.

More evidence big football players face heart risks

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:12:57 GMT

(Reuters) - The biggest professional football players in America may be more likely than their fellow players to die of heart disease, even though they appear to generally enjoy a longer-than-average lifespan, according to a U.S. study.

Biden says contraceptives fight can be worked out

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:47:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday the White House was working to address concerns raised by the Catholic church over a new rule on contraceptives, and he believed an escalating election-year battle over the issue would be resolved.

Cancer trial participants may have misconceptions

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:38:42 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People enrolled in early stage trials for possible cancer treatments may underestimate the risks involved and overestimate the potential benefits, suggests a new study.