Home	Sat, 17 May 2008 GMT

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HEALTH NEWS

More Breast Cancers Detected Using Ultrasound - But More False Positives Too

A standardized technique for using ultrasound technology to search for tiny, invasive tumors has proven to be an effective addition to traditional mammography screening. However, the method produces a higher percentage of false positives as well, which raises some questions as to its value as a routine procedure.

Chinese Government Works to Contain Lethal Virus Outbreak

Thousands of children have been infected by a virus sweeping through China, sparking fears that the upcoming Olympic Games might be jeopardized. However, the World Health Organization has said that it's unlikely the outbreak would have any impact on the games. Enterovirus 71, a type of hand, foot and mouth disease, has already claimed 25 lives. WHO also dismissed speculation that Chinese officials had attempted to suppress reports of the outbreak.

Heparin Fiasco Exposes Deep Crevasses in Drug Safety Regulation

The latest revelation in the heparin horror story is that the adulteration of the drug that resulted in at least 81 deaths in the U.S. may have been deliberate. What is known is that a substantial amount of a cheap chemical -- oversulfated chondroitin sulfate -- was substituted for heparin in some batches manufactured for Baxter International.

Medical Ghostwriting Revelations Touch Off Ethics Debate

The latest insult piled onto all the injury inflicted by the Vioxx debacle is disclosed in an article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association last week: Much of the research backing up manufacturer Merck's claims about the drug was ghostwritten by writers in Merck's employ and then rubber-stamped by medical professionals who had little or not involvement in the studies but were willing to attach their names as authors nonetheless.

Smoking, Drinking Linked to Early Alzheimer's Onset

People who consume more than two alcoholic beverages and smoke a pack or more of cigarettes a day are likely to develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than their counterparts who drink and smoke less -- or not at all, a new study suggests. Researchers also identified a gene associated with earlier onset of the disease. Heavy drinkers and smokers who carry the gene are at even greater risk than those who do not.

Canada First Country to Ban Baby Bottles Containing BPA

The Canadian government has decided to ban the use of plastics containing the chemical bisphenol A for baby bottles. In explaining the move, Health Minister Tony Clement said that newborns and infants need a higher safety margin to protect against any possible negative effects of the substance. In addition, the company Nalgene, which makes water bottles out of clear, hard plastic, said it would phase out production of products containing bisphenol A.

Scientists Discover Gene Link Between Nicotine, Smoking, Lung Cancer

In three separate studies, researchers have identified two hereditary genes that predispose former and current smokers to higher risk of lung cancer, a finding that might help in making earlier diagnoses, when treatments are most effective. The genes also make it more likely for people to become addicted to nicotine -- a "double-whammy," according to the author of one of the studies.

Researchers: Managing Worry, Stress, Anxiety Can Reduce Heart Risk

Stress and anxiety are significant contributors to heart disease, reported researchers at a conference in Chicago. Finding ways to reduce stress and worry can cut the risk of heart attack or stroke by as much as 60 percent, according to their findings. Although this is not the first study to establish a link between stress and heart ailments it is the first one that looks at the effects of treating anxiety or depression on cardiovascular risk factors.

Study: Muscle-Building HGH May Actually Diminish Athletic Performance

Athletes may be risking more than their reputations and their health by using banned synthetic human growth hormone to bulk up. Ironically, they may also be running the risk of worsening their athletic performance -- decidedly not the outcome they hope for or expect. Though there's no doubt the substance helps to add muscle mass, researchers found that it might reduce stamina in those who took it.

Weight Loss Crucial for Obese, Insulin-Resistant Type-2 Diabetics

For patients with insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes, losing weight and making lifestyle changes is likely to work better than intensive insulin therapy, which may actually be harmful, suggests an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.