Health News

Teen Smokers May Be At Greater Risk Of Marijuana Addiction

Date: May-07-2013
Teen smokers who rationalize their use of cigarettes by saying, "At least, I'm not doing drugs," may not always be able to use that line. New research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC, supports the theory that cigarettes are a gateway drug to marijuana...

Unprecedented Insight Into Causes Of Pneumococcal Disease Offered By Genome Sequencing

Date: May-07-2013
A new study led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK has, for the first time, used genome sequencing technology to track the changes in a bacterial population following the introduction of a vaccine. The study follows how the population of pneumococcal bacteria changed following the introduction of the 'Prevnar' conjugate polysaccharide vaccine, which substantially reduced rates of pneumococcal disease across the U.S...

16 Percent Increase Seen In Childhood Disability Over Past Decade

Date: May-07-2013
More children today have a disability than a decade ago, and the greatest increase is among kids in higher-income families, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. The study also found that disabilities related to physical health conditions have decreased, while disabilities due to neurodevelopmental and mental health problems have increased greatly. "Nearly 6 million kids had a disability in 2009-2010 - almost 1 million more than in 2001-2002," said lead author Amy J...

New Protocol Limits Use Of SPECT MPI For Angina

Date: May-07-2013
A new stress test protocol that investigates reducing the use of perfusion imaging in low risk patients undergoing SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging for possible angina symptoms was found to be diagnostically safe, revealed a US retrospective analysis. The study, reported as an abstract¹ at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC11) May 5 to May 8 in Berlin, Germany, predicted that using exercise ECG stress testing alone in patients with high exercise capacity would have had no adverse effects on their prognosis at five years...

$238 Million A Year In ER Costs Related To Diagnosis, Treatment Of Hematuria, A Common Outpatient Disorder

Date: May-07-2013
A relatively common urinary tract disorder that can usually be managed in an outpatient setting is adding an estimated $238 million a year to the cost of emergency room visits in the U.S., according to two new studies from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Hematuria, or blood in the urine, adds a "considerable" and "substantial" economic burden on already strained hospital emergency departments, says Khurshid R. Ghani, M.D., of Henry Ford's Vattikuti Urology Institute and lead author of the studies...

43 Percent Of Youths Admit To Texting While Driving; Prevalence Higher Among Males, Older Teens

Date: May-07-2013
Don't txt n drive: Teens not getting msg Teens can get hundreds of text messages a day, but one message they aren't getting is that they shouldn't text and drive. Nearly 43 percent of high school students of driving age who were surveyed in 2011 reported texting while driving at least once in the past 30 days, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC...

Superior Lubricant Offers Hope For Osteoarthritis Sufferers

Date: May-07-2013
A team of researchers led by a Boston University Biomedical Engineer has developed a new joint lubricant that could bring longer lasting relief to millions of osteoarthritis sufferers. The new synthetic polymer supplements synovial fluid, the natural lubricant in joints, and works better than comparable treatments currently available. According to Boston University Professor of Biomedical Engineering Mark W...

Smokers Taking Vitamin C During Pregnancy May Head Off Lung Problems In Newborns

Date: May-07-2013
Pregnant women are advised not to smoke during pregnancy because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to wheezing and asthma, among other problems. If a woman absolutely can't kick the habit, taking vitamin C during pregnancy may improve her newborn's lung function and prevent wheezing in the first year of life, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. "Vitamin C is a simple, safe and inexpensive treatment that may decrease the impact of smoking during pregnancy on childhood respiratory health," said lead author Cynthia T...

Magnesium Intake, Absorption Significantly Associated With Bone Density In Children

Date: May-07-2013
Parents are advised to make sure their children drink milk and eat other calcium-rich foods to build strong bones. Soon, they also may be urged to make sure their kids eat salmon, almonds and other foods high in magnesium - another nutrient that may play an important role in bone health, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. "Lots of nutrients are key for children to have healthy bones. One of these appears to be magnesium," said lead author Steven A...

No Need To Toss Your Toothbrush After A Sore Throat

Date: May-07-2013
Word on the street has it you should replace your toothbrush after suffering from a cold, the flu or a bout of strep throat. That may not be necessary - at least when it comes to sore throats, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. Some health care professionals advise children to toss their toothbrushes if they have been diagnosed with strep throat. Researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston wanted to determine if that advice is warranted...