MSNBC.com - Health
Date PostedArticle
2 hours ago B vitamins found to slow progression of dementia

Seniors relax by the sea in Andernos, Southwestern France, June 23, 2010. REUTERS/Regis DuvignauDaily tablets of large doses of B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people with memory problems and may slow their progression toward dementia, data from a British trial showed on Wednesday,


2 hours ago Too little sleep raises obesity risk in children
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Children aged four and under who get less than 10 hours of sleep a night are nearly twice as likely to be overweight or obese five years later, according to a U.S. study.
2 hours ago Tween boys tackle obesity: One family's story

Nathaniel Uterhark, 8, left, and Garrett Uterhark, 10, right, have lost weight over the summer after learning how to make good food choices and exercise more. Their mom, Rene Doubrava, became worried when her sons joined the rising ranks of obese tween boys. Health experts say that the soda-swilling, video-watching habits of boys ages 6 to 19 mean that about 15 percent are now extremely obese, up from about 9 percent a decade ago. That includes kids like Garrett and Nathaniel Uterhark, whose mom stepped in to help.


14 hours ago HIV spread 'out of control' among French gay men
Transmission of the AIDS virus seems to be "out of control" among gay men in France despite an overall fall in the number of new HIV cases in the country, according to a study published on Thursday.
17 hours ago NH woman blinded by drug wins $21M in lawsuit
A federal jury in New Hampshire has awarded $21 million to a woman blinded and scarred by a prescription drug she took for shoulder pain.
17 hours ago Kids eligible for, absent from, U.S. health programs
An estimated five million uninsured children in the United States were eligible for Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but were not enrolled in either plan, according to a new report.
17 hours ago More evidence ties smoking, decreased fertility
If you're looking to make a baby, you might want to put out your cigarette before getting down to business: There's now more evidence linking smoking with decreased fertility in men and women — and their offspring.
17 hours ago U.S. court asked to keep stem cell money flowing
The Obama administration is asking a U.S. appeals court to lift an order blocking federal funding for some stem cell research, a day after being turned down by the judge who issued the order.
17 hours ago Newsweek: Why DDT won't stop bedbugs
Some critics have blamed environmentalists for the current bedbug plague, arguing that the 1972 ban on DDT is a root cause. But there is virtually no demand, including from the pest-control industry, to bring back DDT to use against bedbugs, and widespread agreement that, environmental concerns aside, it wouldn’t work.
20 hours ago Troubled teens find new way to self-harm
There's another teenage behavior to alarm American parents. Doctors have come across a little-reported form of deliberate self-injury by teenagers — embedding objects ranging from glass to needles to wood under their own skin.
20 hours ago Drug maker used ghostwriters for journal articles
Drugmaker Wyeth used ghostwriters to play up the benefits and downplay the harm of hormone replacement therapy in articles published in medical journals, a U.S. researcher said on Tuesday.
20 hours ago Burning eyes? Cows may be to blame
When a crowd of about 50 Aussies started pawing at their suddenly burning, aching eyes, panic set in. Did somebody release poison gas? No, it’s so, so much worse.
20 hours ago Group backs mandatory flu shots for health workers
Flu vaccination should be required for all doctors, nurses and other health workers, the nation's largest pediatricians' group says, calling it a long overdue step to protect patients.
20 hours ago Two gene mutations mark deadly ovarian cancer
Researchers have identified two new genetic mutations that cause a significant number of the hardest-to-treat kinds of ovarian cancer, and say they point to a new "on-off" switch for tumors.
20 hours ago Chronic drinking is bad; suddenly quitting is worse
But chronic drinking has been linked to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol , which can be dangerous to health. But stopping suddenly can cause the brain's neurons to degenerate, research shows.
20 hours ago Teen's 'laser show' prank zaps eyeballs

Turns out mom was right. You can put your eye out playing with unsafe toys. The “toy” in this case was a handheld laser, purchased from the Internet by a 15-year-old Swiss boy. Turns out mom was right. You can put your eye out playing with unsafe toys. The “toy” in this case was a handheld laser, purchased from the Internet by a 15-year-old Swiss boy.


23 hours ago Splint may be as good as cast for kids' wrist fractures
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A splint may work just as well as a cast in helping children with non-severe wrist fractures heal, a study published Tuesday suggests.
23 hours ago Grassley seeks answers to USDA's role at egg farms
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley is asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to address accusations that federal workers ignored complaints about conditions at two Iowa farms involved in the recall of salmonella-tainted eggs.
23 hours ago Half of "untreatable" asthma cases may be treatable
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Good news for kids with treatment-resistant asthma: Their breathing troubles just might be treatable.
23 hours ago Back in business after peanut deaths
The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business.
Yesterday It’s a wrap? Von Furstenberg designs hospital gowns

The gown, with the Cleveland Clinic's logo printed on the fabric, features side ties that eliminate the embarrassing open-back look that got unwanted attention in the hospital corridor. Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has helped the Cleveland Clinic create a more stylish hospital gown without the peek-a-boo back.


Yesterday Survey: Most of us think we're hotter than average

OK, we know we don't exactly look like Jennifer Aniston, shown here at a premiere of "The Switch" last month. But most of us say we're at least better-looking than the next person, a new survey from msnbc.com and ELLE magazine suggests.We’re fatter than we’ve ever been; at the same time, our idea of the “ideal” body has gone from lean to impossibly leaner. Still, we’re pretty damn pleased with the way we look, a new survey suggests.


Yesterday 21 safest booster seats revealed with new ratings
Parents perplexed by the plethora of booster seats available now have a new guide to help them choose the safest option.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has reviewed the seat belt fit of 72 models.
Yesterday Science helps you dance your way into her heart

The Hoff might want to note this new study for his upcoming "Dancing With the Stars" stint: Psychologists say they've identified the dance moves that lure in the ladies.Using computer-generated avatars, psychologists say they have unlocked the dance moves that will capture a woman's heart. Apparently the speed of a man's right knee and the size and variety of movements of the neck and torso are key, they suggest.


Yesterday U.S. judge refuses to lift ban on stem cell funds
A U.S. judge Tuesday refused to lift a ban on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research despite warnings from the Obama administration that it would set back key research and cost more than a thousand jobs.
Yesterday Science helps you dance your way into her heart
Using computer-generated avatars, psychologists say they have unlocked the dance moves that will capture a woman's heart. Apparently the speed of a man's right knee and the size and variety of movements of the neck and torso are key, they suggest.
Yesterday Magic mushrooms may ease anxiety of cancer
The hallucinogen psilocybin — known by the street name magic mushrooms — may help ease the anxiety that often accompanies late-stage cancer, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Yesterday It's a wrap? von Furstenberg designs hospital gowns

The gown, with the Cleveland clinic's logo printed on the fabric, features side ties that eliminate the embarrassing open-back look that got unwanted attention in the hospital corridor. Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has helped the Cleveland Clinic create a more stylish hospital gown without the peek-a-boo back.


Yesterday U.S. smoking rate smolders at 1 in 5 adults
U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly, frustrated health officials reported Tuesday.
Yesterday Men more susceptible to memory problems
Men are more susceptible than women to memory problems in old age, according to a new study.