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January 22, 2010
Malaria drugs may help patients with lupus
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drugs used to treat malaria may be useful for patients with lupus, a chronic debilitating "autoimmune" disease, according to according to a new report.
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January 22, 2010
Weak evidence of benefit for scoliosis bracing
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of braces to correct excessive curvature of the spine (scoliosis) in adolescents is a subject of ongoing debate and a new review of the medical literature does little to resolve the matter.
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January 21, 2010
Electro-acupuncture shows promise for knee arthritis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A modern twist on traditional acupuncture may bring some pain relief to people with knee arthritis, at least in the short term, a small study suggests.
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January 20, 2010
Swiss warn on H1N1 vaccine with autoimmune disease
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's medical regulator recommended patients with serious autoimmune diseases should not use an H1N1 flu vaccine from Novartis, saying there were no studies assessing the inoculation in that segment of the population.
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January 13, 2010
U.S. obesity rate appears to be slowing
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Americans are still too fat, but the obesity epidemic in the United States appears to be waning a bit, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
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December 31, 2009
Restless legs syndrome, erectile dysfunction linked?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Two disorders that seem completely unrelated except that each is the focus of massive drug company ad campaigns may actually have something in common: Older men who suffer from restless legs syndrome at night are almost twice as likely to have erectile dysfunction as those without restless legs, researchers report.
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December 30, 2009
Tobacco may up pain from jaw disorder
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Smoking and other types of tobacco use may increase the pain of temporomandibular joint disorders, a new study suggests.
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December 29, 2009
J&J expands recall of Tylenol arthritis caplets
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets is being expanded because of consumer reports of an unusual moldy odor with the 100-count bottles, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said late on Monday.
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December 24, 2009
Smoking ups men's rheumatoid arthritis risk most
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Smoking is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a new analysis of 16 studies confirms.
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December 18, 2009
Tape may ease pain in some cases of knee arthritis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Simple athletic tape may bring some pain relief to older adults with a form of arthritis that affects the kneecap, a small study suggests.
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November 30, 2009
What happens when doctors give patients more power?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When patients are given the responsibility for medical decisions, they may be less willing to try a potentially risky treatment, a study published Monday suggests.
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November 27, 2009
Dementia big threat for elderly in poorer nations
LONDON (Reuters) - Dementia is the biggest cause of disability in old people in poorer countries and the problem and its costs for society will grow rapidly as populations age, doctors said on Friday.
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November 23, 2009
Vioxx risks could have been detected earlier-study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Heart risks from taking Merck & Co Inc's painkiller Vioxx could have been detected more than three years before the company withdrew the drug from the market in September 2004, had the data been openly available, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
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November 18, 2009
The depressed are more apt to get opioids for pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who suffer from depression are much more likely to be prescribed powerful opioid painkillers like morphine and codeine and to stay on the drugs long-term, new research shows.
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November 13, 2009
Food-borne ills can have lasting consequences
CHICAGO (Reuters) - More than just a bad bout of stomach flu, some food-borne illnesses can cause long-term consequences, especially for young people, a report released on Thursday has found.
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November 12, 2009
Abused kids may grow up to have arthritis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research hints that physical abuse suffered during childhood may increase the risk for osteoarthritis -- the wear-and-tear form of arthritis in which the cartilage cushioning the joints gradually breaks down.
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November 5, 2009
Psoriatic arthritis common in people with psoriasis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - As many as 14 percent of people with psoriasis may also have psoriatic arthritis, research shows.
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November 5, 2009
Tai Chi has major benefits for arthritic knees
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People suffering from creaky knees may want to give Tai Chi a try.
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November 4, 2009
Restless legs more common than previously thought
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that 23 percent of people have restless leg syndrome, or RLS, which is much higher than previously reported rates of 3 percent to 10 percent.
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November 4, 2009
Genes may be important in back, neck pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A person's genetic makeup may play an important role in the odds of suffering neck or back pain, new research suggests.
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October 29, 2009
Lupus linked to heart disease
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a more than twofold increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
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October 29, 2009
Many factors contribute to work-related injury
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many different factors -- from being obese to using vibrating hand tools to having little authority to make decisions in the workplace -- seem to influence a person's risk of developing certain work-related injuries, French researchers report.
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October 23, 2009
Squatting, cycling linked to arthritis of the knees
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cyclists and people who spend long periods of time in a squatting position may be at greater risk of developing arthritis in their knees, new research shows.
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October 22, 2009
Working after retirement good for your health
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who keep doing some work in their field after they retire may enjoy better physical and mental health than those who stop working completely, a new study suggests.
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October 12, 2009
Opioids prescribed more often for substance abusers
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite doctors' concerns over fueling painkiller addiction, people with a history of drug or alcohol abuse appear more likely than others to be prescribed potentially addictive painkillers for chronic pain, a new study suggests.
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October 8, 2009
Study isolates virus in chronic fatigue sufferers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A virus linked to prostate cancer also appears to play a role in chronic fatigue syndrome, according to research that could lead to the first drug treatments for a mysterious disorder that affects 17 million people worldwide.
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October 7, 2009
Risks of opioids for arthritis outweigh benefits
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older folks looking to find relief from painful arthritis should steer clear of codeine, OxyContin and other powerful prescription "opioid" painkillers, even if their pain is severe, doctors advise in a report published this week.
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October 2, 2009
CORRECTION: For less foot pain, pick sneakers over heels
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Care about the future of your feet? You might want to consider your shoe choices carefully, new research shows.
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October 2, 2009
Half of babies born in rich world will live to 100
LONDON (Reuters) - More than half of babies born in rich nations today will live to be 100 years old if current life expectancy trends continue, according to Danish researchers.
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October 2, 2009
Gas mask in a bra leads IgNobel awards
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Engineers who invented a brassiere that converts quickly into a gas mask, pathologists who determined that beer bottles can crack your skull even when empty and Irish police officers who mistakenly wrote tickets to "Driver's License" all won spoof "IgNobel" prizes on Thursday.
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October 1, 2009
For less foot pain, pick sneakers over heels
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Care about the future of your feet? You might want to consider your shoe choices carefully, new research shows.
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September 30, 2009
Strep throat unlikely to cause of OCD, tics: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research has failed to turn up any evidence that strep infections can cause or trigger Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
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September 30, 2009
CORRECTION: A relief? Lower back pain unlikely to mean cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Your lower back pain may be killing you, but there's some good news: Such pain is very unlikely to mean serious problems such as broken vertebrae or cancer, according to a study by Australian researchers.
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September 22, 2009
Neurologic signs common with fibromyalgia
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fibromyalgia isn't all in your head, new research suggests.
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September 21, 2009
Mosquito-borne African virus a new threat to West
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Europe face a new health threat from a mosquito-borne disease far more unpleasant than the West Nile virus that swept into North America a decade ago, a U.S. expert said on Friday.
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September 17, 2009
Cancer takes a health toll on spouses too
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Spouses who have a husband or wife dealing with cancer may see their own physical and psychological health deteriorate over time, a new study suggests.
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August 17, 2009
Chinese herb shows promise for rheumatoid arthritis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) proved more effective than the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine in a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
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August 12, 2009
Getting a new knee may boost quality of life
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with severe osteoarthritis of the knee who have knee replacement surgery are apt to see significant improvements in their "health-related" quality of life, new research shows.
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August 7, 2009
Sports creams may do little for pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Popular over-the-counter sports rubs may have little real effect on aching muscles and painful joints, a research review suggests.
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August 4, 2009
Arthritis drugs raise cancer risk in kids: US FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Blockbuster prescription drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions can increase the risk of potentially deadly cancer in children and teenagers, U.S. health regulators said on Tuesday in ordering stronger warnings on such medications.
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July 30, 2009
Alternative medicine a big business in US - report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Complementary and alternative medicine such as acupuncture, herbal supplements and meditation are big business in the United States, totaling nearly $34 billion in out-of-pocket spending, according to a government report released on Thursday.
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July 30, 2009
Strength workouts help seniors function better
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Strength training can help older people function better and reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis, according to a review of the medical literature.
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July 27, 2009
Obesity costs US health system $147 billion: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all medical spending in the United States or an estimated $147 billion a year, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
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July 23, 2009
Obesity linked to rapid loss of knee cartilage
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obesity is strongly associated with an increased risk of rapid loss of cushioning cartilage in the knee in people at risk for osteoarthritis or with early signs of the disease, researchers have found.
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July 23, 2009
Depression in arthritis patients often untreated
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with arthritis seem to have an elevated rate of depression, but the disorder goes untreated more often than not, a new study suggests.
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July 20, 2009
Lupus drug succeeds in clinical trial: company
BOSTON (Reuters) - Human Genome Sciences Inc said on Monday its experimental drug to treat lupus was successful in a late-stage clinical trial.
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July 16, 2009
Psoriasis treatment may up cancer risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis may need life-long treatment with a variety of therapies to relieve symptoms of the scaly skin condition and research has shown that both traditional and newer therapies for psoriasis can increase patients' risk of certain cancers.
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July 14, 2009
Smoking may speed progress of multiple sclerosis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who smoke have a speedier progression of the disease, a new study in the Archives of Neurology suggests.
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July 14, 2009
Senate panel backs 12-year biotech drug shelter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Biotechnology medicines would be protected from cheaper rivals for 12 years under a plan that cleared a U.S. Senate committee on Monday.
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July 13, 2009
Delayed ACL repair risky in young athletes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In adolescents who tear their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), delaying surgery to repair the ligament may result in irreparable damage, according to results of a study presented Sunday at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Keystone, Colorado.