Health
Obama shift seeks to defuse birth-control fight
(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.
Categories: Health
FDA issues plan to avoid heparin contamination
(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.
Categories: Health
US mental guidelines attacked
British health specialists warn that the guidelines could boost inappropriate use of medicines, stigmatise normal behaviours and stretch mental health funding
Categories: Health
Clegg fury at Tory moves to kill health bill
Deputy PM furious that three Conservative ministers have been lobbying against the health bill, amid fears the issue could split the Liberal Democrats
Categories: Health
'Hunger hormone' could help chemo patients: study
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.
Categories: Health
Return to running possible after hip resurfacing
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.
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Erectile drugs might help premature ejaculation
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.
Categories: Health
Woman: court ruling on pumping breast milk unfair
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.
Categories: Health
Holiday weight gain affects active people too
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.
Categories: Health
Vernalis secures backing for US drugs deal
UK biotech group nets funding worth £65m, three times its market capitalisation before the announcement of the transaction
Categories: Health
China probes "bouncing" boiled eggs
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.
Categories: Health
More evidence big football players face heart risks
(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.
Categories: Health
Pentagon attacks obesity with new food choices
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - Obese Americans in the military are a national security hazard and U.S. first lady Michelle Obama wants to see that change.
Categories: Health
Biden says contraceptives fight can be worked out
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.
Categories: Health
Cancer trial participants may have misconceptions
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.
Categories: Health
Does sex ed keep girls from becoming teen moms?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study, states with more comprehensive sex education programs had lower teen birth rates -- but the effect seemed to be due more to political, religious and social differences between those states than the sex ed itself.
Categories: Health
Most women with cancer want a role in decisions
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About two-thirds of women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer want to take part in making decisions about their treatment, according to a new survey of patients from five different countries.
Categories: Health
FDA sets draft rules for biotech drug copies
(Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration's long-awaited guidelines for the sale of lower-cost versions of biotechnology drugs leave open the possibility that some products might not need to be tested in humans.
Categories: Health
Teen weight loss program shows some benefit
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A low-key, long term approach to teen weight loss produced modest benefits in a clinical trial, Australian researchers report, though a version of the program that added texts and emails didn't help kids slim down any further.
Categories: Health
Sticking to nicotine patch may prevent relapse
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When smokers on nicotine patch therapy lapse, they may have a better chance of avoiding a return to smoking if they stick with the patches instead of giving up their quit attempt, a new study concludes.
Categories: Health
The Bottom Line:If Mr Cable has his way...
"If Mr Cable had his way, all the big banks would be broken up and bonuses would be virtually eliminated - a sure-fire way in my view of guaranteeing an end to the UK’s ability to compete as an international financial centre. Let’s not forget that this is a man who is on record as saying that everyone who works in a bank has an ‘aristocratic lifestyle’ clearly demonstrating his lack of understanding of the sector." A tough line on bankers’ bonuses could make a brain drain of financial talent a distinct possibility, warns Paul Marsden. Read more