Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
U.S. approves first "ethical" human stem cell lines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government approved the first 13 batches of human embryonic stem cells on Wednesday, enabling researchers using them to get millions of dollars in federal funding as promised by President Barack Obama in March. The batches, known as lines, were made by two researchers at Harvard University and Rockefeller University using private funds, said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.
U.S. debate over mammograms splits along party lines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers pressed their case on Wednesday that new U.S. recommendations advising against routine mammograms for women in their 40s could be used to ration healthcare under reform legislation before Congress, a charge Democrats denied. The guidelines, issued on November 16 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federal scientific advisory panel, scaled back recommendations for annual mammograms to screen for breast cancer in women in their 40s with an average risk for the disease.
More work needed to cut health costs: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional efforts to revamp the U.S. healthcare system are not enough to stem soaring health costs or close the nation's budget gap, a top Obama administration official said on Wednesday, adding that current bills must be strengthened to help rein in spending. White House budget director Peter Orszag did not say what other steps President Barack Obama might take in his next budget proposal in February. But he did say that the current healthcare reform legislation alone will not reduce the U.S. deficit -- now at $1.4 trillion.
Ultrasound effective at spotting breast cancers
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Breast ultrasounds found 100 percent of suspicious cancers in women under 40 who found lumps or other suspicious areas of the breast, offering a cheaper, less-invasive alternative to surgery or biopsies, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. They said targeted ultrasound -- which examines just the area of the breast where a lump is identified -- should become the standard of care for women under 40.
For some women, trans fats could be deadly
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For women with heart disease, eating too many artery-clogging trans fats may increase their risk of dying suddenly from cardiac arrest, a new study suggests. Trans fats, found largely in commercially prepared baked and fried foods, have become notorious in recent years because they not only raise "bad" LDL cholesterol -- as the saturated fats in meat and butter do -- but also lower levels of heart-healthy HDL cholesterol.
Sanofi warning on antidepressant Norpramin
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis SA has warned that its antidepressant Norpramin should be given with extreme caution to patients with a history of certain heart problems, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday. The label for Norpramin (desipramine hydrochloride tablets USP) will also warn that seizures precede abnormal heart rhythms and death in some patients. The heart conditions include a family history of sudden death, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart conduction disturbances.
Half of world's ICU patients have infections: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Half of all patients in intensive care units around the world have infections, and more than 70 percent are being given antibiotics -- a trend that could help more drug-resistant superbugs emerge, researchers reported on Tuesday. Patients who had infections were more likely to die, especially of bloodborne infections known as sepsis, the survey of more than 13,000 patients found. They also spent more time in the ICU at greater expense to hospitals and patients.
Heavy kids may suffer back pain, spinal disc woes
CHICAGO (Reuters Health) - Add severe back pain and spine abnormalities to the list of problems overweight and obese adolescents can develop. Among a group of young people who came to an emergency department for severe back pain, researchers found that many had abnormalities in the lower spine. Most of those abnormalities occurred within the discs, which are sponge-like cushions in between the bones of the spine.
Irish pilgrims suffer eye burns after "apparition"
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Catholic pilgrims have suffered eye damage after staring at the sun in the hope of witnessing an apparition of the Virgin Mary, a doctor said on Wednesday. On one occasion in October, some 10,000 people gathered at the Knock shrine in northwestern Ireland hoping to see Mary, despite pleas from an archbishop to ignore invitations to the event by a self-proclaimed spiritual healer.
H1N1 might have peaked in Canada
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian health officials said on Wednesday that the H1N1 flu outbreak might have reached its peak in Canada, but cautioned that the fight is not yet over. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, said that while some areas of the country have displayed reduced incidents of swine flu, other regions have seen an uptick in cases in recent weeks.
REUTERS
