In tough economic times, NIH head looks to clinic

January 25, 2010 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As he puts together his budget proposal for the coming year, National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins plans to do something a little different - emphasizing the "health" in the name of his U.S. agency.

Mother jailed for "sickest boy in Britain" fantasy

January 22, 2010 — LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A mother was jailed on Friday for pretending that her healthy son was "the sickest boy in Britain" and needed to be fed through a tube and be taken to school in a wheelchair.

EU agency urges ban on diet drug

January 21, 2010 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European authorities urged a halt to sales of an Abbott Laboratories Inc diet pill on Thursday after concluding risks were too high, while U.S. regulators said they had asked for a stronger warning.

Study links thyroid disease to non-stick chemicals

January 21, 2010 — LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have linked a chemical used in consumer goods like non-stick pans and water-resistant fabrics with thyroid disease, raising questions about the potential health risks of exposure to the substance.

Insulin pumps may be better than shots: report

January 20, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pumps that deliver insulin to the body as needed may be more effective than insulin injections for helping people with type 1 diabetes keep their blood sugar under control, according to a new review of 23 studies comparing the two approaches.

"Silent pandemic" will force drug price rethink

January 20, 2010 — LONDON (Reuters) - A "silent pandemic" of chronic disease is creeping up on poor countries and will force pharmaceutical firms to take a more tiered approach to pricing some of their most lucrative medicines.

Diabetes hits Canada's native population hardest

January 19, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Type 2 diabetes is much more common among Canada's native people than their non-native counterparts, and women of childbearing age are particularly at risk, new research shows.

Experts urge screening for obesity in kids

January 18, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Doctors should screen children and teens between 6 and 18 years for extra pounds, a federal task force recommends.

Severe form of psoriasis ups heart disease risk

January 18, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with severe forms of the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis are more likely to die of heart-related causes and stroke than those without the condition, new research shows.

For doctors in Haiti, worst is yet to come

January 18, 2010 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An earthquake killing up to 200,000 people would have been bad enough anywhere, but in Haiti, where AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are rampant, children are malnourished and hygiene is already a challenge, it may create one of the worst medical disasters ever.

Up to 80 million Americans infected with H1N1: CDC

January 15, 2010 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As many as 80 million Americans have been infected with H1N1 swine flu, up to 16,000 have been killed and more than 360,000 hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

U.S. regulators pressed to speed up BPA decision

January 15, 2010 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should immediately ban the use of the chemical bisphenol A in food and beverage containers, a U.S. environmental health advocacy group urged on Thursday.

Diabetes ups risk of dementia for mildly impaired

January 14, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diabetes may hasten progression to dementia in older people with mild thinking impairment, new research shows.

Could Vioxx cousin prevent religious fast headache?

January 14, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Every year, millions of observant Jews fast on their holiest day, Yom Kippur, and millions of Muslims fast for the month of Ramadan. And every year, as many as 40 percent of those who fast develop serious headaches.

Siblings key in pregnancy-related diabetes risk

January 13, 2010 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with a family history of diabetes who are free from the disease themselves are more likely to develop pregnancy-related diabetes, a new study confirms.