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February 5, 2012
Many kids still exposed to secondhand smoke in cars
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new government study reports that while fewer kids and teens are getting exposed to secondhand smoke while riding in the car, rates of exposure are still high enough to warrant concern.
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February 3, 2012
Traffic-related asthma costs two cities big money
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Traffic pollution may cost two California cities millions each year in managing children's asthma, a new study suggests.
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February 2, 2012
Breastfeeding tied to stronger lungs, less asthma
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who were breastfed as babies may have better lung function, and a lower risk of asthma, than those who were formula-fed, two new reports suggest.
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January 26, 2012
Spike in deaths blamed on 2003 NYC power outage
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The biggest electricity blackout to occur in the United States resulted in 90 additional deaths in New York City, caused both by accidents and disease-related problems, according to a new analysis of data from the summer of 2003.
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January 23, 2012
Positive psychology has limited health benefits
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A psychology technique that encourages patients to think positively and gain confidence helped some with high blood pressure and heart disease stick to medication and exercise goals, according to new research.
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January 11, 2012
Pool chlorine tied to lung damage in elite swimmers
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Competitive swimmers who train at indoor chlorinated swimming pools may have lung changes similar to those seen in people with mild asthma, a new study has found.
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January 11, 2012
REFILE: Pot smokers don't puff away lung health: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A few hits on the bong now and then don't seem to have any detrimental effects on lung health, suggests a new study.
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December 28, 2011
Parents show modest gains after smoking programs
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About one out of every four parents with small children responds to interventions to help them quit smoking, which is slightly better than the one in five parents who would quit without any special help, according to a new study.
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December 27, 2011
Getting a cat ups allergy risk in adults
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While having a cat as a kid may protect against future allergies, getting one in adulthood nearly doubles the chances of developing an immune reaction to it -- the first step toward wheezing, sneezing and itchy eyes.
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December 26, 2011
Ulcer bacteria may protect against diarrhea
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who harbor ulcer-causing bacteria in their stomachs may be protected against some diarrheal diseases, suggests a new study.
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December 21, 2011
US rolls out tough rules on coal plant pollution
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled the first-ever standards to slash mercury emissions from coal-fired plants, a move aimed at protecting public health that critics say will kill jobs as plants shut down.
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December 21, 2011
Decision sharing tied to lower cost for kids' care
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents who report having an increased involvement in making decisions about their children's medical treatment are more likely to see lower risks of their kids going to the emergency room or being hospitalized, according to a new study.
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December 20, 2011
Lower asthma risk in chubby tots who slim down
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight preschoolers who keep the extra pounds have a heightened asthma risk at age seven, but the baby fat doesn't seem to matter for kids who slim down, a new study suggests.
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December 9, 2011
Weak Dutch tobacco controls to cost lives: experts
LONDON (Reuters) - Leading cancer, asthma and heart health experts accused the Dutch government on Friday of "all but closing down" its tobacco controls and said such lax policies could lead to 145,000 preventable deaths by 2040.
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December 8, 2011
FDA staff worried about lung risk with Alexza drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alexza Pharmaceutical's experimental drug for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can cause severe lung problems, U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewers said.
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December 2, 2011
Obese people use more meds: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults in the United States use a number of prescription drug types more frequently than normal-weight adults, says a new study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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December 1, 2011
Even low pollen levels can trigger kids' asthma
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids with asthma and pollen allergies were more likely to wheeze, cough and have shortness of breath and other asthma symptoms -- even when pollen levels were considered "low" -- in a new study that suggests parents need to be careful in all seasons.
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November 23, 2011
Traffic pollution may be linked to diabetes risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who live in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution may face a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes, Danish researchers conclude in a new study.
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November 23, 2011
Costly US health system delivers uneven care: OECD
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. healthcare system is more effective at delivering high costs than quality care, according to a new study that found first-rate treatment for cancer but insufficient primary care for other ailments.
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October 27, 2011
Steroid medications tied to vitamin D deficiency
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who use oral steroid medications may be at greater-than-average risk of a serious vitamin D deficiency, a new study suggests.
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October 25, 2011
Asthma drugs may increase attacks in kids: report
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One class of drugs used to prevent wheezing and shortness of breath in people with asthma may increase kids' risk of being hospitalized for an asthma attack, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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October 25, 2011
Smog dims shine of India's festival of lights
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bharat Prakash has stayed indoors on Diwali day for the past four years to avoid the smog that envelopes Indian cities during the festival, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil with fireworks and small oil-filled clay lamps.
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October 20, 2011
Organizing care for special needs kids saves money
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Families with special needs kids can save up to a third of their out-of pocket medical expenses by having a so-called "medical home" coordinate the care for their child, a news study suggests.
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October 18, 2011
Hospital safety practices unrelated to outcomes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Whether or not trauma centers meet national safety standards says little about a patient's risk of dying or getting an infection while there, according to new research.
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October 17, 2011
Ailing and overweight Americans cost billions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Full-time U.S. workers who have chronic health troubles or are overweight cost more than $153 billion in lost productivity each year from absenteeism, according to a Gallup-Healthways study released on Monday.
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October 13, 2011
Do hospitals do enough to help smokers quit?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nearly every smoker hospitalized in the United States is given advice or counseling on how to quit, according to a new study of hospital records.
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October 10, 2011
Children's chest pain rarely signals heart problem
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children and teenagers who complain of chest pain only rarely have a heart problem causing it, a study published Monday suggests.
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October 10, 2011
Kids of obese mothers have higher risk of asthma
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Pregnant women who are obese are more likely to have children with asthma than are mothers of normal weight, a large study in Sweden has found.
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October 7, 2011
City cyclists breathe in twice as much soot: study
New York (Reuters Health) - Urban cyclists may be exposed to more than twice as much black carbon from vehicle exhaust as pedestrians, a small new study suggests.
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October 6, 2011
Workplace pollutants tied to kids' asthma risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A mother's exposure to airborne pollutants may increase the likelihood that her unborn child will later develop asthma, a new study suggests.
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October 6, 2011
Younger COPD sufferers report job and life burdens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Worldwide, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are damaging the confidence, and the incomes, of an increasing number of patients still of working age, a new international survey found.
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October 5, 2011
EPA easing air quality rule for power plants: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to ease a new air pollution rule that would require power plants in 27 states to slash emissions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
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October 4, 2011
Hospital asthma grades not linked to healthier kids
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hospitals that meet performance standards for treating kids with asthma aren't any better at keeping those kids from showing up in the emergency room with asthma problems in the future, according to new research.
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October 3, 2011
Christie White House bid talk spurs obesity debate
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September 30, 2011
Allergies linked to baby's birthplace, gut bugs
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Where and how a baby is born might affect its chances of getting allergies and asthma growing up, suggests a new study.
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September 29, 2011
Russian gangs behind global medicine scams-UK police
LONDON (Reuters) - Russian gangs and their Chinese associates are making billions of dollars from selling fake and unlicensed medicines over the Internet, putting thousands of people at risk, British police and medical regulators said on Thursday.
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September 28, 2011
Few poor kids get asthma meds after ER visit
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When low-income children end up in the ER with an asthma attack, few are prescribed the medication needed to prevent further attacks, a study of South Carolina children suggests.
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September 26, 2011
Asthma tied to poorer diabetes control in kids
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids with diabetes may have a higher-than-average rate of asthma, and those with both conditions seem to have a tougher time keeping their blood sugar under control, a study out Monday suggests.
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September 26, 2011
Gene could explain why asthma treatments fail some
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Genetic differences could explain why some 40 percent of people with asthma do not respond to inhaled steroids used to achieve long-term asthma control.
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September 23, 2011
'Telemonitoring' may not help with severe asthma
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A device that allows doctors to remotely monitor children with poorly controlled asthma may not help reduce serious asthma attacks, a small study finds.
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September 22, 2011
US FDA bans CFCs in some inhalers as of next year
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September 20, 2011
Preemies face higher death rates as young adults
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When preemies grow up to be young adults, they could face slightly increased death rates, according to a new study based on Swedish data.
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September 13, 2011
Kids who drink raw milk have less asthma, allergies
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who drink raw milk are less likely to develop asthma and allergies than those who stick to the safer pasteurized version, according to a large European study.
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September 12, 2011
Hospital workers outspend others on medical care
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hospital employees spend 10 percent more on healthcare, consume more medical services, and are generally sicker than the rest of the U.S. workforce, according to a study released on Monday.
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September 9, 2011
Mutant genes found for asthma, point to possible therapy
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could help asthma patients, scientists said on Friday, as they identified two mutant genes that may predispose a person to asthma.
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September 8, 2011
Kids who live with smokers have more ear infections
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids whose parents smoke are more likely to get ear infections and have hearing problems, according to a new review paper.
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September 7, 2011
Can carbon dioxide help with nasal allergies?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A shot of carbon dioxide to the nose may bring some quick, though short-lived, relief to people with nasal allergies, a preliminary study suggests.
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September 6, 2011
Kids miss more school when parents smoke: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children whose parents smoke tend to miss more school than their classmates with non-smoking parents -- possibly because of a higher rate of respiratory infections, a new study suggests.
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September 5, 2011
Black race, African ancestry tied to food allergies
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study of two-year-olds in Boston, black kids were twice as likely as white kids to have an immune response to foods such as peanuts, milk, and eggs, and almost four times as likely to have a "sensitization" to three or more foods.
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September 2, 2011
Obese kids have more asthma flare-ups
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Shaving off extra pounds might help asthmatic kids prevent flare-ups of the disease, according to a study that found obese children have a harder time controlling their symptoms.