Health Library

Procedure for Incontinence in Women May Lose Effectiveness With Time TUESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- The success of a common surgery for pelvic organ prolapse -- a painful and distressing condition affecting many women -- lessens over time, according to a new study. Abdominal sacrocolpopexy is a procedure used to relieve the problem. It involves stitching a piece of mesh on the top of the vagina and attaching it to a strong ligament from the back of the pelvic bone. This surgery helps to support the...

Public Funding Spurs Couples to Seek Fertility Treatment WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Public funding of assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, broadens the range of couples who seek treatment for infertility by attracting a more diverse population, according to new research from Canada. When the province of Quebec began to fund up to three cycles of IVF in August 2010, researchers compared patients who sought that treatment before and after the mand...

People With High Blood Pressure May Crave Salt WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- High-salt diets have long been linked to high blood pressure, but new research finds that those with the condition may have a far greater preference for salty foods than those with normal blood pressure. In a small study of older adults, researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil found that participants with high blood pressure, or hypertension, favored bread dusted with the highest concentration of salt mor...

Pregnancy Adds Challenge for Teens Treated for Drug Abuse, Report Says THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Half of pregnant teens in substance-abuse treatment programs used alcohol or drugs in the month before they entered treatment. And nearly 20 percent used drugs or alcohol on a daily basis during that month, according to a U.S. government report. Among females aged 12 to 19 who weren't pregnant entering treatment, those rates were about 71 percent and 24 percent, respectively, the study from the U.S...

Pets a Boon for the Human Heart, Cardiologists Say THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- That four-legged friend of yours may be more than a companion -- he also may be boosting your heart health, experts say. An official statement released Thursday by the American Heart Association says there is evidence that having a pet, particularly a dog, may lower your risk of heart disease. Cardiology specialists weren't all that surprised. "Pets really might be man's best friend," said Barbara George, director of ...

Prostate Cancer May Be Deadlier for the Uninsured TUESDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- Men who are uninsured or underinsured get advanced prostate cancer at nearly four times the national average and don't survive as long as other men with advanced disease, a new study says. "We've identified a group of advanced prostate cancer patients who do not do well," said Dr. Jeffrey Reese, a clinical professor (affiliated) at Stanford University School of Medicine. He's also chief of urology at the Santa Clara Val...

Programming Implanted Defibrillators to React More Slowly Might Be Safer: Study TUESDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- By slowing down the programmed response rate on implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), doctors can reduce the number of shocks these devices deliver without causing a significant increase in the risk of fainting or death, new research suggests. "The aim of [our] study was to evaluate a different programming strategy to reduce unnecessary therapies delivered by the ICD," explained s...

Pediatricians Endorse New Acne Treatment Guidelines MONDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Pimples have long been the bane of teenage existence, but pediatricians say there is now enough evidence on effective treatments to put out the first guidelines on battling acne in children. There is a range of medications that can clear up even severe cases of acne, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Writing in the May issue of its journal Pediatrics , the group throws its support behind new guidel...

Preordered School Lunches May Be Healthier, Study Finds FRIDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Young students are more likely to choose healthier school lunches if they can preorder them, away from the temptations of the sights and aromas of food in the lunchroom, a new study finds. The research included nearly 300 students at two elementary schools in upstate New York. Over a four-week period, the students used an electronic system to preorder their lunch's main dish. About 29 percent of the students select...

Penicillin Prevents Return of Leg Infection Called Cellulitis: Study WEDNESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- For people who have suffered from cellulitis of the leg, a long course of low-dose penicillin prevents the painful infection from returning, British researchers report. Once the penicillin is stopped, however, its protective effect diminishes and the condition can flare up again, the researchers noted. "Low-dose penicillin substantially reduces the risk of further episodes of leg cellulitis in those...