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Education, not income or race, is the most important indicator of health during old age

According to James Smith, a health economist for RAND, and other researchers, studies have found a link between a few additional years of education and longer life spans and large improvements in health during old age.

7 Jan 2007

Iran's "sex for clothing" hampering efforts to fight HIV/AIDS

The "increasingly common" practice in Tehran, Iran, between commercial sex workers and shopkeepers of trading sex for no-cost or discounted fashion clothing is undermining efforts to fight the spread of HIV in the country, according to health education workers, London's Guardian reports.

7 Jan 2007

Lesotho approves policy to care for AIDS orphans

The government of Lesotho has approved a policy to care for orphans and vulnerable children, including those who have lost at least one parent to AIDS-related illnesses, IRIN News reports.

7 Jan 2007

FDA updates health claim for calcium and Vitamin D for osteoporosis

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to allow new claims on foods and dietary supplements containing calcium and Vitamin D to show their potential to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

7 Jan 2007

Uric acid holds potential for central nervous system damage

Uric acid is commonly associated with the excruciatingly painful joint disease known as gout, but it can also play a crucial role in the treatment of spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, according to Rutgers' Bonnie Firestein.

3 Jan 2007

UK medical education is being hit hard by a lack of funding and resources, says the BMA

In a response to the Education and Skills Committee inquiry the BMA highlights concerns about the current situation in medical education and voices opposition to the cap on student fees being lifted.

3 Jan 2007

High uric acid levels indicate risk for cognitive problems in old age

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins and Yale university medical schools have found that a simple blood test to measure uric acid, a measure of kidney function, might reveal a risk factor for cognitive problems in old age.

2 Jan 2007

Patients with sleep apnea see cognitive boost after 3 months of continuous positive airway pressure

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may improve their memory by using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

2 Jan 2007

Chronic cough and phlegm means greater risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Young adults (ages 20 to 44) with normal lung function who later develop chronic cough and phlegm have a fourfold higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

2 Jan 2007

Immigrant mothers face hurdles in accessing postpartum assistance in Canada

While Canadian-born and immigrant women have equal access to health care following childbirth, immigrant women are more likely to experience postpartum depression and financial strain, according to a new study published in Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing.

2 Jan 2007

Successful lung cancer surgery not enough to break nicotine dependence in many smokers

A new study has found that close to half of 154 smokers who had surgery to remove early stage lung cancer picked up a cigarette again within 12 months of their potentially curative operation, and more than one-third were smoking at the one year mark. Sixty percent of patients who started smoking again did so within two months of surgery.

12 Dec 2006

Exercise can reduce a smoker's lung cancer risk, but quitting smoking is still most important

In a study of more than 36,000 women, researchers observed that smokers can reduce their risk of developing lung cancer by being physically active. However, they strongly caution that any relative benefit is dwarfed by the benefits gained from quitting smoking.

12 Dec 2006

Democrats seek to investigate funding for faith-based HIV/AIDS, abstinence initiatives

Some Democrats on the House International Relations Committee said they want to investigate funding for faith-based HIV/AIDS and abstinence-until-marriage initiatives receiving money under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to determine whether taxpayer money is being used appropriately, the Boston Globe reports.

5 Dec 2006

Some ob-gyns switching to cosmetic medicine clinics

Some ob-gyns, as well as other physicians, recently have left their specialties to practice cosmetic medicine, including acne treatments and Botox injections, at medical spas, the New York Times reports.

2 Dec 2006

Incoming Congress should enact legislation to reduce abortion rate

Although "[t]aking substantial steps to reduce the abortion rate will not settle the larger ethical argument over the practice," the "election of a new congressional majority" for the 110th Congress should "open the way for a better approach to the abortion question," Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes in a Post opinion piece.

23 Nov 2006

Number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in China increased 28% in 2006

The number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in China increased by 28% in the first 10 months of 2006, and the virus appears to be spreading to a broader population, China's Ministry of Health said Wednesday in a report posted on its Web site, Reuters reports.

23 Nov 2006