Reuters Health News

BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators said on Wednesday they have found no link between oral bisphosphonate osteoporosis medications such as Merck amp; Co Inc's Fosamax and certain thigh bone fractures.

LONDON (Reuters) - Only half of patients at high risk of heart disease are given the right targets for cutting their cholesterol and millions may suffer heart attack or stroke due to doctors' poor advice, scientists said on Thursday.

VIENNA (Reuters) - Motorists under the influence of drugs are a growing threat on U.S. roads, while the number who drink and drive has fallen thanks to education and law enforcement, a top U.S. drug control official said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Recent new powers have helped the U.S. Food and Drug Administration combat contaminated medications, counterfeit pills and other safety woes, but more work is needed to address lingering concerns about drug risks, FDA officials said on Wednesday.

BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators said on Wednesday they have found no link between oral bisphosphonate osteoporosis medications such as Merck amp; Co Inc's Fosamax and certain thigh bone fractures.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two studies published on Wednesday show it is possible to sequence the entire gene maps of families with inherited diseases and pinpoint the offending bit of DNA.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you're pregnant and have had a cesarean section before, chances are you'll have one again. In at least one-third of US hospitals, a repeat cesarean is the only option, and nine in 10 women end up getting one -- a fact that had experts worried at a national conference this week on vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The most commonly used tool for detecting prostate cancer, routine PSA screening, has become "a hugely expensive public health disaster," its discoverer said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 16 percent of Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 are infected with genital herpes, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Several studies have shown that smokers have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. A new study shows that it's how many years of smoking a person has under their belt -- rather than how much they smoke every day -- that matters.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 16 percent of Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 are infected with genital herpes, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.

VIENNA (Reuters) - Motorists under the influence of drugs are a growing threat on U.S. roads, while the number who drink and drive has fallen thanks to education and law enforcement, a top U.S. drug control official said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For kids who play baseball, a simple stretching exercise can help curb pain and tightness in their throwing arm, according to research presented Wednesday at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meeting in New Orleans.

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The rate of tuberculosis among Canada's 55,000 Arctic Inuit people is catastrophically high and much more must be done to combat the lung disease, activists said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ratcheted up the pressure on health insurance companies on Wednesday, urging them to forgo short-term profits to make coverage more affordable and to stop fighting the Obama administration's reform effort.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A serious bout with a stomach bug can raise a child's risk of having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) later on, new research shows.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Music class may help improve certain types of sound perception in deaf children who have cochlear implants, a new study hints.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ratcheted up the pressure on health insurance companies on Wednesday, urging them to forgo short-term profits and stop fighting President Barack Obama's health reform plans.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The number of New Yorkers who die of cocaine overdose appears to go up when the temperature surpasses 75 degrees, a new study suggests.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Inoculating children against flu protects more people of all ages in the larger community, probably because young people tend to spread viruses through physical play, Canadian researchers said on Tuesday.