3/13 Yahoo! News: Health News

Ovarian changes may link obesity and infertility (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 7:20 pm Reuters - Obese women have alterations in the environment around the ovary before they ovulate that appear to play a role in the well-documented association between obesity and reduced fertility, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Asthma "coaches" keep kids out of the hospital (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 7:18 pm Reuters - Community health workers acting as asthma coaches are able to reduce the need for rehospitalization for asthma episodes among children in low-income families, researchers report in the March issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Health Tip: Prevent Bleeding Gums (HealthDay) March 12, 2009 at 7:06 pm HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Bleeding gums can occur because teeth haven't been properly brushed and flossed, or as a side effect of conditions including leukemia, scurvy or vitamin K deficiency. Study: Some heart patients undoing drug benefits (AP) March 12, 2009 at 4:06 pm AP - European heart patients are taking more medication than ever before to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, but bad habits such as overeating and smoking are undermining the drugs, a new study says. Despite big increases in heart patients on medication, most still have high blood pressure and nearly half have high cholesterol. Weight loss enhances obese men's sexual well-being (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 3:55 pm Reuters - Obese men who undergo gastric bypass surgery will not only lose weight; their sex lives are likely to improve, too, new research shows. Two Parkinson's drugs similar for early treatment (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 3:53 pm Reuters - As a treatment strategy for early Parkinson's disease, initial therapy with levodopa versus pramipexole appears to be comparable in delaying the progression of this neurological disease. Safety net health centers struggle to meet demand (AP) March 12, 2009 at 3:30 pm AP - The health care safety net is straining. Just look at Jeffrey Taylor's parking lot. New debate on how to decide best health treatments (AP) March 12, 2009 at 12:55 pm AP - People's lives and plenty of money are at stake when it comes to determining which medical treatments work best. Pfizer drug works on rare pancreatic cancer: study (Reuters) March 12, 2009 at 12:13 pm Reuters - A study of Pfizer Inc's Sutent was halted early after the medicine delayed progression of a rare form of pancreatic cancer affecting tens of thousands of people globally, including Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs. Kids Who Live Near Green Spaces Seem to Walk More (HealthDay) March 12, 2009 at 12:07 pm HealthDay - THURSDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- Living close to parks and other play areas may keep children more active and help combat the continued increase in childhood obesity, Canadian researchers report. Some Elderly Heart Failure Patients Get Little Help From Meds, Study Finds (HealthDay) March 12, 2009 at 12:07 pm HealthDay - THURSDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly people suffering from a type of heart disease called diastolic heart failure do not seem to benefit from the commonly prescribed heart failure drugs, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles report. Roche to take over Genentech for $47 billion (AP) March 12, 2009 at 6:47 am AP - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said Thursday it has agreed to buy California-based Genentech for $46.8 billion in a takeover described as the largest in Swiss corporate history. Boom amid bust: Med schools grow as economy tanks (AP) March 12, 2009 at 5:46 am AP - You wouldn't know there was an economic crisis the way the medical school business is booming these days. Japanese doctor apologises for smoking remark (AFP) March 12, 2009 at 2:13 am AFP - A Japanese doctor has apologised after saying that people should smoke themselves to an early death to save the country money on elderly care, according to his hospital. Report: US on short end of health care 'value gap' (AP) March 12, 2009 at 12:48 am AP - If the global economy were a 100-yard dash, the U.S. would start 23 yards behind its closest competitors because of health care that costs too much and delivers too little, a business group says in a report to be released Thursday. Combo of Tests Might Spot Ovarian Cancer Early (HealthDay) March 11, 2009 at 11:49 pm HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Used together, a blood test and an ultrasound scan may be effective in detecting ovarian cancer in its early and more curable stages, British researchers report. Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks (HealthDay) March 11, 2009 at 11:49 pm HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have migraines during pregnancy are 15 times more likely than other women to suffer a stroke, twice as likely to have heart disease and three times more likely to have blood clots and other vascular problems during pregnancy, says a U.S. study. Clinical Trials Update: March 11, 2009 (HealthDay) March 11, 2009 at 11:49 pm HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch: Overweight Preschoolers Raise Their Heart Disease Risk (HealthDay) March 11, 2009 at 11:48 pm HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- In yet another sign that obesity poses health risks at any age, new research shows that overweight children as young as age 3 can begin to show signs of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Second-Generation Female Condom Approved (HealthDay) March 11, 2009 at 11:48 pm HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- The Female Health Co.'s FC2 Female Condom has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company said Wednesday. The product helps protect women against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.