USA TODAY articles from October 2006

USA TODAY archives from October 2006

Virulent smallpox stymied as a weapon.(Bioterrorism)
October 1, 2006... Scientists have shown for the first time that a protein in the nucleus of victims' cells triggers progression of smallpox-related illnesses, a finding that could help prevent use of such viruses as bioterrorism weapons. The researchers have...

Emergency room visits soaring.(Drug Overdoses)
October 1, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Washington, D.C., unveiled findings from its new Drug Abuse Warning Network showing almost 2,000,000 drug-related emergency department visits in a recent 12-month period. Of these,...

Will prescription meds slow airline travel?(Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... While it might be very difficult to detect benign chemicals that could make an explosive when mixed together, it is not nearly as difficult to detect traces of potentially dangerous ingredients on the fingers of individuals who recently have...

Pain relievers are new drug of choice.(Addictions)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... More persons initiated nonmedical use of narcotic pain relievers in the past year than began using marijuana or cocaine, states a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Washington, D.C. Some 2,400 individuals...

New test developed for B-12 deficiency.(Vitamins)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A safer, more accurate test for vitamin B-12 deficiency--which affects about 1,000,000 Americans over the age of 65--has been developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis. An inability to absorb vitamin B-12 properly...

Extending DST will promote healthy bones.(daylight saving time )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Beginning in 2007, daylight savings time will be extended by almost a month. This additional amount of daylight may help extend the life and health of people's teeth and bones since vitamin D, also known as the "sunshine vitamin," is made by...

Flu season typically lasts.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Flu season typically lasts from December through March; the ideal time for inoculation is October through mid November. The vaccine begins to protect one to two weeks after the shot, indicate health experts. Getting the vaccine particularly is...

Clinicians apparently are getting better at diagnosing autism in young children.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Clinicians apparently are getting better at diagnosing autism in young children. More than 75% of those diagnosed at age two still appear to have it at age nine, according to a report by a specialist at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor....

Symptoms classically tied.(bladder cancer)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Symptoms classically tied to prostate infection such as blood in the urine and a burning feeling while urinating also are warning signs for bladder cancer, cautions Kenneth Koeneman, assistant professor of urology at the University of Texas...

Diabetics who were prescribed newer medications to control their illness were more likely to take these drugs as instructed than were patients who were prescribed drugs that have been on the market for several decades, states a study from Ohio State University, Columbus.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Diabetics who were prescribed newer medications to control their illness were more likely to take these drugs as instructed than were patients who were prescribed drugs that have been on the market for several decades, states a study from Ohio...

Women who suffer from "transformed migraine" experience a significant reduction in headache frequency and intensity after taking simple steps to improve their sleep behaviors, a University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, study has found.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Women who suffer from "transformed migraine" experience a significant reduction in headache frequency and intensity after taking simple steps to improve their sleep behaviors, a University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, study has found....

The incidence of melanoma.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The incidence of melanoma, the most serious and deadly type of skin cancer, is increasing. The lifetime risk of developing the disease is about one in 70. It used to be less than one in 100, reports the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Melanoma...

Caregivers of those under psychological or physical stress, as well as those with the condition themselves, should not overlook their oral health, according to a study by the American Academy of Periodontology, Chicago.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Caregivers of those under psychological or physical stress, as well as those with the condition themselves, should not overlook their oral health, according to a study by the American Academy of Periodontology, Chicago. Results suggest that...

Most people accurately can tell a person's age by viewing only their hands, suggests a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights, Ill.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Most people accurately can tell a person's age by viewing only their hands, suggests a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights, Ill. "Looking younger after a facelift or eyelid surgery can conflict with aged hands...

Pomegranate slows cartilage deterioration.(Osteoarthritis)
October 1, 2006... Pomegranate fruit extracts can block enzymes that contribute to osteoarthritis, reveals a study by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland. The study looked at the ability of an extract of pomegranate fruit against...

Will molecular tracking reveal virus' secrets?(HIV)
October 1, 2006... More than 40,000,000 people worldwide are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. While current therapies are able to repress the virus if caught early enough, scientists still are working on a cure for the deadly disease. One researcher...

First treatment for drug-resistant HIV.(AIDS)(Arun Ghosh)
October 1, 2006... Doctors have their first Food and Drug Administration-approved tool to treat drug-resistant HIV thanks to a new molecule created by a researcher at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "There are many treatments for AIDS on the market,...

New look at influenza virus.(Cryoelectron Microscopy)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... New images of the influenza virus have prompted scientists to rethink previous ideas of how the virus escapes from cells, according to a study by researchers from Japan, Sweden, and the U.S. The flu virus carries its genes in eight segments...

Hollywood story lines hinder cooperation.(Organ Donation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The television and motion picture industries are scaring people away from donating organs, according to Susan Morgan, an associate professor of communication at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "Fictitious story lines that focus on a...

These drugs are as good as gold.(Autoimmune Diseases)(work of medicinal metals )
October 1, 2006... Gold components have been used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases for more than 75 years but, until now, how the metals work has been a mystery. Researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston, report that...

Concussions promote dementia in gridders.(Head Trauma)(football players)
October 1, 2006... Repeated concussions brought on by blows to the head during their playing days significantly boost the chances that retired professional football players will suffer dementias such as mild cognitive impairment in later life, suggests a study by...

Prevention prevails on the playing field.(Sports Injuries)(National Athletic Trainers Association)
October 1, 2006... "Schools and sports teams should always have an emergency plan in place and implement a comprehensive athletic health care program, including injury prevention, education, and treatment," emphasizes Brian Robinson of the National Athletic...

Toppling TVs felling youngsters.(Household Accidents)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Adults need to be better educated about television's potential harm--not content or programming, but the physical danger of falling sets, according to a study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. Pediatricians...

Women dominate care for disabled.(Children)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Children with disabilities are more likely than other youngsters to live with single mothers or other female caretakers, suggests a study by Philip Cohen, associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. ...

Stop targeting healthy short children.(Human Growth Hormone )
October 1, 2006... Many short kids are perfectly healthy. Their height is a matter of genetic makeup rather than any medical problem resulting in short stature. Despite this, many parents are turning to human growth hormone injections in an attempt to add inches...

Secondhand smoke damages babies' lungs.(Respiratory Ailments)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In unprecedented biochemical and anatomical detail, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have described how cigarette smoke damages the lungs of unborn and newborn children. The findings illustrate with increased urgency the...

Molecular switch may hold key to cure.(Metabolic Syndrome)
October 1, 2006... How a molecular switch regulates fat and cholesterol production has been identified by researchers at Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, a step that may help advance treatments for metabolic syndrome,...

Bridging the gap through the world of art.(Mental Illness)(Museum of Modern Art (New York, New York), The Bridge)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... For 13 weeks last spring, the Museum of Modern Art's Department of Education partnered with mentally ill patients from The Bridge--a private, not-for-profit community-based organization serving New Yorkers in need for more than 50 years--to...

Periodontal therapy may lower blood sugar.(Diabetes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Periodontal therapy may improve metabolic control--lower HbA1C--in diabetic patients, suggests research by the American Academy of Periodontology, Chicago. The study results indicate that such therapy may reduce a diabetic patient's HbA1C...

Liver linked to deadly disease.(Hypertension)
October 1, 2006... Mechanisms causing a potentially deadly type of hypertension that results from liver damage have been identified by Don Rockey, a physician at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. Portal hypertension affects the blood...

Old remedies work just fine.(High Blood Pressure)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... With the growing worldwide reports about obesity comes the concern for increased blood pressure risks as well, and a physician with the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La., has two important messages: physicians may be able...

Small intestine controls bile output.(Liver Disease)
October 1, 2006... The discovery that the small intestine communicates with the liver to control the production of bile acids is a finding that has great medical implications in treating people at risk for certain types of liver disease, declare researchers at...

Anorexia, bulimia prove gene related.(Eating Disorders)
October 1, 2006... Six core traits that appear to be linked to genes associated with two common eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia nervosa, have been identified by an international team of researchers led by investigators at the University of Pittsburgh (Pa.)...

Pounds may disappear yet cellulite remains.(Weight Loss)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Weight loss may decrease the severity of cellulite for some women, but may worsen the condition for others, reports the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights, Ill. "Approximately 85% of women are affected by cellulite,"...

Doing battle with hospital infections.(GERMS)(air sterilization technology designed)
October 1, 2006... An innovative air sterilization technology designed to assist troops on the battlefield soon may be protecting hospital patients from deadly infections, report researchers from New York's University at Buffalo. The news comes as...

Patients receiving subpar care.(intensive care units in shortage)
October 1, 2006... Two-thirds of patients needing critical care services may be receiving suboptimal care, as the current demand for services has surpassed the supply of providers needed, according to a report released by the Department of Health and Human...

Knee implants designed for women.(Orthopedics)(University of Texas (Dallas). Southwestern Medical Center)
October 1, 2006... Orthopedic surgeons at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, are among the first to use knee implants specifically designed to fit a woman's anatomy. The implant addresses three distinct and scientifically documented...

System discourages physician disclosure.(Medical Errors)
October 1, 2006... Disclosing medical errors made by physicians is extremely important, yet often quite difficult, maintain doctors at the University of Iowa's School of Medicine, Ames. "It's a challenge to understand the diversity of reasons, both positive...

Up in smoke.(Tobacco)(cartoonists arrange exhibition on smoking and its effects on health)
October 1, 2006... "Cartoonists Take Up Smoking," retraces the 40-year battle over the use and promotion of cigarettes since the publication of the landmark Surgeon General's report on smoking and health in 1964. The exhibition addresses complacency on the part...

Elective surgery patients growing older.(The Elderly)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Are you too old for an operation? Age need not be an automatic barrier to elective surgery, according to Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Increased life expectancy, safer forms of anesthesia, and less-invasive surgical techniques have made it...

African-American men at higher risk.(Prostate Cancer)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A DNA segment on chromosome 8 that is a major risk factor for prostate cancer, especially in black males, has been identified by researchers at Harvard University Medical School, Boston. "This genetic risk factor about doubles the...

Illuminating offending proteins fluorescently.(Cancer Detection)
October 1, 2006... Fluorescence that illuminates a specific protein within a cell's nucleus may be a key to identifying cancer virulence and developing individualized treatment, according to researchers at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. Scientists...

Nanotechnology aids in cancer fight.(Laser Therapy)
October 1, 2006... A noninvasive laser therapy that destroys cancer cells but leaves healthy ones unharmed has been developed by scientists at Stanford (Calif.) University. "One of the longstanding problems in medicine is how to cure cancer without harming...

Designer peptides provide treatment.(Hormones)(peptide hormones developed by University of Arizona)
October 1, 2006... Modified versions of naturally occurring peptide hormones that could be key to novel treatments of a variety of diseases--including eating disorders (anorexia, obesity), sexual dysfunction, and skin cancer--have been developed by chemists at...

Why is cornea free of blood vessels?(Eyesight)
October 1, 2006... Scientists at Harvard University's Department of Ophthalmology's Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, say they are the first to learn why the cornea, the clear window of the eye, is free of blood...

Malnutrition kills stricken patients.(Cancer)
October 1, 2006... Some 20-40% of cancer victims die from causes related to malnutrition, not from the cancer itself, and 80% of cancer patients develop some form of clinical malnutrition, according to the National Cancer Institute, Washington, D.C. Unfortunately...

Don't end up fathering by default.(Psychology)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... DO YOU MAKE an effort to father your son? At first glance, this seems like a ludicrous question. Didn't you provide half his genetic material? Don't you go out every day and earn a living to keep a roof over his head and food on the table?...