More than 5,000 patients of a South Dakota urology clinic may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV when the facility reused single-use medical products, state health officials said Friday.
Although many people think of a heart attack as a painful, sometimes fatal event, there are some heart attacks that go entirely unnoticed.
Public health officials in Chicago said Monday that they have tested at least 10 family members of the medical intern linked to a tuberculosis scare in the city.
Actor, author and Parkinson's disease activist Michael J. Fox spoke with CNN's "Larry King Live" to be aired Thursday.
William Searing is an Eagle Scout who loves hiking, adventure, art and sports. At age 19, he's in an education program that bridges the gap from high school to getting a job. Wil has autism.
For 8-year-old Ryan Mohar, an elevator isn't just an elevator. He spends hours pressing the buttons and riding up and down, preferring this to the slew of alternatives that his teachers offer -- even candy.
If you have a stash of pistachios in your house, pistachio ice cream in your freezer or trail mix in your backpack, don't eat any of it.
A new study indicates that African-Americans suffer heart failure at a rate 20 times higher than their white counterparts.
If you're lying awake at night, feeling angry or fatigued, because of stress, you're in the majority, according to a nationwide report released Tuesday.
Seven-year-old Heather McNamara was heading home Tuesday, a month after surgery that temporarily removed organs from her digestive tract to allow removal of a tennis ball-size tumor.
More than 5,000 patients of a South Dakota urology clinic may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV when the facility reused single-use medical products, state health officials said Friday.
Although many people think of a heart attack as a painful, sometimes fatal event, there are some heart attacks that go entirely unnoticed.
Public health officials in Chicago said Monday that they have tested at least 10 family members of the medical intern linked to a tuberculosis scare in the city.
Actor, author and Parkinson's disease activist Michael J. Fox spoke with CNN's "Larry King Live" to be aired Thursday.
William Searing is an Eagle Scout who loves hiking, adventure, art and sports. At age 19, he's in an education program that bridges the gap from high school to getting a job. Wil has autism.
For 8-year-old Ryan Mohar, an elevator isn't just an elevator. He spends hours pressing the buttons and riding up and down, preferring this to the slew of alternatives that his teachers offer -- even candy.
If you have a stash of pistachios in your house, pistachio ice cream in your freezer or trail mix in your backpack, don't eat any of it.
A new study indicates that African-Americans suffer heart failure at a rate 20 times higher than their white counterparts.
If you're lying awake at night, feeling angry or fatigued, because of stress, you're in the majority, according to a nationwide report released Tuesday.
Seven-year-old Heather McNamara was heading home Tuesday, a month after surgery that temporarily removed organs from her digestive tract to allow removal of a tennis ball-size tumor.
Your saliva is doing all kinds of useful things for you all the time -- for instance, helping you chew and taste food. It's also home to more than 600 species of bacteria, which are harmlessly enjoying the moisture of your mouth.
President Obama's pledge to conquer cancer "in our time" is a great goal, but one of America's top cancer experts isn't sure he'd use the word "cure."
Jake Austin, 10 months old, loves playing on the ground. On a typical February morning, Jake and his 4-year-old brother, Hank, are rolling around on the family's shiny hardwood floor, the same floor where they and their parents track in dirt from outside every day.
Nearly half of the guidelines issued to cardiologists by the country's leading heart organizations are based on low levels of evidence, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
When you get angry, the stress isn't restricted to your head. New research shows that anger actually triggers electrical changes in the heart, which can predict future arrhythmias in some patients.
A new crop of drug-resistant superbugs is in our midst, and experts believe that they could rival the deadly superbug MRSA.
With a chance of winning an Oscar on Sunday, the director of "The Final Inch" says she hopes her documentary will shed light on the often over-looked issue of polio eradication.
A person's risk of stroke is associated with the number of fast-food restaurants near their residence, according to a study presented Thursday at a stroke conference in San Diego, California.
The government is warning that taking the psoriasis drug Raptiva could result in serious brain infection and even death.
When she heard news of the Continental Airlines plane that plunged into a house in suburban Buffalo, New York, on Thursday night, killing 50 people, Jenny Gomez experienced a familiar feeling creep deep within her psyche. "It definitely sparked those old feelings of anxiety," she said.
A special court's Thursday ruling that no proven link exists between autism and certain early childhood vaccines seems to have done little to change the sometimes-passionate opinion fueling the debate.
Retirement hasn't been full of lazy days, rounds of golf and luxury vacations for Gary Terry. When this former telecommunications executive called it quits after a 32-year career, he took up an equally time-consuming volunteer job as chairman of the American Heart Association's Texas chapter.
Judy LaCour has been taking a multivitamin supplement for the past 30 years: "As often as I can remember, which isn't always, but on and off since I was in my 40s." She buys them in bulk from her local wholesale warehouse.
Pancreatic cancer is rare and extraordinarily lethal, experts say.
When Carrie Vincent of Westminster, Maryland, had three miscarriages a few years ago, her doctors put her through a lot of tests. She found she suffered from an ailment known as prothrombin gene mutation, a rare syndrome that causes blood clots.
Cancer was once assumed to be a death sentence because the disease was often incurable, but a new survey suggests the crisis for many today is paying for available treatments.
The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee is "outraged" at the growing number of food-borne illnesses nationwide, he said Thursday.
When Maria Rubeo closed her arm, she felt something "very big -- like a lemon."
Until recently, the Bilson household was under siege. Thirteen-year-old daughter Marissa, who has autism, ruled the roost, screaming shrilly until she got her way and enjoying special privileges that didn't extend to her siblings, Brittany, 15, and Brendan, 6.
The Bilson family is like many other families: three kids, a cat, and a small, lovely home with lots of family photos and carved wooden wall signs with sayings like "Live, Laugh, Love."
Kroger -- a grocery chain with stores in 31 states -- has issued a recall for foods made with peanut products, widening recalls related to the Peanut Corporation of America.
The maker of peanut butter linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella shipped tainted product it knew had tested positive for the bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.
People with a stable mood and better capacity to handle stressful situations without anxiety have a reduced risk of developing dementia, according to a study published this week in the journal Neurology.
King Nut Companies issued a total recall of peanut butter that it distributes Saturday amid fears of a salmonella outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said has infected 399 people in 42 states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with public health officials in 42 states to determine the cause of an outbreak of a particular type of salmonella called Typhimurium.
A new study by Canadian researchers, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that colonoscopies are still very effective in detecting colorectal cancer, but they're only good at doing so in cancers found on the left side of the colon, not on the right side.
As Apple enthusiasts speculate over why pancreatic cancer survivor Steve Jobs won't appear at Macworld Conference & Expo this year, the CEO asks them to think differently about his health.
Four patients who received organ transplants in 2007 were found to have HIV and hepatitis C. Both infections came from the organ donor, who had tested negative for both illnesses. This was the first time that donated organs had infected their recipients with both HIV and hepatitis C, and the first time in 21 years an HIV infection has been transmitted in this way, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Long-term outcome research indicates that deep brain stimulation holds promise for the treatment of intractable major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, a frequent companion illness. The technique targets a specific node in the cerebral cortex. When that one region is stimulated, the effects spread throughout the frontal lobe of the brain.
Sen. Edward Kennedy announced in May 2008 that he was suffering from a brain tumor, a malignant glioma, in his left parietal lobe. He had surgery at Duke University in June 2008.
Women who have used the bone-building drug Fosamax are nearly twice as likely to develop the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat as those who have never used it. Patients, especially those with family history of heart problems, should talk to their doctor about whether the drug is the appropriate option for them. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in April 2008.
Video games activate reward the regions of the brain in men more than women, according to a Stanford University study published online in February 2008 in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Asthma affects 22 million Americans. It can cause wheezing, breathlessness and coughing. Asthma attacks are preventable, but they cannot be eliminated. Even though the condition is treatable, thousands die from complications each year. The National Institutes of Health provides guidelines for helping asthmatics cope with their illness. These guidelines, released in August 2007, include an "asthma action plan" for parents and schools, and recommendations to help keep asthmatics healthy.
December 26 could be one of the most dangerous days of the year for people vulnerable to cardiac problems, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, and heart failure. And many of these so-called Merry Christmas coronaries will hit people who didn't even realize they were at risk when they unwrapped their gifts the night before.
Before middle-aged men started singing "Viva Viagra" in TV ads, before former Sen. Bob Dole appeared in its commercials in the '90s, before the blue pill with a funny name entered the public lexicon, impotence was hush-hush.
Our daughter is 22 and suffers from daily migraines. We have tried numerous doctors and medicines in three states and still have no answer. She has no life. This has been going on for more than six years. We are hoping for an answer.
Want to avoid a heart attack or stroke? In addition to well-known risk factors like diet and exercise, you may want to keep an eye on your vitamin D levels too.
Twenty-seven million new cancer cases are expected by 2030, according to a report released Tuesday by the World Health Organization's cancer research agency.
Thomas Cuddy enlisted in the U.S. Army 28 years ago, but he's facing his greatest battle now that he's out.
Authorities in Hong Kong ordered about 80,000 chickens killed Tuesday after discovering dozens of birds had died of bird flu at a farm in the territory.
Hypothermia develops when body temperature, usually at 98.6ºF, drops below 90ºF. Frostbite occurs when parts of our bodies -- usually fingers and toes -- freeze because the blood vessels have constricted and blood flow is reduced. According to the Red Cross, about 700 people in the United States die every year from hypothermia and frostbite. People can become lost in the wilderness, stranded in their cars or trapped at home without utilities.
We've all thought we were allergic to work in the figurative sense right? But it's actually possible to be physically allergic to work. The condition is called "occupational asthma" and about one in seven people suffers from it, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Some of the symptoms are the same as "typical asthma," such as quick, short sips of breath, wheezing, and tightness in the chest. Other symptoms include coughing, sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose. Since the condition is so similar to typical asthma, it becomes very difficult to diagnose.
Douglas Cootey is replacing his lightbulbs with brighter ones, but not just to see better. The new broad spectrum lights simulate sunlight, and might help enliven his mood in the gloomy winter months.
It started with sinus congestion for Shawna Coronado. Then the splitting migraines came. Coronado soon discovered the furry causes: Harrington and Kalamazoo.
The sweet smell of sugar cookies baking filled the air in Kris Shock's kitchen.
When we commemorated the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988, we had little to celebrate.
An expensive CT scan that uses multiple X-rays to produce spectacular 3-D images of the heart can't replace tried-and-true coronary angiography for finding blocked blood vessels in chest-pain patients, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
An expensive CT scan that uses multiple X-rays to produce spectacular 3-D images of the heart can't replace tried-and-true coronary angiography for finding blocked blood vessels in chest-pain patients, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Traditional Southern food tastes great, but it's often high in calories and saturated fat. As a region, the South suffers from higher rates of strokes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Rates of new cancer diagnoses and deaths for U.S. men and women have fallen for the first time, according to a new report from leading cancer and medical research organizations.
Do more frequent mammograms pick up some breast cancer tumors that might have gone away without treatment? Possibly, according to a controversial study published this week in Archives of Internal Medicine. However, experts caution that the research raises an interesting question, but can't definitively answer it.
When he was 10 years old, John O'Connor was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse, a condition that can affect blood flow to and from the left side of the heart.
As mental health advocates, policy makers, practitioners, educators and researchers gathered at the Carter Center to discuss the progress in addressing American children's mental health needs, a drama of sorts was reaching its conclusion halfway across the country.
A cancer treatment that comes in a pill is as effective as the standard chemotherapy for lung patients who had previously been treated for their cancer, according to a study released Thursday.
Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease.
Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease.
After the fire, all that was left of Jonathan Reyes' massive Hot Wheels collection was a piece of metal that once was part of a toy car.
Panic attacks are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death in postmenopausal women. The study appeared in the October 2007 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the Journal of the American Medical Association Archives Journals. The landmark "Women's Health Initiative Study" 1997-2000, was funded in part by GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the anti-anxiety medicine Paxil.
When Helen Smith had a heart attack at age 37, she was in shock. She was young, healthy and in tip-top shape. There'd been no warning signs. She had no family history of heart disease.
Botox is considered a poison with a purpose. Millions of Americans use it to help smooth their wrinkles. As more people use Botox as the ultimate wrinkle remover, doctors are realizing that its benefits go far deeper than the skin. Now it's being used to help stroke victims. A study showing these benefits was released in October 2005.
Seven-year-old Jonathan Reyes sank his hands deep into his jeans pocket as anxiety wrinkled his face. He swallowed hard, twisted and turned nervously.
Oral surgeon Dr. Gary Bouloux is about to pull a diseased wisdom tooth from his patient's mouth, using forceps that look like a pair of silver pliers.
Some monks have an amazing ability to generate a feeling of bliss and happiness when they enter a deep state of meditation. Experts are learning some surprising discoveries about happiness by studying what happens in the monks' brains when they lapse into that deep state of meditation.
People with diagnosed colon cancer who have received treatment and who eat a "Western diet," high in red meat, refined grains, fat and sugar, are more likely to have a recurrence of colon cancer and die from it, compared with patients who eat a "prudent" diet high in fruits, vegetables, poultry and fish.
A Mayo Clinic study, announced in January 2008, details an unprecedented method to predict brain aging disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Investigators identified several gene mutations that predicted which people are at high risk for ALS and Parkinson's, which afflicts a million Americans. People with one set of genetic mutations were 2,000 times more likely than normal to develop ALS. Those with the other set are 400 times more likely than normal to suffer from Parkinson's disease. Researchers say this approach may be used to predict other complex diseases such as Alzheimer's, strokes, diabetes and cancer. They say, for example, if a test is developed that predicts someone is at high risk for diabetes, that person can change his or her behavior through exercise and diet to prevent the disease.
More than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month, and some studies suggest more than 15 million Americans have it each day. But how do you know if your heartburn isn't just heartburn? If you have a burning sensation, chest pains or a sour taste in your mouth, you may have GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Left untreated, GERD can lead to more dangerous ailments such as ulcers, cancer of the esophagus and scarring of the esophagus, also called "peptic narrowing."
A five-minute eye exam costing about $150 for both eyes might prove to be an inexpensive and effective way to gauge and track the neurological disease multiple sclerosis, potentially complementing costly magnetic resonance imaging to detect brain shrinkage, a characteristic of the disease's progression. The current standard is MRI testing, which takes at least an hour and costs about $1,200. The research was done at Johns Hopkins University and was published in the October 16, 2007, issue of the journal Neurology.
The popular herb ginkgo biloba does not reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of more than 1,500 elderly patients who took the supplement. Often touted as a way to preserve aging memories, no large-scale, randomized clinical trial -- until now -- has thoroughly evaluated the safety and effectiveness of ginkgo biloba extract as a way to prevent dementia.
A low-fat diet may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in healthy postmenopausal women, according to results from a Women's Health Initiative study from October 2007. One in 60 women will get ovarian cancer, and more than 15,000 will die from it this year. Until now, little research has shown what women can do to lower their chances of getting this deadly disease. The study suggests a small reduction in overall cancer risk among the women who ate less fat.
Regular physical activity may lower a woman's overall risk of cancer, suggests a new government study -- but only if her workouts don't cut into a good night's sleep. Otherwise, lack of shut-eye appears to cancel out much of exercise's protective benefits.
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that infants born as a result of assisted reproductive technology, or ART -- such as in vitro fertilization and the use of donor eggs -- are two to four times more likely to be born with certain types of birth defects than infants conceived naturally. But, the study's lead author says, the overall risk is still relatively low.
Peppermint oil, soluble fiber, and antispasmodic drugs can indeed help people with irritable bowel syndrome, according to an analysis of 25 years of research on the condition, which is characterized by bouts of diarrhea and constipation.
Everyone knows that being overweight increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer, but new research reveals that even normal-weight people aren't scot-free. A European study suggests that people with belly fat -- even if they're at a healthy weight -- have a higher risk of dying during a 10-year period than their same-weight peers without a spare tire. The report was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Obese children have as much plaque in their neck arteries as middle-aged adults, according to a study presented this week at the American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans.
If you have a fever, headache and runny nose, you might go to Google and type the words "flu symptoms" to see whether you've come down with influenza.
People in their 60s and 70s who have high blood pressure may want to make sure they get enough sleep. A new study suggests that if they log fewer than 7.5 hours under the covers every night, they're at greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death than their peers who get more shut-eye.
Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
Healthy men and women with good cholesterol levels could significantly reduce their risk of heart disease by taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, better known as statins, according to a study released Sunday.
Most people with pacemakers or implanted defibrillators enjoy their iPods or other MP3 players just as much as anyone else, but a new study suggests they should be cautious about where they store the headphones.
Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
Postmenopausal women who have lost interest in sex may be able to bring their libidos back to life with a testosterone patch, according to new research published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine.
High blood pressure is truly a silent killer. In fact, a heart attack or stroke may be the first sign that you even have a problem. That's why it's so important to get your blood pressure checked every time you go to the doctor -- especially if you're a woman.
You could blame weeds, trees, and grasses if you start itching, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing this fall. But the usual suspects aren't the only triggers. A host of household items -- candles, chemicals, stuffed animals, and spices -- may be the real culprits.