September 2, 2010

• Response Team Reduces Rate of Cardiac Arrests: Hospital

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Having a rapid response team manage hospital patients whose condition is rapidly deteriorating sharply reduced the rate of cardiac arrests at a U.S. hospital, a new study found.

• Smoking Seems to Backfire on Teens Hoping for a Lift

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking increases depressive symptoms in teens, especially among those who say they smoke to improve their mood, researchers have found.

• Experimental TB Test Called Fast and Accurate

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental test that can diagnose tuberculosis in less than two hours, making only one doctor visit necessary before treatment starts, is being hailed as a potentially significant advance against a disease that kills nearly 2 million people annually, most of them in developing countries.

• Proximity Affects Influence of Online 'Health Buddies'

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to online social networking, people are more likely to change habits that might affect their health when encouraged to do so by cyber conversations with friends they already know well and with whom they are in close contact, new research suggests.

• Most Study Volunteers Seem Willing to Share Genetic Data

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans are willing to have their genetic information shared in a national database, but they first want to be asked, researchers report.

• Seniors Get Boost From Bad News About the Young

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Older people prefer to read negative news stories about the young, possibly because it makes them feel better about themselves, a new study suggests.

• Prescription Drug Use Rising in U.S., CDC Reports

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44 percent to 48 percent, says a federal government study released Thursday.

• East Coast Residents Should Prepare for Hurricane Earl: FEMA

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- As Hurricane Earl, packing 145 mph winds, crept closer to the U.S. east coast Thursday, federal officials urged residents to take steps to protect themselves and their property.

• Study Identifies Risks for Painkiller Addiction

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The mystery of why some people are more likely to become addicted to opioid painkillers has been partially unraveled by the Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania.

• Health Care Reform Helps Small Businesses Offer Coverage: Report

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- As the provisions of the Affordable Care Act begin to be implemented, many small businesses in the United States will be able to take advantage of new tax credits, a new report shows.

• Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 2, 2010

  (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com :

• Health Highlights: Sept. 2, 2010

  Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay :

• Americans Blind to the Obesity Epidemic

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans have skewed perceptions when it comes to their weight, often believing they are lighter than they actually are, even when the scales are shouting otherwise, a new poll finds.

• Health Tip: If You Have Cirrhosis

  (HealthDay News) -- Cirrhosis is the medical term used to describe the slow deterioration of the liver as a result of chronic injury to the organ.

• Health Tip: Get Ready for Baby's Bath

  (HealthDay News) -- A bit of preparation can make bath time less stressful for parents and safer for baby.

• Vets With Stress Disorder More Likely to Develop Dementia

  THURSDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, are more likely to develop dementia than those without the disorder, according to researchers at a Veterans Affairs medical center in Texas.