November 20, 2009

• Text Messages Might Increase Sunscreen Usage

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Sunscreen can help reduce the risk of skin cancer, but people forget to apply it. Now, researchers say, daily text-message reminders could increase usage.

• Swine Flu May Hit Kids With Asthma Harder

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Canadian researchers are reporting that children with asthma are more likely to develop severe cases of H1N1 flu than seasonal flu.

• Three-Month Supply Lowers Drug Costs

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Buying a three-month supply of prescription drugs is up to one-third cheaper than buying a one-month supply, according to a new study.

• Swine Flu Declining in Some Parts of U.S.

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Some areas of the United States are seeing declines in H1N1 swine flu activity, a federal health official said Friday, and while the disease remains widespread in 43 states, that's down from the 46 states reported last week.

• Formaldehyde May Endanger Funeral Workers

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to formaldehyde used for embalming increases funeral industry workers' risk of death from myeloid leukemia, according to a new U.S. government study.

• Athletes Seeking Doping Agents Can Still Find Them Online

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Unapproved non-steroidal and tissue-selective anabolic drugs called selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are being sold on the Internet as sports doping agents, according to a new report.

• 'Hobbits' Were a Distinct Species, Study Concludes

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) --The ancient dwarfs known as "hobbits" weren't humans shrunk down by disease, scientists now say, but instead, they were a distinct human species.

• Discovery Boosts Boys' Prospects for Post-Cancer Fertility

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests it may become possible for pre-pubescent boys stricken by cancer to prepare for the future when they may be infertile but still want to become natural fathers.

• Even Smokers Support Bans at Work

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Most smokers around the world support workplace smoking bans, according to a new study.

• Blood Test Could Boost Clarity of Breast MRI Results for Some

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Using a blood test to pinpoint the optimal timing of breast MRI scans in women with irregular menstrual cycles could reduce the need for repeat scans, U.S. researchers say.

• Unraveling the 'Mad Cow' Mystery

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers may be moving closer to better treatments for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease, and the related condition called Creutzfeldt Jakob disease.

• Health Highlights: Nov. 20, 2009

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

• Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 20, 2009

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

• No Immediate Changes Expected in Mammogram Coverage

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Women can rest assured, at least for now, that their health plan will continue to pay for an annual mammogram beginning at age 40.

• Using Cell Phones, Internet to Battle Eating Disorders

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- People with an eating disorder may not want to attend a support group or meet with therapists, but a new report raises the prospect that "remote therapies" via e-mail, text messaging or through Web sites could help them recover.

• Health Tip: Managing Gestational Diabetes

  (HealthDay News) -- Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, resulting in high blood sugar levels that can pose dangers for mom and baby.

• Health Tip: Determining Migraines in Children

  (HealthDay News) -- Migraines are common in kids, affecting up to 5 percent of grade-school children, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

• New Pap Test Guidelines: Start Later, Have Fewer

  FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- For the second time in a week, medical experts are revising the advice given women on cancer screenings.

• Asthma Combo Seems Less Influenced by Genes

  THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- People's genetic makeup has been shown to affect how they respond to asthma medications, but a new study finds that many people respond well to a particular combination treatment regardless of their genes.

• New 'Skin' From Stem Cells

  THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Embryonic stem cells, which can turn into a variety of cells in the body, can produce temporary skin that could help burn victims while they're waiting for skin grafts, new research from France suggests.