 HEALTH NEWS |
| Cancer |
| FDA Acts to Stem Shortages of Two Cancer Drugs |
| The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will resolve a potentially life-threatening shortage of two leading cancer drugs by allowing one of them to be imported from abroad and rushing approval for a new manufacturer to make the second. |
| Autism |
| Variation in Brain Development Seen in Infants with Autism |
| Patterns of brain development in the first two years of life are distinct in children who are later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to researchers in a network funded by the National Institutes of Health. |
| Neurological Disease |
| Erin Brockovich: Research Into Upstate New York Tourette’s Case Only Preliminary |
| Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has corrected misinformation regarding her investigation into the medical mystery in an upstate New York town where a group of teenagers has displayed symptoms similar to Tourette syndrome, saying that her research is still preliminary. |
| Women’s Health |
| Women and Heart Attacks: What You Need to Know |
| A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds women are more likely to have a heart attack without chest pain, so they’re less likely to get immediate treatment. |
| Mercury in Skin Cream Poisoned Calif. Woman |
| California health officials sent out a medical alert earlier this month after tracing the mercury poisoning of a 39-year-old Alameda County woman to an illegal skin-lightening cream smuggled in from Mexico. |
| Moms with Migraines Twice as Likely to Have Baby with Colic |
| When babies with colic cry – sometimes for weeks at a time – Mom and Dad might get headaches. But according to a new study, a mother’s headache may be causing her baby’s colic in the first place |
| Obesity |
| Study: Doctors Over-Estimate Patients’ Ability to Lose Weight |
| In a new study, physicians predicted about 55 percent of patients would be “likely” or “very likely” to follow their recommendations for losing weight, eating healthier or getting more exercise. But three months later, only 28 percent of patients had lost at least two pounds, 34 percent were eating less fat and more fiber, and 6 percent were getting in one more hour of brisk walking each week. |
| Rare Disease |
| Viagra May Help Treat Lymphatic Malformation |
| The little blue pill Viagra is known for helping men perform better in the bedroom, but now it is being used to help children with a lymphatic disorder. |
| Other News |
| Gender “Non-Conformity” Tied to Abuse: Study |
| Girls who dress or act like boys, and boys who act more feminine, may be more likely to be abused and end up with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a U.S. study. |
| Shipments From Abroad to Help Ease Shortage of Two Cancer Drugs |
| Dire shortages of two critical cancer drugs — shortfalls that have threatened the lives and care of thousands of patients — should be resolved within weeks, federal drug officials said. |
| Radiation Detected 400 Miles Off Japanese Coast |
| Radioactive contamination from the Fukushima power plant disaster has been detected as far as almost 400 miles off Japan in the Pacific Ocean, with water showing readings of up to 1,000 times more than prior levels, scientists reported Tuesday. |
| Plastic Surgery Shaves about 9 Years Off Your Age |
| Plastic surgery will likely make you look nine years younger than you really are, a new study suggests. Researchers showed 40 medical students before and after pictures of 60 plastic-surgery patients. |
| A New Approach to Treating Hair Loss |
| A new report highlights a novel way for doctors to replace thinning hairlines: transplanting leg hair. |
| Federal Agency Introduces New 10-Year-Old Crash Test Dummy |
| On Tuesday, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration introduced a new crash test dummy meant to simulate a 10-year-old. |
| New Laser Surgery Helps to Cure Cataracts |
| Mike Musiker, 80, was recently diagnosed with a cataract in both of his eyes. “I was saying to my golfing friends, ‘Where’d the ball go?’” Musiker said. “The depth, I couldn’t see that far.” |
| INDUSTRY NEWS |
| Johnson & Johnson CEO Weldon to Step Down in April |
| Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive William Weldon will step down from his post in April after a series of recalls called into question the quality of the healthcare giant’s products, from artificial hips to infant Tylenol. |
| Teva Is Said to Pay $250 Million to End Nevada Colonoscopy Hepatitis Cases |
| Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) will pay more than $250 million to settle more than 80 lawsuits alleging the drugmaker sold the anesthetic Propofol in a way that led colonoscopy patients to develop hepatitis C, people familiar with the accords said. |
| MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS |
| Google, Microsoft Tangle Over Tracking, Online Privacy |
| Last week, Google scrambled to deflect criticism that it tracked the online activities of users’ of Apple’s Safari Web browser against their wishes, by circumventing an anti-tracking mechanism. |
| The Spectrum War’s Winners and Losers |
| As airwaves become scarce, the spectrum crunch is turning a field of “haves” and “have-nots” into a sharply divided set of winners and losers. |
