Fish Oil Supplements Have Little Effect on Irregular Heartbeat: Study

Atrial fibrillation increases the risk for stroke, researchers note WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High doses of fish oil supplements won't prevent the return of a common type of irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation, Canadian researchers report. In fact, 64.1 percent of those taking fish oil for its omega-3 fatty acids experienced new bouts of atrial fibrillation over the course of 16 months, compared to 63.2 percent of those taking a placebo. Fish oil supplements...

Read more →

California To Launch Medicaid-Funded Teledentistry

By Daniela Hernandez Mon, Sep 29 2014 California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill that would require Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor, to pay for dental services delivered by teams of hygienists and dentists connected through the Internet. California is among the first states to launch such teledentistry services, which are intended to increase the options for patients in remote and underserved areas. Other states, like Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii and West Virginia, are interested in creating their own teledentistry...

Read more →

Doctors' Group Issues Painkiller Guidelines

Narcotics too risky in many cases, American Academy of Neurology says WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The risks of powerful narcotic painkillers outweigh their benefits for treating chronic headaches, low back pain and fibromyalgia, a new statement from the American Academy of Neurology says. Narcotic, or opioid, painkillers include medications such as morphine, codeine, oxycodone (Oxycontin), methadone, fentanyl, hydrocodone or a combination of the drugs with acetaminophen....

Read more →

Too Many Heart Scans May Pose Radiation Risks, Cardiologists Say

American Heart Association urges doctors to make sure patient understands dangers, test is appropriate WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors need to make sure patients understand the radiation-related risks of heart imaging tests before sending them for such procedures, a new American Heart Association scientific statement says. "With technological improvements, medical imaging has become an increasingly vital tool in diagnosing and treating patients with heart disease, but...

Read more →

@ManUtd_ID tweeted: .@LukeShaw3 merefleksikan debut #mufc nya & berharap kemenangan atas West Ham dapat memicu peruntungan The Reds: http://t.co/U6HyBK0QbX

  Popular on Twitter Manchester United @ManUtd_ID   .@LukeShaw3 merefleksikan debut #mufc nya & berharap kemenangan atas West Ham dapat memicu peruntungan The Reds: manutd.com/en/News-And-Fe… v:textbox inset="0,0,0,0" href="https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FU6HyBK0QbX&t=1&sig=73d9c3203dab0ae7229f0c7ff3450fccaaac8f22&iid=dc50e771caea4b43bbef65e9f92a773a&uid=1532744820&nid=244+1456+20140928">...

Read more →

Health Officials Investigating Paralysis in Kids With Enterovirus D68

By Brenda Goodman, MA WebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD Sept. 29, 2014 -- Some children hospitalized with breathing problems caused by enterovirus D68 in Colorado and Kansas City have also developed unexplained paralysis in their arms and legs, officials say. Doctors have been watching for paralysis in enterovirus patients affected by the current outbreak, which the CDC says has spread to at least 40 states. That’s because D68 is related to the virus that causes polio, which crippled thousands of children across the United States...

Read more →

Medical Implant Devices Skate Through Review Process, Studies Claim

Researchers criticize FDA for lax oversight; agency defends its approach WebMD News from HealthDay By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Every day, people receive medical implants -- artificial valves, hip replacements, surgical mesh and the like -- that may not have been rigorously tested before or after their approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, two new studies contend. The studies -- conducted by prominent nonprofit groups and published online Sept. 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine -- lay the...

Read more →

Antibiotic Use Before Age 2 Might Raise Obesity Risk, Study Says

Researchers suspect broad-spectrum versions change makeup of microbes in gut WebMD News from HealthDay By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are given broad-spectrum antibiotics before the age of 2 may face a slightly higher risk of becoming obese during childhood, new research suggests. Broad-spectrum antibiotics target a larger number of organisms than narrow-spectrum ones, according to the study. "It is a reason to think about whether you need antibiotics, and which antibiotic you are picking,"...

Read more →

Drug Gives Big Survival Boost Against Type of Advanced Breast Cancer

Women with HER2-positive tumors gained an average 16 more months of life with Perjeta, study finds WebMD News from HealthDay By E.J. Mundell HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adding the drug Perjeta to a standard medication, Herceptin, may give women with a form of advanced breast cancer a significant boost in survival, a new study finds. The finding is limited to patients with tumors called HER2-positive that have spread (metastasized). And experts say that this type of treatment-linked boost in survival -- an average...

Read more →

Obese in Adolescence, Colon Cancer in Later Life?

Study doesn't prove cause-and-effect, but suggests the need for healthy habits in childhood WebMD News from HealthDay By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity and inflammation in late adolescence are associated with increased risk for colon and rectal cancer in adulthood, a new study of Swedish males suggests. The 35-year study found that 16- to 20-year-olds who were obese had more than twice the risk of developing colon or rectal cancer compared to normal-weight teens. And teens with high levels...

Read more →

American Doctor Exposed to Ebola Admitted to NIH Hospital

The patient was working in West Africa; not clear if infection occurred HealthDay – Not on Site By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Another American doctor exposed to the Ebola virus while working in West Africa was admitted Sunday to a hospital at the National Institutes of Health in suburban Washington, D.C. The unidentified patient was working at an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone when exposed to the highly lethal virus that has been ravaging four West African nations for months. The patient...

Read more →

Small Heart, Stroke Risks From Asthma Drug: FDA

By Robert Lowes Medscape Medical News Sept. 29, 2014 -- A safety study done by the maker of the asthma drug omalizumab (Xolair) suggests it poses slightly increased but serious risks for heart attacks and mini-strokes known as TIAs (transient ischemic attacks), the FDA says. Because of certain "weaknesses" in the 5-year study, the FDA says it is "unable to definitively confirm or determine the exact increased level of these risks with Xolair." Omalizumab, also approved to treat a type of chronic hives, already carries a boxed warning on its label about...

Read more →