Health
Health
HPV vaccine cut infection by half in teen girls
The study confirms research done before the HPV vaccine came on the market in 2006. But this is the first evidence of how well it works now that it is…
Health
Hospital to offer hand transplants for kids
Retired Infantryman Brendan M. Marrocco received a transplant of two arms from a deceased donor after losing all four limbs in a 2009 roadside bomb attack in Iraq. A Boston…
La Plata Health Watch
Distraction from pain can help or hurt
I first learned about pain distraction early on while in rural practice – not in medical school or formal training. A caller, the owner and publisher of the county newspaper,…
Health
Gene mutations causing puberty to occur earlier
Doctors define early puberty as the development of secondary sex characteristics before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys. It’s no longer rare to see children developing…
Health
Britain to start regulating e-cigarettes as medicines
Britain will start regulating electronic cigarettes as medicines, according to the country’s top regulator. E-cigarettes are battery-operated products that turn nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled.Associated Press E-cigarettes are…
Health
Food-packaging chemical and obesity linked
Study: Girls with high BPA levels are more likely to be obese
La Plata Health Watch
Diabetics must be vigilant in caring for their feet
Diabetes involves an elevation of sugar levels in the blood stream because sugar does not enter the cells, which require it for fuel. This produces many potentially toxic effects throughout…
Health
Medical equipment prices in Denver, Colorado Springs to drop
Many insurance companies set their prices for medical equipment based on the prices paid by Medicare, the government health plan for people 65 and older. So observers say lower Medicare…
Health
UK to help smokers cut down with nicotine products
For years, Britain has encouraged people who wanted to kick the habit to simply stop, with various supports available, including counseling and nicotine products. But nicotine replacement therapies were not…
Health
HPV a growing cause of upper throat cancer
The virus, HPV, is best known for causing cervical cancer. But experts say it also is a growing cause of certain types of oral cancer, those in the upper throat…
Health
FDA weighs lifting safety restrictions on Avandia
The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a new interpretation of the key study of Avandias heart attack risks, which suggests the drug is as safe as older diabetes drugs.…
Coroner's Report
Sometimes there’s no substitute for an autopsy
Hospitals rarely do autopsies. Decades ago, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Institutions lifted the requirement that hospitals perform autopsies on a certain percentage of people who die…
Health
Sunscreen slows skin aging, new study shows
A new study from Australia provides evidence that sunscreen can slow skin aging. Researchers measured wrinkles and texture changes on the back of participant’s hands over 4.5 years.Annals of Internal…
Health
Best treatment for kidney disease? Transplant
“Dialysis keeps patients alive,” Helms said. “But the best treatment is a transplant.” However, the wait is long, five to six years, to receive a donated kidney from a dead…
La Plata Health Watch
Cervical cancer screening – how often is it needed?
I can understand the confusion. Since I was in medical school, there have been several revisions to the recommendations based upon better understanding of cervical-cancer risks and also in light…
Health
Dietitian says overeating is assault on body
Like many habits, overeating is often triggered by emotional factors and can have serious physical and psychological ramifications if not addressed. “We eat to refuel our bodies and relieve the…
Health
Heart-zapper is saving athletes’ careers
Lots of patients ignore that take-it-easy advice and stay in the game, and last week’s findings suggest vigorous exercise may be safe for many of them after all. A registry…
La Plata Health Watch
Not much alcohol is needed to be in fatal car accident
Imagine four lanes of a main street, plus two parking lanes – a total of six. One early a.m., there was zero traffic, save one vehicle traveling east. A solitary…
Health
What do we eat? New food map will tell us
Same goes for soda. Until now, the only way to find out what people in the United States eat and how many calories they consume has been government data, which…
La Plata Health Watch
Safety Geek not much fun, but it’s time for a visit
The Safety Geek was feeling a little overwhelmed. He had a lot of work to do outside now that the weather has been warming. He was organizing his tools and…