Health News Headlines - Yahoo! News UK

Prince Ali stunned by FIFA experts' hijab knock back

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:21:29 +0100

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Evidence from FIFA's medical experts on why the ban on Muslim women footballers wearing the Islamic headscarf or hijab should remain in place was deeply flawed and had no foundation, the campaign's principal supporter said on Friday.

German MPs seek to raise number of organ donors

Fri, 25 May 2012 19:33:49 +0100

German lawmakers adopted a bill Friday aimed at increasing the number of organ donors by allowing health insurance companies to regularly inquire if their patients are willing to become potential donors.

WHO target to cut early chronic illness deaths

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:18:48 +0100

The World Health Organization announced on Friday it was set to approve a new target to reduce premature deaths from chronic illnesses such as heart disease by a quarter by 2025.

Chile to cover sex change operations

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:46:06 +0100

Chile will soon cover sex change surgeries under its public health plan in order to allow citizens of limited means to "recover their true sexual identity," Health Minister Jaime Manalich said.

Consultant jailed after woman dies

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:27:42 +0100

A hospital consultant whose gross negligence led to the death of a mother-of-two has been jailed for two years.

Second possible rabies case probed

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:52:40 +0100

A second possible British case of rabies is being investigated, disease control experts said.

'50st teenager' cut free from home

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:52:40 +0100

A teenager thought to weigh more than 50st had to be cut free from her home by emergency services because she was too big to leave the house.

Australia defiant on WTO cigarette challenge

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:41:55 +0100

Australia said Friday it would "vigorously defend" itself against complaints about its plan for plain cigarette packaging made by Honduras and Ukraine to the World Trade Organisation.

Liver disease 'timebomb' warning

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:42:22 +0100

A national screening programme is needed to tackle the "ticking timebomb" of liver disease caused by alcohol, obesity and hepatitis, according to a top doctor.

UK's elderly worse-off in old age

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:25:41 +0100

Elderly people in Britain are lonelier and poorer than those in similar European countries, international research suggests.

Beetroot juice boost for athletes

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:07:00 +0100

Beetroot juice can improve your puff, potentially benefiting swimmers, singers and mountaineers, research has shown.

New therapy helps tinnitus sufferers

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:09:13 +0100

Tinnitus, an incurable ringing in the ears that can wreck the lives of those that suffer from it, can be significantly eased by a new combination of therapies, The Lancet reported on Friday.

Study shows cancer cells' appetite

Thu, 24 May 2012 19:05:54 +0100

Aggressive cancer cells have a big appetite for a nutrient found in protein-rich food, research has shown.

Whistleblower Woodford's Olympus court clash looms

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:18:49 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - Michael Woodford, the ousted Olympus CEO, will next Monday bring his lawsuit for unfair dismissal for whistleblowing and discrimination against his former Japanese employer, in a case that could yield a record payout. Woodford, who declined to comment ahead of the court hearing, is expected to sue for up to 10 years' lost salary in a multi-million pound claim - unless the camera-to-endoscope maker offers an acceptable settlement. ...

Whistleblower Woodford's Olympus court clash looms

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:10:39 +0100

Schizophrenia drug may fight cancer

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:06:14 +0100

A drug used to treat schizophrenia may provide an effective weapon against treatment-resistant cancers, research suggests.

Griffiths rejects cancer drugs fund

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:06:14 +0100

Welsh Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has told a group of top medics she is standing firm on the issue of a cancer drugs fund for Wales - saying the scheme would not work.

Emergency plan launched for endgame of polio eradication

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:52:02 +0100

The international group tasked with ridding the world of polio said on Thursday it was shifting to "emergency mode" as the fight enters its final stretch.

Auction of purported vial of Reagan's blood halted

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:46:01 +0100

(Reuters) - The British company that had been auctioning what it said was a vial of the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan's blood cancelled the sale on Thursday and the owner will donate the material to the Reagan foundation, the company said. "We have negotiated with the consignor to arrange for the item to be withdrawn from the auction and donated to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation," PFC Auctions said in a statement. The halt of the sale came after the foundation expressed outrage over the auction earlier this week. ...

Venezuelans in the dark over Chavez's health

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:40:33 +0100

CARACAS (Reuters) - Mystery, rumour and conspiracy theories surround Hugo Chavez's health almost a year after his cancer diagnosis, with many Venezuelans contemplating a future without their larger-than-life president. Chavez, a burly former soldier who has dominated the OPEC country for 13 years, says he is on the road to recovery and will seek re-election in October. About two-thirds of voters believe he will get better and he leads most opinion polls. ...

No CO detector 'in 90% of homes'

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:19:38 +0100

Thousands of householders across the UK could be exposing themselves to "suffocating" levels of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, a new study has found.

PM seeks dementia fightback support

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:29:43 +0100

David Cameron has called on businesses to join his "national fightback" against dementia.

Grandmother catches rabies from dog

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:38:50 +0100

A case of rabies has been confirmed in the UK, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

Child addicts at heart of Indonesia anti-smoking suit

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:29:31 +0100

KARAWANG GIRANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - Anti-tobacco advocates in Indonesia plan to file a class action lawsuit this month using cases of child addicts in the hope of forcing tougher regulations on a society where one in three people smokes. It is a rare attempt of its kind to constrain a tobacco industry which looks to the world's fourth most populous country and its growing appetite for cigarettes to replace dwindling sales elsewhere. The suit against tobacco companies and the Indonesian government argues that feeble regulation has left children dangerously exposed to the risks of smoking. ...

Long-term contraception more effective: study

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:46:30 +0100

Women who choose birth control pills, the patch or vaginal ring are 20 times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy than those using long-term methods such as IUDs and implants, a study found.

Clot drug 'helps stroke recovery'

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:07:50 +0100

Stroke victims given a clot-busting drug after an attack recover better than those who do not receive the treatment, according to the world's biggest trial of the medicine.

Vitamin D link to childhood weight

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:01:30 +0100

Women who lack vitamin D when pregnant may end up with fatter children, a study has shown.

WHO's Chan re-elected for second term

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:33:57 +0100

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday re-appointed Margaret Chan as its chief, who declared universal health care as her top priority.

Two-fly rule for Beijing toilets

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:46:01 +0100

Beijing's public toilets must not exceed two flies, according to new standards handed down by zealous officials striving to clean up China's notoriously filthy loos.

Most Fukushima radiation doses within norms - WHO

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:27:08 +0100

GENEVA (Reuters) - Spikes in radiation caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident were below cancer-causing levels in almost all of Japan and neighbouring countries had levels similar to normal background radiation, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. In a preliminary report using conservative assumptions, independent experts said that people in only two locations in Fukushima prefecture may have received a dose of 10-50 millisieverts (mSv) in the year after the accident at the power station operated by TEPCO. ...

South Korean smokers finally start to feel the heat

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:20:09 +0100

After decades of indifference, big businesses and the government are turning up the heat on smokers in South Korea, a nation with one of the developed world's highest male smoking rates.

Kids suffer long-term from parents' smoking: study

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:46:12 +0100

Children exposed to their parents' cigarette smoke are at greater risk of suffering serious cardiovascular health problems later in life, a study showed Wednesday.

Lab uses skin cells to help repair heart muscle

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:39:24 +0100

Lab scientists on Wednesday reported that for the first time they had taken skin cells from patients who had suffered heart failure and turned them into cells that could repair damaged cardiac muscle.

New advice on opium-based drugs

Wed, 23 May 2012 04:56:54 +0100

People suffering long-term illnesses with a high level of pain are not receiving the relief they need from doctors unsure when to prescribe strong drugs, a medical body said.

Patients to get tests site choice

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:28:21 +0100

Patients will be able to choose where they have essential medical tests under a new scheme.

Parkinson's study finds 'switch'