Our collection of Wellness Headlines from various sources to give you as much information as possible to be able to make healthy and informed choices for your wellbeing. This content is intended for information purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice from your family health professional.

Sudden Cardiac Death Clue Discovered

A study tracking Portland-area sudden cardiac arrests has revealed a gene variant that may protect against the unpredictable and deadly problem.

Since 2002, researchers leading the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study have gathered every relevant detail they can find on every case of sudden cardiac arrest that occurs in Multnomah County. In a new analysis, the researchers sequenced the genes of 424 cardiac arrest patients and compared them to sequences from 226 control subjects who had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease but never experienced a cardiac arrest.

@OregonLive.com: Read more about the study that has found a genetic clue to fight sudden cardiac death

Tobacco In Candy-like Form Can Poison Children

A new generation of smokeless, flavored tobacco products that look like breath mints may be life- threatening for children who mistake them for candy, according to researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Nicotine is a poison, and now we're seeing  tobacco products that look like Tic Tacs that children can be attracted to," says Greg N. Connolly, D.M.D., the director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, MA.

@CNN.com: Read more on concerns about this new smokeless tobacco product that has doctors upset

Up To A Third Of Breast Cancers Could Be Avoided

BARCELONA, Spain, Mar. 25, 2010 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said Thursday, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease.

Better treatments, early diagnosis and mammogram screenings have dramatically slowed breast cancer, but experts said the focus should now shift to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity.

@bcbs.com: Read more about how obese women are 60% more likely to develop any cancer

Skin Cancer Has Become An Epidemic In The U.S.

The most common cancers known to humankind are not, fortunately, the most deadly. The vast majority of non-melanoma skin cancers can be cured in a single day, in a single procedure.

But they still have a major impact. More than 2 million Americans were treated for 3.5 million non-melanoma skin cancers (mostly basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) in 2006 — and the numbers are growing steadily, one new study says.

"It's a huge public health problem" clearly linked to too much sun exposure and tanning, says Brett Coldiron, a dermatologist in Cincinnati and a co-author of the study, published in the March Archives of Dermatology. The study, which counted skin cancer removals among Medicare recipients and estimated cases in the rest of the population, found twice as many of the cancers as a 1994 study (done with different methods). It also found skin cancer removals in Medicare patients increased 4% a year from 1992 to 2006.

@USAToday/bcbs.com: Read more about the skin cancer experiences of several patients

Sponsored By:

Headlines From MedLine Plus - The U.S. National Library of Medicine/The National Institutes of Health

May 2010

• • Wednesday, May 5:Return to top
    • Sneaky Germ (HealthDay)
    
    
  • Tuesday, May 4:Return to top
    • Adults' Suicide Risk Similar for All Antidepressants (Reuters Health)
    • Aspirin May Increase Risk of Crohn's Disease (HealthDay)
    • Azithromycin Doesn't Always Help Lungs in Cystic Fibrosis Patients (HealthDay)
    • Does Working Nights Cause Breast Cancer? (Reuters Health)
    • FDA Found Bacteria in Ingredients for Recalled Tylenol, Benadryl (HealthDay)
    • Health Tip: Keep Your Child Safe in the Backyard (HealthDay)
    • Health Tip: When to See a Doctor for a Knee Injury (HealthDay)
    • Healthy Cholesterol Plan (HealthDay)
    • Hospitals Falling Short on Heart Patients' Follow-up Care (HealthDay)
    • H1N1 Fears Led to Overcrowded ERs (HealthDay)
    • Many Don't Seek Prompt Help After 'Mini-Stroke' (Reuters Health)
    • Many Unaware of Local Stroke Centers (HealthDay)
    • Men with HPV at Higher Risk for HIV, Study Finds (HealthDay)
    • Misinformation about Vaccine Safety Puts Kids at Risk of Illness (HealthDay)
    • New Test for Colon Cancer under Development (HealthDay)
    • Pneumonia Shot Won't Help Lower Men's Heart Risks (HealthDay)
    • Smoking While Pregnant May Raise Psychiatric Risks in Kids (HealthDay)
    • Stomach Cancer on the Rise Among Young, White Adults (HealthDay)
    • Surgery for Treatable Dementia Might Also Help in Alzheimer's (HealthDay)
    • Vaccine May Trigger Early Start of Infant Epilepsy (Reuters Health)
    • World Cup Fans Warned over South Africa Fever Outbreak (Reuters Health)
    
    
  • Monday, May 3:Return to top
    • Aggressive Action Urged When Evaluating Breast Lesions (HealthDay)
    • Bullies Target Obese Kids (HealthDay)
    • Child Abuse Head Injuries Rise as Economy Falls (HealthDay)
    • Colon Polyps More Common in Hispanic Men Than Women (HealthDay)
    • Colonoscopy Prep in a Pill May Be Easier to Swallow (HealthDay)
    • DHA Supplements for Mom Good for Preemies (HealthDay)
    • Effects of TV, Drug Exposures in Early Life May Be Long-Lasting (HealthDay)
    • EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico (Environmental Protection Agency)
    • FDA Reviews Side Effects from Prostate Cancer Therapy (HealthDay)
    • For Younger Women, Mammograms Not Too Effective (HealthDay)
    • Health Tip: Seeing a Doctor About Eye Pain (HealthDay)
    • Health Tip: Why Your Child Is Coughing (HealthDay)
    • Human Growth Hormone Does Boost Athletic Performance (HealthDay)
    • Involved Parents Less Likely to Raise Bullies (HealthDay)
    • Kids Raised By Relatives Face Increased Health Risks (HealthDay)
    • Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression (HealthDay)
    • Many Kids with Hepatitis C Are Missed (HealthDay)
    • New Survey Ranks the Nation's Most and Least Sun-Smart Cities (American Academy of Dermatology)
    • Not All Mosquitoes Deterred by DEET (HealthDay)
    • Obesity a Bigger Threat to Kids in Southern States (HealthDay)
    • Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease (HealthDay)
    • Parent Error Common When Medicating Chronically Ill Kids (HealthDay)
    • Parents of Autistic Children Turning to Alternative Treatments (HealthDay)
    • Prostate Cancer Test a Flop in Study (HealthDay)
    • Radiation Risks Nearly Double for Younger CT Scan Patients (HealthDay)
    • Smiling Seniors (HealthDay)
    • Smoking Ups Risk of Second Breast Cancer (HealthDay)
    • Teens' Facebook Sex Talk May Not Be Just Talk (HealthDay)
    
    
  • Sunday, May 2:Return to top
    • Eye Disease Rates High Among Latino Americans (HealthDay)
    • Kids Suffer When Parents Choose Between Health Care, Bills (HealthDay)
    
    
  • Saturday, May 1:Return to top
    • Comprehensive Plan May Help Control Children's Asthma (HealthDay)
    • Consumer Advice Following Recall of Products for Infants and Children (Food and Drug Administration)
    • Five Minutes in the Green Can Boost Self Esteem (Reuters Health)
    • Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Update (Food and Drug Administration)
    • Probiotics Beneficial for Tiniest Preemies (HealthDay)

Health & Wellness News via bcbs.com