Aspirin Cuts Cancer Deaths, Study Shows
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(CBS) An aspirin a day keeps the cancer away.
That's according to a ground-breaking new study published online yesterday in the journal "The Lancet."
Continue »Heart Box to Replace Ice Coolers In Transplants?
Andrea Ybarra is among those who have received what researchers call a "beating heart' transplant, at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
(CBS/AP) A heart that can continue to beat outside of the body? Sounds like something from Edgar Allen Poe.
Actually, storing a donor heart from a brain-dead patient inside a special box that feeds it blood and keeps it pumping while it's transported to its recipient is the cutting edge in organ transplant technology.
If "beating heart' transplants stand the test of time, the days of moving hearts in ice-packed coolers where the heart can only last four to six hours before it starts to deteriorate may come to a close.
Continue »"Bionic" Body Parts Help Paralyzed Walk Again
Nov. 18, 2010: Paralyzed, retired Israeli military vet Radi Kaiuf gets up with help of "ReWalk" "bionic" legs. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
JERUSALEM (CBS/AP) Will robotic pants one day help the paralyzed walk?
Well actually, they already exist, thanks to Amit Goffer, an Isreali entrepreneur, who refused to take his paralysis sitting down.
Goffer lost the use of his legs in a 1997 car crash. So he invented a way out: robotic "pants" that use sensors and motors to allow paralyzed patients to stand, walk and even climb stairs.
After several years of clinical trials in Israel and the United States, units will go on sale in January to rehabilitation centers around the world.
Continue »HIV Report: Many in U.S. Untested
Kim Kardashian dies a "digital death" as part of an HIV fundraising campaign. (Keepachildalive.org)
(CBS) More than 25 years into the epidemic, Americans are reasonably well informed about HIV/AIDS. But a new report reveals that a shocking number of Americans remain in the dark about one very important question:
Am I infected?
Up to 20 percent of the 1.1 million adults living with HIV in the U.S. don't know they are infected with the deadly virus, according to the report, which was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today on the eve of World AIDS Day.
Vitamin D Shocker: High Doses Risky, Report Says
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(CBS/AP) Call it a dose of reality for doctors who have been pushing high doses of vitamin D.
A new report from the prestigious Institute of Medicine recommends higher doses of vitamin D, but says there's no proof that megadoses of the vitamin prevent cancer or heart disease. In fact, the report says, high levels of the "sunshine vitamin" could be hazardous.
Continue »Aging Mice Made Young: Key To Immortality?
Aging mice, right, regrew hair after gene therapy. (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
(CBS) Toss the Rogaine and Viagra? Not just yet.
But Harvard scientists have found that some effects of aging, such as hair loss, infertility and decreased brain function, can be stopped. And not just stopped: the scientists' research, published today in the journal Nature, showed that it's possible even to reverse the signs of aging.
Eating Disorders Skyrocket in Kids
For young people, eating disorders are rapidly on the rise. (iStockPhoto)
(CBS) While millions of kids struggle with obesity, another dangerous trend has been hiding in their midst - young kids with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, which can stunt their growth and lead to early heart attacks.
That's according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatric published in the journal Pediatrics.
Continue »HIV Breakthrough: Daily Drug 73 Percent Effective Against Infection, Says Study
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(CBS) A revolution in the fight against HIV/AIDS might be around the corner, according to a new study, which found a daily pill, made of two commonly used HIV medications, lowered the risk of infection by 73 percent.
That's for participants who took the drug almost every day. The study found a 44 percent reduction in HIV infection across all 2,499 members of the study, many of whom were taking the drug, a combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir, inconsistently.
Continue »Kissing Risky for Allergy Sufferers: Study
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(CBS) Got allergies? Watch out where you plant your lips.
For some especially sensitive allergy suffers, the simple act of kissing someone who has ingested an offending food or drug can trigger a serious allergic reaction, according to new research presented at a recent meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Continue »Lupus and Toni Braxton: "I'm a Survivor"
Toni Braxton performs in New York on May 3, 2010.(Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for The Steve Harvey Foundation)
(CBS) Toni Braxton is coming out of the closet - about lupus
On Tuesday, the 43-year-old Grammy winner talked about her battle with the disease while accepting a Woman in Achievement award from the 8th Annual Lupus LA Bag Ladies Luncheon.
"Today, I'm going to talk about it because I'm a survivor and I'm here, and I don't want to lose hope," she said. "Take a look - this is what lupus looks like."
Continue »New Lupus Drug: Can Benlysta Help Women?
Lady Gaga says she has lupus but no symptoms. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
ADELPHI, Md.(CBS/AP) For five decades, Lupus sufferers, ninety percent of whom are women, haven't had much good news.
That's how long it's been since a new drug was introduced to fight the potentially fatal ailment characterized by skin rashes, joint pain and inflammation of the kidneys and other organs.
Now, an FDA panel has declared that Benlyst, a drug from Human Genome Sciences, substantially relieves pain and flare-ups caused by lupus.
Continue »Body Mass Index Study: Fat People Smell Better
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(CBS) Are fat people better at sniffing out food?
That's the suggestion of a new study from England. It found that overweight people - those with a high body-mass index (BMI) - are better at detecting to food odors than people with a low BMI.
Continue »Suicide Risk and Acne Drug: What Study Says
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(CBS/AP) Can acne drugs cause suicide?
New research suggests that people receiving treatment for severe acne are at higher risk of attempting suicide, but it's unclear whether that's caused by the condition or a commonly prescribed drug.
Wandering Mind Brings Sadness: Study
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(CBS) Is mental focus a key to success? Maybe so. But a new study suggests that it might also be a key to happiness.
If only we could get our minds to stop wandering.
Continue »Docs, Drug Companies Too Cozy for Comfort: Study
Is your physician taking gifts from drug companies? (CBS/iStockphoto)
(CBS) In other industries you might call it a bribe, but when drug companies provide travel expenses, consulting fees and other goodies to doctors, it's just called doing business.
Continue »