washingtonpost.com - Health

Why a Recall Is No Simple Matter

Annys Shin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Simplicity, a well-known maker of children's products, was already in serious financial straits when 4-month-old Katelyn Marie Simon, of Noel, Mo., died in a Simplicity bassinet last Sept. 29.

Court: US can block mad cow testing

MATT APUZZO — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:42:47 EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration can prohibit meat packers from testing their animals for mad cow disease, a federal appeals court said Friday.

Celebs rallying for Stand Up to Cancer telethon

SANDY COHEN — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:43:22 EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The competition among TV networks, movie studios and A-list stars can be fierce, but the fight against cancer will unite them on Sept. 5.

Bassinet Sales Halted After Deaths of Two Infants

Annys Shin — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the first test of its powers under a sweeping product-safety law, the Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday directed retailers to pull bassinets linked to the deaths of two infants off store shelves and give customers a refund.

Salmonella Outbreak Thought to Be Over

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The government said yesterday that the salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 1,440 people appears to be over, but its ultimate source may never be known, partly because of shortcomings in the nation's food safety system.

Scientists Reprogram Adult Cells' Function

Rob Stein — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Scientists have transformed one type of fully developed adult cell directly into another inside a living animal, a startling advance that could lead to cures for a variety of illnesses and sidestep the political and ethical quagmires

Study outcome won't sway company on eye drug

KEVIN FREKING — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:49:27 EDT

WASHINGTON -- What does a company do when there's anecdotal evidence that two of its drugs are equally effective in treating a leading cause of blindness in the elderly, one costing patients $60 per treatment and the other $2,000?

New attack ad on TV, but this one targets hot dogs

LINDSEY TANNER — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:11:09 EDT

CHICAGO -- A new TV commercial shows kids eating hot dogs in a school cafeteria and one little boy's haunting lament: "I was dumbfounded when the doctor told me I have late-stage colon cancer."

Novavax Moves Closer to Licensing Bird Flu Vaccine

Kendra Marr — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Novavax said yesterday that its bird flu vaccine elicited a robust immune response in humans, moving the biotech a step closer to licensing its pandemic vaccine production system.

How to Clear Confusion From Food Allergy Warnings

LAURAN NEERGAARD — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:58:12 EDT

WASHINGTON -- It's one of the biggest frustrations of life with food allergies: That hodgepodge of warnings that a food might accidentally contain the wrong ingredient.

Poverty Rate Held Steady Last Year, Census Says

Michael A. Fletcher — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The nation's poverty rate held steady as median household income edged upward last year, according to annual census data released yesterday. The Census Bureau also reported that the number of people without health insurance decreased by more than 1 million people in 2007.

A Detox Diet? I'll Drink to That!

Lonnae O'Neal Parker — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The idea came to me over a plate of Buffalo wings at a family diner on U Street, although the roots of it stretched back further. Oprah had just finished a 21-day diet detox, my husband mentioned casually, and I felt the kind of quick stab of jealousy you get when someone else does something you ...

Making Practices Perfect

Joanne Kenen — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The waiting room of Ramona Seidel's family medicine practice is empty, and she works hard to keep it that way.

Day Cares

Sandra G. Boodman — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

For Jennifer Bright, the director of a medical society headquartered in Rosslyn, the decision about day care wasn't whether, but what kind. With each of her three children, the youngest of whom was born in March, Bright returned to work after a few months' maternity leave.

Report Faults Medicare Audits

Christopher Lee — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The rate of improper payments, including fraud, in Medicare's purchases of wheelchairs and other home medical equipment is significantly higher than the government has estimated, according to a federal audit released yesterday.

It's Never Too Late to Pick Up the Pace

Howard Schneider — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

There is a branch of my wife's family convinced that running ruined our cousin Frances (not ruined in the Southern gothic sense, of course, just hobbled in the knees and back). Frances ran pretty regularly in her day, and my mother-in-law warns me about it whenever she catches me in running shoes,...

Healthy Lunches Help Kids' Concentration in School

HealthDay — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

SUNDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Healthy foods should be included on the list of back-to-school supplies for your children, says a University of Michigan Health System expert.

Marinades Help Keep Grilled Meat Safe

Amanda Gardner — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

FRIDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- You can have your steak and eat it, too, without producing harmful cancer-causing compounds, new research shows.

The Kind of Misery Itched in Memory

Lori Aratani — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

There are things about summer -- long days, shaved ice, fresh-off-the-tree-peaches -- that we love. And then there are those things we simply tolerate because, well, the pessimist in us says that life can't possibly be that perfect, so we must suffer, just a bit.

Trying to Prove Family Link To a Noted Founding Father

Jonathan Mummolo — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

It's been four years since Bettye Kearse set out to prove a story that has been handed down through generations of her family: that she, an African American, is a direct descendant of founding father James Madison.

Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start

Alan Mozes — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

FRIDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Using lasers to spot troubled teeth before cavities form, researchers hope to turn the dentist's drill into a relic of the 20th century.

FDA to Revise Rules For Cold Medications Meant for Children

Rob Stein — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday announced plans to revise standards for over-the-counter cough and cold medications for children, a step that could lead to removing the popular products from the market.

Doctors Are Miffed About Measles

Mike Stobbe — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The number of measles cases in the United States is at its highest level since 1997, and nearly half of those involve children whose parents rejected vaccination, government health officials reported last week.

Protections Set for Antiabortion Health Workers

Rob Stein — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Bush administration yesterday announced plans to implement a controversial regulation designed to protect doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who object to abortion from being forced to deliver services that violate their personal beliefs.

Obama Camp Has Many Ties to Wife's Employer

Joe Stephens — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A few years ago, executives at the prestigious University of Chicago Medical Center were concerned that an increasing number of patients were arriving at their emergency room with what the executives considered to be non-urgent complaints. The visits were costly to the hospital, and many of the...

FDA Allows Irradiation of Some Produce

Jordan Weissmann — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Food producers can now use radiation to kill bacteria on fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce because of a new Food and Drug Administration ruling meant to help head off outbreaks of foodborne illness.

Back in the Air at Last, Free to Be Me

Jill U. Adams — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I watched Nastia Liukin win the gold medal for the individual all-around in gymnastics and was transported back, as I always am by the Olympics, to my girlhood dreams inspired by Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci.

Wasps Buzz In, Postal Carriers Bug Out

Steve Hendrix — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Edward Miller stood serenely in front of his Bethesda home yesterday as a half-dozen menacing-looking black-and-yellow wasps flew around him.

Lower Drinking Age Is Criticized

Susan Kinzie and James Hohmann — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

On the face of it, the notion seems counterintuitive, but to the presidents of some of the nation's most prestigious colleges, it makes a lot of sense: Lowering the legal drinking age might get students to drink less.

Trace Arsenic in Water May Be Linked With Diabetes

Carla K. Johnson — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:23:20 EDT

CHICAGO -- A new analysis of government data is the first to link low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say. The study's limitations make more research necessary. And public water systems were on their way to meeting tougher U.S. arsenic stand...

Job-Seeker Who Changed Her Gender Goes to Court

Del Quentin Wilber — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Diane Schroer, a 52-year-old former Army Special Forces commander, testified yesterday in federal court that she was "disappointed and dismayed" when an official at the Library of Congress rescinded a job offer even though she was the star candidate.

On Campus, Legal Drinking Age Is Flunking the Reality Test

Marc Fisher — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Next week, when President C.D. "Dan" Mote welcomes freshmen to the University of Maryland, he will inform them that the college police will enforce underage drinking laws "with terrific ferocity." And then he will turn around and, recognizing that most students do drink, tell the teenagers "to ta...

Lack of Insurance, High Medical Costs Put More in a Bind

Sopan Joshi — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Americans are struggling to pay medical bills and are accumulating medical debt at an increasing rate, according to a survey released today.

Candidates' Abortion Views Not So Simple

Jonathan Weisman — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The narrative of the presidential campaign appeared to be set on the issue of abortion: Sen. Barack Obama was the abortion-rights candidate who was reaching out to foes, seeking common ground and making inroads. Sen. John McCain was the abortion opponent whose reticence about faith and whose batt...

Many Think God's Intervention Can Revive the Dying

LINDSEY TANNER — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:36:58 EDT

CHICAGO -- When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans.

Watch Your Mouth

Ranit Mishori — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The way to a person's heart is through his stomach, the adage goes. But researchers now think the way to a healthy heart might be through your gums and teeth.

Stress Wasn't The Problem

Sandra G. Boodman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Karima Hijane could not believe what she was hearing: The obstetrician who for two years had insisted that her mystifying constellation of symptoms was the result of stress had discovered the real cause, imparting devastating news that would alter Hijane's plans for her future.

Meet the Tiger, a Bug With Extra Bite

Maria Scarvalone — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

When Sydney Williams moved last year from a condo to a house in the Pimmit Hills section of Falls Church, she relished the opportunity to hone her gardening skills in a yard of butterfly bushes, hydrangeas and perennials.

Germs No Match For Montgomery's Nurse Detectives

Steve Hendrix — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Summer in the suburbs. For the innocent, that means cookouts, swimming, fresh produce, maybe a trip to the beach. But sunny fun has its dark side, and that means suspect potato salad, tainted pool water, toxic weeds, maybe a trip to the doctor because of "something I ate."

Va. DNA Project Is In Uncharted Territory

Maria Glod — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

After Eva King Jones, 88, was raped and killed in her small-town Virginia home, a local man was accused and convicted. Now, 33 years later, police say newly discovered DNA evidence has led to the arrest of someone else.

Marathon Men

Lonnae O'neal Parker — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Research continues to demonstrate the benefits of exercise, no matter your age. But the Tatum brothers, who for nearly 90 years have swum, skied, bowled, played football and worked in the yard, have never needed convincing.

FDA Draft Report: No Risk From BPA In Food Containers

Christopher Lee — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A controversial chemical commonly found in can linings, baby bottles and other household products does not pose a health hazard when used in food containers, according to a draft assessment released by the Food and Drug Administration yesterday.

A Social Network for Your Doctor, Pharmacist and Insurer

Kendra Marr — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Imagine a virtual health clinic: Your lung doctor and heart specialist can pull up your online medical profile and chat, via instant messenger, about your medications. You schedule checkups online, create a wellness journal or even rate your general practitioner.

Airborne Coughs Up Millions to Settle Suit

Annys Shin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Over the past decade, millions of consumers, including Oprah, have come to swear by Airborne -- fizzy orange tablets containing vitamins, herbs and minerals that its makers for years said keeps cold germs at bay.

Stress, Anxiety Worsen Response to Allergens

HealthDay — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

THURSDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little stress and anxiety can greatly worsen and extend a person's reaction to common allergens, a new study says.

Infant Transplant Procedure Ignites Debate

Rob Stein — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Surgeons in Denver are publishing their first account of a procedure in which they remove the hearts of severely brain-damaged newborns less than two minutes after the babies are disconnected from life support, and their hearts stop beating, so the organs can be transplanted into infants who would...

Faces of an Epidemic

Nikki Kahn — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Michael Manganiello, 50 , prepares his evening routine in the warm glow of his fifth-floor Logan Circle apartment. He's been through it once already: one, two, three . . . the pop of a bottle, then the rattle of pills, as he counts them out . . . 11, 12, 13. Â· He ponders the number: "Thirteen -- ...

Herbs and Spices Do More Than Taste Good

Barbara Quinn — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Q : What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

Tragedy Can Be Averted

Patricia Dalton — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

It had all the hallmarks of a catastrophe in the making: a stash of guns and explosives; a map of Camp David marked with a presidential motorcade route; a list of home addresses for teachers at St. John's College High School, from which Collin McKenzie-Gude had just graduated.

Medicaid Transport Firm Trims Drivers

Sindya N. Bhanoo — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The company that oversees the transport of more than 50,000 Medicaid patients in the District has downsized its pool of contract drivers, leaving some clients to complain that the service is too unreliable to get them to important health-care appointments.

Teens Cite Ease of Access To Drugs

Holly Watt — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A growing number of teenagers say it's easier to illegally obtain prescription drugs than to buy beer, according to a survey published today.

Mad Cow Rules Hit Sperm Banks' Patrons

Rob Stein — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

When Julie Peterson decided to have a baby on her own two years ago, she picked a tall, blond, blue-eyed Danish engineer as a sperm donor to match her own Scandinavian heritage. But when she went back to the sperm bank to use the same donor to have another child, she was stunned to discover that the...

Biotech Campaigns for Easier Access to Generic Drug Market

Kendra Marr — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Geoffrey Allan has been giving Congress a lesson in biotechnology.

Faces of an Epidemic

Nikki Kahn — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

According to the D.C. Department of Health, women accounted for a third of all newly reported HIV/AIDS cases between 2001 and 2006, with African American women being d...

Learning From Olympians

Howard Schneider and Vicky Hallett — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

It was probably no surprise to the Limas household in Chicago that daughter Arlene grew up to be a fighter.

Filling In the Blanks, at Long Last

Abigail Trafford — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

"It wasn't the lowest of times. I was somewhere below that," recalls Don Gold, 62, who was living in Little Rock and slouching toward Medicareland with an empty heart. His first marriage had ended after seven years; his second marriage, after 25. Both relationships turned out to be very painful. ...

Is It Really Smart to Teach Old Brains New Tricks?

Beth Baker — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Throw all the money you like at computer brainteasers. Just don't bet the popular games will protect your gray matter any better than a host of other activities, many of them free.

An Age-Appropriate Update Can Add to Independence

Kathleen Hom — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

It's a common refrain: Most people don't want to leave their houses as they get older; they'd like to stay put. Two weeks ago, a retirement community in McLean unveiled a suite that has been adapted and equipped to make that goal more possible.

At Any Age, It Makes Sense to Keep Yourself in Balance

Brittney Johnson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

There are times in your life when feeling a little off-balance may actually be a good thing. Take it from the experts.

DHS, Rejecting Advice, Puts Mississippi on Shortlist for Facility

Larry Margasak — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Department of Homeland Security swept aside evaluations by government experts and named Mississippi -- home to powerful U.S. lawmakers with sway over the agency -- as a potential location for a $451 million national laboratory to study some of the world's most virulent biological threats, acc...

Parents Pen a 'Survival Guide' to Leukemia

Theresa Vargas — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Shaken and ready, the can in Dani Greene's hand draws the attention of the apron-clad 4- and 5-year-olds sitting at the table in front of her.