Reuters Health News Summary

08/19/2016 0:55

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Most fatal type of stroke declining along with smoking rates

The type of brain bleeding that causes the most lethal kind of stroke has declined substantially since 1998, possibly as a result of falling smoking rates, according to researchers in Finland. Bleeding in the space between the brain and the thin tissue covering it, known as subarachnoid hemorrhage, affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year and represents about 10 percent of all strokes.

FDA widens use of Edwards' devices for heart valve replacement

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has widened the use of Edwards Lifesciences Corp's heart valves to patients at intermediate risk of complications if they underwent open heart surgery. The devices, Sapien XT and Sapien 3, have already been approved for use in patients unlikely to survive open-heart surgery or are at high risk for complications. (http://bit.ly/2b49uXI)

Study in mice shows Zika virus also attacks adult brain cells

U.S. researchers have found that Zika can attack special populations of brain cells in adult mice in the part of the brain involved in learning and memory, raising new questions about how the virus may be impacting millions of adults who have been infected with the virus. The findings, published on Thursday in the journal "Cell Stem Cell," are the first to look at whether Zika can attack the same kinds of cells in adult mice that they do in fetal mice.

T. Rowe Price sues Valeant over 'fraudulent scheme'

T. Rowe Price Group Inc has sued Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc , alleging that investors in the Canadian drugmaker lost billions of dollars as a result of the company's "fraudulent scheme." Valeant's U.S.-listed shares reversed course to close down 3.4 percent at $37.19 on Thursday. They had risen as much as 5 percent, after the company's lenders agreed to an amendment to loosen covenants on its $31 billion of debt.

Britain launches soft drinks sugar tax to fight obesity

Britain on Thursday said it would tax companies which sell sugary soft drinks and invest that money in health programs for school children, part of a long-awaited strategy to curb childhood obesity that critics say is too weak. Drinks companies were also angered by the plan which urges industry to cut sugar in products aimed at children, saying nearly a third of those aged 2 to 15 are already overweight or obese.

Locally transmitted Zika virus identified in Miami Beach: source

Florida health officials have found evidence of local Zika virus transmission in Miami Beach, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, opening a new front in the fight against the mosquito-borne virus, according to a source familiar with the investigation. A handful of Zika cases have been identified and health officials are deciding which area or areas to include in any updated travel guidance, the source said. An announcement is expected to be made as early as Friday.

U.S. health agency weighs rules on outside payments for Obamacare

A U.S. government health agency on Thursday said that it was considering new rules to prevent healthcare providers or related groups from steering patients into Obamacare individual insurance plans instead of Medicare or Medicaid in order to receive higher payments for medical services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Thursday said it is seeking public comment and considering rules including prohibiting or limiting premium payments or cost-sharing for the individual marketplace plans, monetary penalties and limits on such payments.

Two children per hour seen at U.S. ERs for stroller, carrier injuries

About 361,00 children were seen in U.S. emergency departments between 1990 and 2010 for injuries sustained while riding in a stroller or carrier, according to a new study. "It's over 17,000 injuries per year, which is equivalent to about 50 children every day or two injuries every hour," said study author Kristin Roberts, of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Virtual reality treadmills help prevent falls in elderly

Adding a virtual reality obstacle course to treadmill workouts may help prevent more falls among vulnerable adults than using a treadmill on its own, a small study suggests. Researchers asked about 300 adults aged 60 to 90 who had already experienced at least one prior fall to exercise on a treadmill three times a week for six weeks, randomly assigning half of them to use virtual reality systems during the workouts.

New York clinic turns to art in Zika fight

A picture is worth a thousand words - or at least that is the philosophy behind a New York clinic that is creating Zika-inspired art to raise awareness about the virus. At All City, a combination art gallery and pediatrics clinic, artist Shaun Crawford was hired on Thursday to create illustrations that will be made into an educational brochure.

08/19/2016 0:55