http://medicalxpress.com/health-news/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news on health, medicine technology and health sciences. Talking on a hands-free device while behind the wheel can lead to a sharp increase in errors that could imperil other drivers on the road, according to new research from the University of Alberta. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-hands-free-spike-errors.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 15:12:32 EST news288627145 (HealthDay)—More than one in four of those eligible for new premium assistance tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) do not have a checking account and will not be able to receive premiums from insurance companies, according to a report published by Jackson Hewitt. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-uninsured-excluded-aca.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 13:20:02 EST news288617879 After studying noise in one French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans to determine whether or not noise levels exceeded municipal ordinances, Annette Hurley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Audiology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and Eric Arriaga, a third-year LSUHSC doctor of audiology student, recommend that people use today's technology to protect their own hearing health. Their case study is published online in the current issue of Advance for Hearing Practice Management. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-audiologists-smart-apps-noise.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 11:50:01 EST news288614188 Young children who missed more than half of recommended well-child visits had up to twice the risk of hospitalization compared to children who attended most of their visits, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Managed Care. The study included more than 20,000 children enrolled at Group Health Cooperative. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-young-children-well-child-hospitalized.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 11:36:01 EST news288614151 The individualisation of drug treatments to support patients to self-manage their conditions is a concept that sits at the heart of policy, but a recent study in BMJ Open shows that there is no concrete definition of the term and consequently no cohesive understanding of what it means in practice among prescribing doctors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-doctors-individualisation-treatments.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 09:10:02 EST news288601749 Fun in the summer often means kids spending time in the water, whether at a pool, the beach, a lake or river. A pediatric safety expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) stresses proper training and supervision to avoid drowning and other injuries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-summer-fun-safe.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:01 EST news288601832 A new way of interpreting information from a low-tech, age-old method used in pregnancy care is expected to more accurately identify potential health issues for mothers and babies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-pregnant-bellies-tape-technique.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 08:20:04 EST news288600455 Artemio Martinez balanced his corpulent frame on a stool in a Mexico City street taco stand, downing a sweet soda and eating a final pork-filled corn tortilla. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-obesity-soda-guzzler-mexico.html Health Fri, 24 May 2013 06:05:24 EST news288594317 People eating at fast food restaurants largely underestimate the calorie content of meals, especially large ones, according to a paper published today in BMJ. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-consumers-largely-underestimating-calorie-content.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 18:30:02 EST news288551044 Don't doubt it when a woman harried by hot flashes says she's having a hard time remembering things. A new study published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), helps confirm with objective tests that what these women say about their memory is true. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-memory-menopause.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 17:21:24 EST news288548476 The Senate has overwhelmingly rejected an amendment allowing states to require labeling of genetically modified foods. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-farm-bill-senate-gmo-amendment.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 16:50:01 EST news288544130 (AP)—McDonald's once again faced criticism that it's a purveyor of junk food that markets to children at its annual shareholder meeting Thursday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-mcdonald-criticism-nutrition.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 15:57:46 EST news288543459 Can economic incentives such as gift cards, T-shirts, and time off from work motivate members of the public to increase their donations of blood? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-economic-incentives-blood-donation-negative.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 14:01:36 EST news288536486 Family caregivers of older adults with dementia are less stressed and their moods are improved on days when dementia patients receive adult day services (ADS), according to Penn State researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-adult-day-dementia-patients-stress.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 12:10:58 EST news288529840 Given the implications for the overall health, development, and academic success of children, schools should play a primary role in ensuring that all students have opportunities to engage in at least 60 minutes per day of vigorous or moderate-intensity physical activity, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Recent estimates suggest that only about half of school-age children meet this evidence-based guideline for promoting better health and development. The report recommends that most daily physical activity occur during regular school hours in physical education classes, recess or breaks, and classroom exercises, with additional opportunities available through active commutes to and from school, before- and after-school programs, and participation in intramural or varsity sports. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-schools-opportunities-minutes-daily-physical.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 11:52:06 EST news288528720 Over 70 per cent of people who hold a personal budget for social care said it led to greater independence and support according to the latest survey. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-survey-reveals-success-personal-social.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:03 EST news288517368 A new smartphone application, developed by scientists at the University of Ulster, which could help older people engage fully in an increasingly self-serve society, may be ready for use by the end of the year. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-scientists-smartphone-agent-older-people.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 08:40:04 EST news288515439 As health services strive to improve quality and reduce costs, researchers study the benefits – and the pitfalls – of 'pay for performance' in hospitals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-price-health.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 08:30:07 EST news288515062 (Medical Xpress)—There is no significant risk directly associated with air travel during pregnancy, even at advanced gestation, says report by the University of Liverpool. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-air-pregnancy-poses-significant-experts.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 08:10:01 EST news288514017 To coincide with the broadcast of Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines (SBS ONE, Sunday 26 May at 8.30pm) the first ever national survey on Australian attitudes to vaccination reveals surprising statistics including half of Australians opposing immunisation get their information from the net. According to the survey those in favour of vaccination consult their GP. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-percent-australians-oppose-vaccination-internet.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 07:53:03 EST news288514330 US teen births have dropped to a record low, but the country still has one of the highest rates among developed nations, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-teen-birth.html Health Thu, 23 May 2013 06:30:02 EST news288508321 A new study published online today (Thursday) in the Journal of Public Health has found that of young people who visited fast food or chain restaurants in the U.S. in 2010, girls and youth who were obese were more likely to use calorie information given in the restaurants to inform their food choices. It also found that young people eating at fast food or chain restaurants twice a week or more were half as likely to use calorie information as those eating there once a week or less. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-calorie-fast-food-restaurants-percent.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 19:15:07 EST news288468890 (HealthDay)—Implementation of systematic monitoring for medication adherence will allow for identification of barriers to adherence and tailoring of interventions, according to a viewpoint piece published in the May 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-systematic-screening-med-adherence-id.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 17:30:02 EST news288458251 (AP)—The Obama administration says more doctors and hospitals are embracing technology as adoption of computerized medical records reaches a "tipping point" in America. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-doctors-hospitals-electronic.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 16:30:02 EST news288457736 Johns Hopkins researchers report that hospitals may be reaping enormous income for patients whose hospital stays are complicated by preventable bloodstream infections contracted in their intensive care units. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-hospitals-profit-patients-bloodstream-infections.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 15:37:14 EST news288455828 A University of Illinois researcher says that the cornerstone of our efforts to alleviate food insecurity should be to encourage more people to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) "because it works." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-alleviating-hunger-snap.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 15:35:00 EST news288455674 A new study suggests that disturbed sleep in adolescents is associated with more symptoms of depression and greater uncertainly about future success. However, perceived support and acceptance from parents and teachers appears to have a protective effect. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-parent-teacher-teens-problems-depression.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 13:48:13 EST news288449286 A new study provides neurobiological evidence for dysfunction in the neural circuitry underlying emotion regulation in people with insomnia, which may have implications for the risk relationship between insomnia and depression. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-insomnia-dysfunction-emotional-brain-circuitry.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 13:43:09 EST news288448981 Taking a calcium supplement of up to 1,000 mg per day can help women live longer, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-calcium-supplements-linked-longer-lifespans.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 13:40:57 EST news288448851 Why is fish oil good for the heart? A new study suggests that this omega 3 fatty acid-rich nutrient could blunt some cardiovascular effects of mental stress. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-fish-oil-heart-mental-stress.html Health Wed, 22 May 2013 13:30:30 EST news288448215