U.S. economy to row against austerity tide in 2013

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington has steered clear of severe austerity measures for now, reducing the risk of recession, but a clutch of U.S. tax hikes will nevertheless be a drag on economic growth this year.The U.S. Congress approved a deal late on Tuesday to scale back some $ 600 billion in scheduled tax hikes and government spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff.”Analysts said the package at...

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Senate’s “fiscal cliff” bill adds $4 trillion to deficits: CBO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday said Senate-passed legislation to avert the “fiscal cliff” would add nearly $ 4 trillion to federal deficits over a decade, largely because it would extend low tax rates for almost all Americans.The congressional scorekeeper’s analysis was released as a number of Republicans in the House of Representatives voiced opposition to the bill,...

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Are recession babies prone to be delinquent teens?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new analysis of data on U.S. teens born during the early 1980s ties slightly higher rates of adolescent smoking, drinking, arrests and thefts to macroeconomic conditions during the first year of life.What was “striking for us was it basically went across all socioeconomic strata,” said Dr. Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, the lead author of the study. “From a national level,...

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It’s a fight over fitness in Santa Monica’s parks

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Physical fitness is a way of life on the beautiful beachfront oasis of Santa Monica. From sunrise to sunset, there’s huffing and puffing in the city’s parks as trainers put their students through the paces of every form of exercise imaginable.All along the 420 acres of greenery paralleling the Pacific Ocean are groups of a dozen or more people furiously pumping iron, doing...

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Obama: “modestly optimistic” fiscal cliff deal can be reached

Title Post: Obama: “modestly optimistic” fiscal cliff deal can be reachedRating: 100%based on 99998 ratings.5 user reviews.Author: Fluser SeoLinkThanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comm...

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State’s first flu death is Tulsa County resident

A Tulsa County resident between the ages of 19 and 64 is the first person in Oklahoma to die from the flu this season.Since Sept. 30 there have been 24 hospitalizations due to flu reported in Tulsa County, the most for any county in the state.Oklahoma County has reported 10, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.There have been 75 flu hospitalizations throughout the state. Twenty-one...

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Some cancer docs say their income tied to treatments

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A survey of cancer doctors finds that some believe they get paid more when they administer their patients’ chemotherapy and other drugs, raising concerns about conflict of interest and the potential for overtreatment.Researchers found that oncologists, surgeons and other cancer specialists who get paid based on the number of services they provide were seven times more likely...

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Obesity declining in young, poorer kids: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The number of low-income preschoolers who qualify as obese or “extremely obese” has dropped over the last decade, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.Although the decline was only “modest” and may not apply to all children, researchers said it was still encouraging.“It’s extremely important to make sure we’re monitoring obesity in this low-income...

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Venezuela’s Chavez “improves slightly” after surgery: official

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez‘s condition has “improved slightly” after a cancer operation in Cuba, the information minister said on Monday, amid doubts over whether the former soldier is in good enough health to continue governing.“The patient has shown a slight improvement in his condition,” Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said during a terse televised statement,...

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Few tests done at toxic sites after superstorm

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (AP) — For more than a month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that the recent superstorm didn’t cause significant problems at any of the 247 Superfund toxic waste sites it’s monitoring in New York and New Jersey.But in many cases, no actual tests of soil or water are being conducted, just visual inspections.The EPA conducted a handful of tests right after the storm,...

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Federal appeals court rules against Hobby Lobby on contraception

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected a claim by an arts and crafts chain that wants to be exempted from a requirement to provide emergency contraceptives to employees because it violates the religious principles of its owners.The Court of Appeals in Denver ruled against family-owned Hobby Lobby‘s assertion that the religious beliefs of its owners should relieve them...

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Alexza’s agitation drug gets FDA approval

(Reuters) – Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc said the U.S. health regulators approved Adasuve, making it the first treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that can be inhaled.Adasuve, which delivers an older antipsychotic drug called loxapine, passes through the lungs and into the bloodstream faster than a typical pill. Loxapine is available as an oral drug for schizophrenia.The company said the...

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Early Language Skills Help Kids Manage Anger

The ability to use words as a toddler may affect the way a child manages anger later in life, a new study suggests.Children with good language skills at age 2 expressed less anger during frustrating situations at age 4 than did those 4-year-olds with less advanced language skills, according to the study’s findings.Children whose language skills developed quickly also expressed less anger at age 4.While...

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Sanofi to pay $109 million to settle U.S. kickback charges

(Reuters) – French drugmaker Sanofi has agreed to pay $ 109 million to settle charges that it violated the False Claims Act by providing free drugs as a form of kickbacks to physicians, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Wednesday.The settlement resolves allegations that Sanofi submitted false average sales price reports for the drug Hyalgan, a knee injection to treat arthritis, that did not...

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Experts: Kids are resilient in coping with trauma

WASHINGTON (AP) — They might not want to talk about the gunshots or the screams. But their toys might start getting into imaginary shootouts.Last week’s school shooting in Connecticut raises the question: What will be the psychological fallout for the children who survived?For people of any age, regaining a sense of security after surviving violence can take a long time. They’re at risk for lingering...

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Many have ovary surgery even with negative gene test

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many women who test negative for gene mutations that heighten the risk of ovarian cancer still get their ovaries removed despite a lack of evidence that it reduces the risk of dying, says a new study.“A higher number than expected went through with the surgery, and it probably has to do with doctors in the community not having enough information on their patients’ risk...

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Workplace Bullying Common, Could Lead to Medication Use

Dec 16, 2012 7:00amIf you’ve ever felt bullied at work, you’re not alone. A new study suggests workplace bullying is common, and so is the need for medical intervention.The survey-based study of more than 6,000 Finns found that one in eight men and one in five women reported being bullied at work. And self-reported bullying victims were more likely to use of antidepressants,...

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California home for developmentally disabled faces abuse inquiry

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – California health officials have threatened to shut down part of the state’s oldest home for developmentally disabled adults due to evidence of physical abuse and neglect, in a move that could displace nearly 300 of its residents.The state-run Sonoma Developmental Center could lose its license to run one unit if it does not fix the problems, according to a letter the state...

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Alexza agitation drug gets EU recommendation, shares jump

(Reuters) – European health regulators recommended approval of Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc‘s experimental drug Adasuve for controlling agitation in adults with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, sending its shares up 19 percent.Adasuve, Alexza’s most advanced drug in development, will be the first treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that can be inhaled.“… The beautiful part of (the drug)...

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Researchers Find More Than 200 Genes Linked to Crohn’s Disease

British scientists have identified more than 200 gene locations associated with Crohn’s disease, an incurable digestive disorder. Their research utilized the entire human genome, the complete set of human genetic information stored in DNA.The total is larger than the number of genes located for any other disease, according to ScienceDaily. For example, there are 66 known locations for type 2 diabetes.The...

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