Health & Medical

Study: Memory Problems May Be More Common In Men
(Undated) -- A new study suggests more men are affected by mild memory loss than previously thought. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that 19 percent of men aged 70 to 89 studied had mild cognitive impairment, compared to 14 percent of women. Dr. Bruce Lamb at the Cleveland Clinic says the results surprised many involved in Alzheimer's research because women have higher rates of the disease. Dr. Lamb believes more research is needed to determine if there are factors related to gender that might play a role in Alzheimer's disease.

Expert Says Obesity Affects Fertility
(Undated) -- Being overweight can reduce a couple's chances of becoming pregnant. Dr. Tommaso Falcone, an infertility expert at the Cleveland Clinic, says obesity often leads to issues with insulin control, which leads to problems with ovulation in women. According to Dr. Falcone, obesity can impact fertility for both men and women. He says the good news is that once the weight starts coming off through diet and exercise, the chances of conceiving go up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over eleven percent of women struggle with fertility.

Study: Magic Mushrooms Help Ease Cancer Patients' Anxiety
(Undated) -- Magic mushrooms may help ease the anxiety of people with advanced cancer. A new study found that a dozen people given a single dose of the hallucinogen psilocybin reported feeling less depressed even six months later. Researchers at UCLA and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute hoped to show that researching hallucinogens could be done safely. All such medical studies were halted in the 1970s after LSD and psilocybin became synonymous with the '60s counterculture. Federal law now bans use of the so-called magic mushroom for any purpose. The findings are published in the journal, "Archives of General Psychiatry."

Ancient Herbal Remedy Might Fight Cancer
(Undated) -- New studies show that an ancient herbal remedy that is now present in modern diabetes drugs may help fight cancer. The studies published in the journal "Cancer Prevention Research" support previous research that found diabetes patients receiving the drug metformin are less prone to developing cancer. Metformin helps stabilize blood sugar by decreasing the liver's glucose output and increasing the sugar's use by muscle tissue. It's prescribed to about 40-million people across the United States. In one study, metformin reduced the appearance of lesions that can be precursors to bowel cancer. In another study, U.S. researchers induced lung cancer in mice with injections of a tobacco-based carcinogen, followed by doses of metformin. The drug reduced lung cancer tumors in those mice by more than 70 percent.

Study: Insect Brains Could Help Fight MRSA
(Undated) -- New research shows locust and cockroach brains could hold the key to killing super bugs like MRSA [[ mersa ]]. The study presented at a meeting of the Society of General Microbiology pointed out a number of chemicals in the insects' brains that all had anti-microbrial properties. Researchers say these chemicals were strong enough to kill 90-percent of MRSA, but didn't hurt human cells in the process. The author of the study says 90-percent is a very high kill rate, especially since he diluted the substance used in the study. More testing is still needed for safety before the compound could be developed into a drug for human use.

Hartz Recalls 75,000 Bags Of Dog Treats On Salmonella Concerns
(Secaucus, NJ) -- Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled nearly 75,000 bags of dog treats. Hartz initiated the recall after testing by the FDA showed the presence of salmonella organisms in eight-ounce bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs. The company stresses there have been no reports of sickness among pets or people. Recalled treats are stamped with the lot code BZ0969101E. They should be discarded immediately.

Scorpion Antivenin Study Underway In Southern Arizona
(Undated) -- A study of an experimental scorpion antivenin shows encouraging results. The research to determine the safety and effectiveness of Anascorp is part of the approval process by the Food and Drug Administration and is being done by the University of Arizona. The study's leader, UA's Dr. Leslie Boyer, says nearly 1,500 patients statewide have been treated with the drug for several years and have done well. The drug, from Mexican manufacturer Instituto Bioclon has been available in Mexico for several years.

Study Says Malpractice Costs Less Than Imagined
(Undated) -- Costs connected to medical malpractice add less than three-percent to U.S. healthcare costs. That's the bottom line from a study published in the September issue of "Health Affairs." The total is much less than was proffered by many during the recent healthcare reform debate. Most of the additional expenses associated with medical malpractice are incurred through tests, procedures and treatments associated with defensive medicine. The study was done by a research team that included Atul A. Gawande, MD, of Harvard Medical School. Gawande noted that though medical malpractice costs are just a small part of total health care spending, "the amount is not trivial." The study looked at figures from 2008, which showed that America's total outlay for health care that year was a whopping two-point-three trillion dollars.

Jerry Lewis Raises $59-Million With MDA Telethon
(Las Vegas, NV) -- Veteran entertainer Jerry Lewis hosted his annual Labor Day telethon in Las Vegas this weekend to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The 45th Annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon raised nearly $59-million to fund research aimed at finding a cure for muscular dystrophy. The 21-and-a-half-hour event featured performances from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Enrique Iglesias, David Archuleta, Barry Manilow, Tony Orlando, Charo, Taylor Dane, the cast of Fox's "Glee" and many others. "Biggest Loser" host Alison Sweeney and TV personalities Nancy O'Dell and Jann Carl came out to help Lewis host the telethon, which aired on more than 170 TV stations and streamed online at www.mda.org. The event culminated Monday evening with Lewis singing his signature telethon song, "You'll Never Walk Alone." The 84-year-old, who is also MDA's National Chairman, said he was, "heartened by the unique ability of Americans to help others in need, when they themselves are likely struggling financially."

Bristol Palin To Make Appearance At Fundraiser In Kentucky
(Louisville, KY) -- Briston Palin, the oldest daughter of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, will be in Louisville, Kentucky Wednesday to speak at a fundraising dinner for the Lifehouse Maternity Home. The dinner is to be held at the downtown Marriott Hotel. Lifehouse Maternity Home bills itself as "a beacon of hope for women and families facing an unexpected pregnancy." Briston Palin will be paid $14,000 dollars for her appearance. Bristol Palin made news for having a baby out of wedlock, and for her on again, off again relationship with the father of her child, Levi Johnston. She's also part of this season's lineup on "Dancing With The Stars."

Chemical Used In Nonstick Cookware Linked To Higher Cholesterol
(Chicago, IL) -- Two chemicals used for nonstick cookware and waterproof fabrics may be spiking kids' cholesterol. Researchers say the children in their study with the highest LDL or bad cholesterol levels also had measurably higher levels of the two chemicals. The two are called perfluoro-alkyl acids and they make their way into kids' bodies through drinking water, food packaging, even the air, dust and mother's milk. Studies in animals show the acids can affect the liver, which could explain the cholesterol boost in humans. The study looked at 12,000 children in the mid-Ohio River Valley who had one of the two acids in their drinking water. The findings are published in the journal "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine."

Arizona Woman Attacked With Acid, Suspect At Large
(Mesa, AZ) -- In an attack reminiscent of one last week in Washington state, an Arizona woman is hospitalized with severe burns to her face and chest following an acid attack. Police in Mesa, a large suburb of Phoenix, say Derri Velarade was in the parking lot of her apartment complex Thursday afternoon when a female suspect threw acid on her. Detectives believe the suspect hid behind the 41-year-old Velarade's vehicle and that the attack was planned. Cops are looking for a Hispanic woman between 30 and 40 years old. Last Monday, Bethany Storro was getting something out of her car in Vancouver, Washington when she claims an African-American woman in her late 20s or early 30s walked up to her. Storro says the unidentified woman said, "Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?" and dumped a cup of strong acid on Storro's face. No arrests have been made and a motive hasn't been determined.