American Medical Association

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Daschle Will Play Hardball on Health Reform

Incoming HHS Secretary will avoid Hillary's pitfalls

(Newser) - Tom Daschle, Barack Obama's incoming Director of Health and Human Services, has an aggressive strategy for reforming health care, and no intentions of seeing it fizzle the way the Clintons' efforts did in 1993, reports the Los Angeles Times. The key will be reeling in major health-care interest groups, along...

Could Rain Trigger Autism?
 Could Rain Trigger Autism? 

Could Rain Trigger Autism?

Surprise link between autism and rainfall

(Newser) - US counties with higher rates of rainfall also have higher rates of autism, according to a controversial new study published by the American Medical Association. Pollutants in the precipitation, longer periods spent watching television, lower levels of vitamin D, or some other environmental factor linked to rainfall may trigger autism...

Half of US Docs Prescribe Placebos

Many physicians believe in psychological impact of prescriptions

(Newser) - Half of US doctors admit prescribing drugs to patients just for the placebo effect—to make them think they are taking something beneficial, reports the Chicago Tribune. As many as 56% prescribed antibiotics, painkillers, vitamins, and sedatives in cases where they didn't expect them to have any benefit physically, but...

Lung Drugs Linked to Heart Risks: Study

Treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease targeted

(Newser) - Two medications widely prescribed to emphysema and chronic bronchitis sufferers significantly increase the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, USA Today reports. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a 53% increased risk of heart attacks and an 80% increased risk of cardiovascular death...

Patients Paying $1B in Medical Bills They Don't Owe

Health-care providers engage in illegal practice to get funds

(Newser) - Millions of patients throughout the country are footing the bill for medical payments they don’t owe, BusinessWeek reports. In a practice known as balance billing, health-care providers stick weary patients with the cost of their treatment not covered by insurers. The practice is often illegal, but, according to estimates,...

Diabetes Linked to Arsenic in Tap Water

Study suggests millions may face serious risk from their tap

(Newser) - Arsenic in the drinking water of millions of Americans may be contributing to the diabetes epidemic, Bloomberg reports. Researchers found that people with high levels of arsenic in their urine were nearly four times more likely to have type 2 diabetes. Higher rates of diabetes occurred even with trace amounts...

Kids Dump Exercise by Their Teens

Most get just 30 minutes exercise a day

(Newser) - American children stop getting enough exercise by the time they reach their teens, according to a new study. Researchers tracked more than 1,000 children and discovered that those who averaged three hours of exercise a day at age 9 barely managed 30 minutes of physical activity at 15, reports...

AMA to Apologize for Racist Past
AMA to Apologize for Racist Past

AMA to Apologize for Racist Past

Group long barred black docs, kept mum on civil rights

(Newser) - The American Medical Association is to offer a full apology today for more than a century of racism against African Americans, reports the Washington Post. The country's largest medical association effectively barred black doctors for many years and stayed silent while the country was divided on efforts to end racial...

Dems Ready to Slap McCain on Medicare Bill

GOP senator absent with 1 vote needed to save doctor payments

(Newser) - Democrats are preparing to attack John McCain for hurting doctors, the elderly, and veterans—all by not showing up, The Hill reports. Medicare legislation to stave off a 10.6% cut in physician payments is one vote short in the Senate, and the presumptive GOP nominee, repeatedly absent when it...

Lake Fights Back on Home Childbirth

Ex-talk show host says women should be pro-choice about birth methods

(Newser) - Ricki Lake is firing back at a recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists statement that reprimanded her for promoting at-home childbirth, saying that a hospital was the "safest setting" for having a baby. In The Business of Being Born, the former talk-show host documents the delivery of her...

Study: Video Game Addicts Aren't Nerds

'Problem gamers' may be unhealthy, but they're not lonely geeks

(Newser) - The stereotype of the hard-core gamer as a friendless geek may be as outdated as Pac-Man, Reuters reports. An Australian study looked at "problem gamers" who spent more than 50 hours a week playing and discovered that less than 1% had poor social skills. The findings contradict statements from...

Competitive, Social Aspects Make Video Games Addictive

No shortage of horror stories about fun-seekers-turned-junkies

(Newser) - The American Medical Association may not yet rank video gaming as addictive, but players who call World of Warcraft “World of Warcrack” know the score, writes Kristin Kalning on msnbc.com. But what is it that drives obsessed players to neglect their jobs, their health and even their kids?...

Diabetes Drug Slows Artery Clogging

Choice of meds may be critical to diabetics' heart health

(Newser) - A drug used to lower blood sugar in diabetics significantly decreases the clogging of arteries, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Tests on diabetic patients found that Actos, a new-generation drug that lowers insulin resistance, aided arteries more than a drug that boosted insulin production. Heart disease kills 75% of diabetics...

Lifelong Issues Plague Preemies
 Lifelong Issues Plague Preemies 

Lifelong Issues Plague Preemies

Fewer graduate high school, have children

(Newser) - More babies are surviving premature birth than ever before, but new research has found they suffer lifelong problems. Preemies face health challenges into adulthood and are less likely to graduate from high school or to have children of their own, reports USA Today. Those who do have children are more...

Breast Cancer Risk Seen for Latinos, Blacks

Scientists find higher prevalance of mutated gene in new study

(Newser) - A genetic mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer has been linked to Hispanic and young black women, according to a new study. The findings could lead to changes in screening, the San Jose Mercury News reports. In the survey of 3,181 women with breast cancer, 16.7%...

On YouTube Anti-Vaccine Vids Trump Science

Viewers prefer iffy sources for some public health info, JAMA study says

(Newser) - A new JAMA study reports that when it comes to at least one important public health subject on YouTube, theories rejected in the medical community have trumped official information in viewership. Controversial anti-vaccination videos are getting more hits and higher ratings than those touting the accepted science. The findings appear...

Antibiotics Don't Help Suffering Sinuses

Drugs make almost no difference, and could hurt: study

(Newser) - Antibiotics don't cure sinus infections and may actually do more harm than good, researchers have found, the Los Angeles Times reports. While more than 80% of US doctors prescribe antibiotics for sinus infections, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the difference in recovery times...

New Guidelines Target Child Obesity

Strict measures aim to reduce number of overweight kids

(Newser) - The most stringent guidelines to date for combating childhood obesity recommend yearly weight checks and possibly even medication or surgery for kids who can't combat the condition on their own, USA Today reports. Doctors should also keep normal-weight kids apprised of the ins and outs of healthy living, a panel...

Salt May Get an FDA Shakedown
Salt May Get an FDA Shakedown

Salt May Get an FDA Shakedown

Increased regs likely on concerns about overconsumption, health effects

(Newser) - As the White House readies a national campaign against obesity, the FDA today will consider whether to reclassify one of the biggest dietary concerns of all: salt. The American Medical Association says that for Americans, who each day consume around 2,000 milligrams more than recommended, cutting salt intake by...

Walk It Off: Pedometers Push People to Lose Weight

Researchers note significant drops in blood pressure

(Newser) - New research suggests that wearing a pedometer can significantly increase a person's daily physical activity, which in turn can lower weight and blood pressure. Pedometers, small devices worn on the hip that count steps, can cost as little as $15. Overall, pedometer users increased their physical activity by 26.9%,...

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