The Korea Herald

Drug firms sign up to new tropical disease fight

Feb 9, 2012

GENEVA (AFP) - Key players in the pharmaceutical industry pledged on Monday to donate 14 billion drug treatments as part of a new, global push to eradicate tropical diseases. Thirteen companies including Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline have committed to the programme being led by the United States, Britain and United Arab Emirates governments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank....
Anti-cancer drug for women weakens bone density

Feb 9, 2012

PARIS (AFP) - A drug tipped for widespread use to prevent breast cancer in post-menopausal women also accelerates loss of bone density, thus potentially boosting the risk of fractures, a study published on Tuesdaysaid. Exemestane -- brand name Aromasin -- is part of a drug class called aromatase inhibitors, which lower levels of the oestrogen that some breast cancers need in order to grow. Cana...
Too many kids breathe others‘ smoke in cars: CDC

Feb 9, 2012

CHICAGO (AP) -- Texting while driving, speeding and back-seat hanky-panky aren’t all that parents need to worry about when their kids are in cars: Add secondhand smoke to the list. In the first national estimate of its kind, a report from government researchers says more than 1 in 5 high school students and middle schoolers ride in cars while others are smoking. This kind of secondhand smoke ex...
Birth control mandate irks religious organizations

Feb 9, 2012

The Obama administration’s decision requiring church-affiliated employers to cover birth control was bound to cause an uproar among Roman Catholics and members of other faiths, no matter their beliefs on contraception. The regulation, finalized a week ago, raises a complex and sensitive legal question: Which institutions qualify as religious and can be exempt from the mandate? For a church, mos...
How long can you keep your food?

Feb 9, 2012

Expired produce can be safe for some time if unsealed and well stored Everyone has had the experience of throwing away a half-eaten block of cheese or half-empty carton of milk because it has exceeded its expiration date. But the Korea Consumer Agency on Tuesday said most foods are safe even a few days after their expiration date. “The expiration dates written on the cover of the products are ...
How long can you keep your food?

Feb 9, 2012

Expired produce can be safe for some time if unsealed and well stored Everyone has had the experience of throwing away a half-eaten block of cheese or half-empty carton of milk because it has exceeded its expiration date. But the Korea Consumer Agency on Tuesday said most foods are safe even a few days after their expiration date. “The expiration dates written on the cover of the products are ...
Study on mice shows fasting weakens cancer

Feb 9, 2012

Early research on mice with cancer shows that fasting may weaken tumors and help chemotherapy work better, scientists said on Wednesday. While it remains unknown if the same approach could work in humans, or if it would even be safe, researchers said the findings suggest a promising new route of study for improving response to cancer treatment. In the mice experiments, "the combination of fasti...
Smoking linked to mental decline in men: study

Feb 7, 2012

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Men who smoke experience greater mental declines over time than men who never smoked, but the same link does not appear among women, said a British study published in the United States on Monday. The research suggested that the effects of long-term cigarette smoking show up terms of memory loss, inability to connect past experience with actions in the present, and a drop in ov...
Valentine's Day may be worst day to kiss

Feb 3, 2012

Valentine's Day falls smack dab in the middle of flu and cold season, so kissing may not be such a good idea, a U.S. infectious disease expert suggests. Dr. Jorge Parada, medical director, infectious disease at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill., said changing weather or temperatures are often blamed for winter's coughs and sniffles, but in reality, colds, coughs and the flu are in...
Blood test detects depressed patients

Feb 3, 2012

A blood test analyzing levels of nine biomarkers accurately distinguished patients diagnosed with depression from others, U.S. researchers said. Lead author Dr. George Papakostas of the Massachusetts General Hospital said previous efforts to develop tests based on a single blood or urinary biomarker did not produce results of sufficient sensitivity. “The biology of depression suggests that a hi...
Varied diet reduces risk of metabolic syndrome

Feb 2, 2012

Not being too choosy about food provides a better chance of preventing metabolic syndrome, the Korea Food and Drug Administration said Friday. According to the U.S. National Health, Lung and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome refers to a group of risk factors that raise the risk of heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. A research team at the organization conduct...
More veggies, whole grains at school

Feb 2, 2012

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) ― The first major nutritional overhaul of school meals in more than 15 years means most offerings ― including the always popular pizza ― will come with less sodium, more whole grains and a wider selection of fruits and vegetables on the side. First lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the new guidelines during a visit Wednesday with elemen...
FDA clears drug for advanced kidney cancer

Feb 2, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Patients with hard-to-treat kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of the body gained a new drug option Friday, after federal regulators approved a twice-a-day pill from Pfizer for the disease. The Food and Drug Administration approved the company’s drug Inlyta as a secondary option for patients with renal cell carcinoma that hasn’t responded to previous drug treatments. ...
Kangbuk Samsung Hospital to open international clinic

Feb 2, 2012

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital said Thursday that it will open an international clinic on Feb.16 at the Samsung office building in Taepyeongno, central Seoul. Located 500 meters from Seoul City Hall, the clinic expects to cater mostly to expats and foreign tourists. It will share facilities and infrastructure with the Samsung hospital. The hospital conducts joint studies with Johns Hopkins University...
Black spots on the face

Feb 2, 2012

Also termed “flowers in the land of the dead,” black spots on the face are generally referred to as seborrheic keratosis or senile lentigo, and are gradually formed as the skin ages. There are many people who think that black spots on the face occur only in old age. But they can also occur in younger people who frequently perform outdoor activities and are exposed to ultraviolet rays. The signs ...