The Korea Herald

Doctors warn of fake erectile dysfunction drugs

Jun 7, 2012

A group of urologists on Tuesday warned against the use of unauthorized erectile dysfunction treatment pills among men, claiming they could be critical to health. The Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology held a press conference Tuesday in downtown Seoul and said fake ED drugs can cause heart acceleration, headache, hot flashes, bad visibility and other symptoms. In the worst case, constant erection or arrhythmia could prevail, threatening lives, they said. Counterfeit drugs, which ar
In California, it’s Big Tobacco vs. Lance Armstrong

Jun 7, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Fabled as a mecca for the health-conscious and fitness-obsessed, California is also one of only a few states that has not hiked its cigarette taxes in the last decade, meaning it is less expensive to light up in Los Angeles and San Francisco than in many other places in the country.The tobacco industry wants to keep it that way.It has amassed nearly $50 million to kill an initiative before California voters that has been championed by cycling star Lance Armstrong and support
Global cancer cases could rise 75% by 2030

Jun 7, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Global cancer cases are projected to rise 75 percent by 2030, in part because many other diseases are being stamped out and more developing countries are adopting Western lifestyles linked to cancer, international health experts reported.While population growth and aging explain much of the increase, at least one-fifth of the new cancer cases will likely be due to preventable factors, the researchers predict.Cancers that are caused by infections, such as cervical cancer and some li
Diabetics: Take care of your feet in summer

Jun 7, 2012

People who have had diabetes for a long time not only need to take extra care in the food they consume and their blood sugar levels, but they also need to take special care in maintaining healthy feet. Those with diabetes take longer for foot injuries to heal, which can lead to complications. In summer people are more exposed and are more frequently in contact with water. Diabetic foot diseases can come in many different forms, but the most common forms are ulcers that cave in on the flesh of th
Experiment lets spine-injured rats walk

Jun 7, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ― Many scientists are working on treatments to help people with spinal cord injuries walk. Now there’s a striking new demonstration of how one approach might work: Spinal nerve stimulation helped rats in a Swiss lab overcome paralysis to walk and climb stairs.That may sound impressive, but similar progress has been made in people, too. The difference this time is the particular technique used.“It’s a natural extension of exciting work that’s been done by many groups,” said Dr. John
KFDA designates oral birth control pills as prescription-only drugs

Jun 7, 2012

The Korea Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that all oral contraceptives will require a doctor’s prescription from as early as next year. Currently the pills are sold over the counter except for Bayer’s Yasmin and Yaz. The change is expected to come into effect from as early as next year after the body finalizes its decision in July.The “ground breaking” decision was made about 50 years after birth control pills were introduced to the country. KFDA officials said they have concluded the
Morning-after pill approved for OTC

Jun 7, 2012

Major reclassification switches 212 prescription drugs to OTC itemsThe government has decided to allow emergency contraception pills, known as morning-after pills, to be sold at pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription. Instead the authorities decided to tighten management on ordinary oral contraceptive pills, designating them as prescription drugs. Currently, day-after pills are classified as prescription pills while ordinary pills are sold without doctors’ orders. The Korea Food and Drug Adm
Scientists do away with body mass index

Jun 7, 2012

British researchers say people concerned about heart disease and diabetes should watch their height-to-waist ratio rather than the body mass index.A team of British scientists found people should keep their waist measurement to half of their height, The Daily Telegraph reported.In a study of 300,000 people, the team found this ratio was a better predictor of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardi
Positive attitude plays role in longevity

Jun 7, 2012

A positive attitude and a sense of humor might play a role in living a longer, healthier life, U.S. researchers suggested.Study co-author Dr. Nil Barzilai, director of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Institute for Aging Research in New York, and colleagues developed a questionnaire designed to identify certain genetically based personality traits, and used it to assess 243 Ashkenazi Jewi
Study: Childhood cancer survivors face new risks

Jun 6, 2012

Women treated with chest radiation for cancer when they were girls have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than previously thought, doctors warn.Even lower doses of radiation therapy posed a risk for survivors of childhood cancer _ something not known before, researchers found. That means more women might need to be screened beginning at age 25 for breast cancer.“We find that by age 50, approximately 30 percent of women treated with radiation for Hodgkin lymphoma‘’ as girls have develope
Childhood neglect may increase skin cancer risk

Jun 5, 2012

Those who experience neglect or maltreatment during their childhood have a weaker immune level against certain types of cancer, a recent study suggests. Researchers at Ohio State University’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research studied 91 men and women with basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer, who previously had BCC tumors. The findings revealed that those who had experienced neglect or maltreatment in the past had a lower immune response to the tumors.“This means that for
Daily dark chocolate lowers heart risk

Jun 4, 2012

(MCT)Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, making it a cheap and tasty way to lower cardiovascular disease risk, Australian researchers say.Professor Christopher Reid, Dr. Alice Owen, Dr. Dianna Magliano and Ella Zomer, a doctoral student at Monash University, and Danny Liew of the University of Melbourne predicted daily dark chocolate consumption could prevent 70 non-fatal and 15
Porn may lead to unhappy relationships

Jun 1, 2012

A study has suggested that frequent porn use by men can hurt their romantic partners’ self esteem as well as increase disatisfaction in their relationships, Livescience.com reported.The research by Destin Stewart, a clinical psychology intern at the University of Florida, sought to clarify the anecdotal theory that porn can harm relationships. Stewart asked 308 heterosexual college women, aged 18-29 years old, to fill out questionnaires about their current partner‘s porn use as well as their rel
For some, exercise can increase health risk

Jun 1, 2012

Exercise may increase heart risk for some, a study has found.Scientists analyzed data from six exercise studies including 1,687 people to find that close to 10 percent showed worse blood pressure, insulin levels, HDL cholesterol or triglycerides, all of which are related to heart disease.The direct cause, however, remains unknown.“It is bizarre,” said Claude Bouchard, lead author of the paper and a professor of genetics at Louisiana State University.Authors of the study also warned that the stud
320,000 Koreans have sleep disorders

May 31, 2012

About 320,000 people have been treated for sleeping disorders last year, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment said Monday. The figure is a 73 percent jump from 180,000 in 2007, the state insurance-auditory body said. About one-third of the patients were in their 40s and 50s. According to HIRA, the factor behind the spiraling cases of sleep disorders is extreme stress from work. The fact that they suffer from obesity, hypertension and other illnesses stemming from an unbalanced diet and lac