The Korea Herald

Saccharin to be allowed in more foods

Dec 22, 2011

The Korea Food and Drug Administration is to allow the use of saccharin in gum, soju, makgeolli and other foods. The substance has been off the list of food additives except in a limited number of cases due to its health risks.According to the KFDA, the substance will be allowed for use in eight food categories: sauce, unrefined rice wine (commonly referred to as makgeolli), chewing gum, soju, soy sauce, tomato ketchup and coffee. It is currently used in kimchi, some beverage products and pickle
Housewife’s eczema

Dec 22, 2011

Housewife’s eczema is a type of hand eczema named for its frequent occurrence among housewives. In particular, it affects mothers who regularly engage in a wide range of chores that involve putting hands in water. The most common factor leading to this dermatitis is repeated exposure to and chronic irritation from water and synthetic detergents. Housewife’s eczema, unlike other types of eczema, is not normally accompanied by itching. However, the affected skin at the fingertips may become thinne
France may order 30,000 women to remove implants

Dec 21, 2011

Up to 30,000 French women and perhaps tens of thousands more around the world may have to have defective breast implants removed after several suspicious cases of cancer, officials said Tuesday.A decision on whether to order the removal of the implants, produced by the Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) co
Malaysian acid attack victim to get new face in Korea

Dec 15, 2011

A group of Korean plastic surgeons will restore the face of a 19-year-old Malaysian woman who was severely scarred in an acid attack. The surgery will be part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Medical Korea project that provides pro bono surgery to foreign patients in need of state-of-the-art procedures. The patient, Tan Hui Linn, arrived at Seoul on Wednesday evening and had a medical consultation with JK Plastic Surgery Center in southern Seoul the next day. Based on examination results,
Arthritis tied to cardiovascular deaths

Dec 15, 2011

About 40 percent of rheumatoid patients are likely to die of cardiovascular disease, a group of doctors claimed here Tuesday. They called for higher public awareness of rheumatoid arthritis and other disorders conventionally referred to as rheumatism here. According to Dr. Bae Sang-cheol and Dr. Choi Chan-beom’s joint study of 4,721 rheumatoid arthritis patients, about 25 percent suffered from various cardiovascular diseases. About 15 percent had diabetes or other endocrine system disorders and
Lactobacillus effective against atopic eczema

Dec 15, 2011

Lactobacillus has been proven effective in easing atopic eczema, osteoporosis, diabetes symptoms and irritable bowel syndrome. According to eight-week research by professor Choi Chang-hwan of Chung-Ang University Medical Center, IBS patients given Duolac7, an agent containing lactobacillus, showed 50 percent improvement compared to those given placebo’s 13 percent improvement.In other research by Dr. Lee Hyun-ki of Cell Biotech, the manufacturer of Duolac7, those given calcium and lactobacillus
Tiniest babies are growing up healthy despite odds

Dec 15, 2011

CHICAGO (AP) ― One is a healthy first-grader, the other an honors college student majoring in psychology. Once the tiniest babies ever born, both girls are thriving, despite long odds when they entered the world weighing less than a pound.A medical report from the doctor who resuscitated the infants at a suburban Chicago hospital is both a success story and a cautionary tale. These two are the exceptions and their remarkable health years later should not raise false hope: Most babies this small
ADHD drugs safe for adults’ hearts, research finds

Dec 15, 2011

CHICAGO (AP) ― Ritalin and other drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder are safe for adults’ hearts, even though they can increase blood pressure and heart rate, according to the largest study of these medicines in adults.The results echo findings in a study of children with ADHD, by the same researchers, published last month.The review of health records for more than 440,000 adults aged 25 to 64 showed those taking ADHD drugs had about the same number of heart attacks, strokes and sudde
Tourettes and other tic disorders

Dec 15, 2011

Stress is believed to be the most probable aggravating factor of tics. Most tics go away as children become older. However, complex tics that lead to strong discomfort, physical damage, and functional disorders require close consultation with specialists. Children affected by chronic tic disorders or Tourette’s Disorder, with motor tics or vocal tics that persist for more than a year, must seek psychiatric help.Signs and symptomsA tic is an involuntary, recurrent and sudden movement of a part of
Study finds skin cancer link to smoking

Dec 15, 2011

Female smokers four times more likely to get form of non-melanoma tumorsThere are scores of reasons not to smoke, and a recent study has added one more: it may cause skin cancer.Dr. Dana Rollison of the Moffitt Cancer Center recruited 698 participants ― 383 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, both skin cancers, and 315 with no history of skin cancer. The researchers found smoking was associated with non-melanoma skin cancer overall and that the risk increased with
Israeli scientists develop cancer 'cluster bomb'

Dec 14, 2011

Israeli medical researchers say they have developed a new technique for blasting cancer tumours from the inside out which reduces the risk of the disease returning after treatment.Tel Aviv University professors Yona Keisari and Itzhak Kelson are about to start clinical trials of a pin-sized radioact
Vaccine attacks breast cancer in mice: study

Dec 13, 2011

WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2011 (AFP) - Scientists in the United States said Monday they have developed a vaccine that attacks tumors in mice, abreakthrough they hope will help fight breast, colon, ovarian and pancreatic cancer in humans. (Bloomberg)Although studies on mice often do not translate directly
Obesity-related illnesses to cost S. Korea 3.4 trillion won: report

Dec 12, 2011

Obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes and strokes, may cost South Korea up to 3.4 trillion won (US$2.97 billion) in various social costs this year, nearly double the amount from 2005, a report said Monday.According to the report by a research team from the country's Inje University, social cos
Drug combo boosts breast cancer survival: study

Dec 9, 2011

Postmenopausal women with a common type of breast cancer that thrives on estrogen survived longer when treated with a combination of two drugs rather than just one, a US study said Wednesday.The results of the phase III trial, released at a meeting of breast cancer experts in San Antonio, Texas, sho
Study shows rats nice, not naughty

Dec 9, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) _ New experiments show rats demonstrating compassion and helping other rodents. It is a trait some scientists thought was reserved only for humans and higher primates.And it is certainly not the sneaky, selfish rap that goes with calling someone a dirty rat.In repeated tests, rats fr