Long-term, daily doses of aspirin led to a fall of some 60 percent in cases of colorectal cancer among people with an inherited risk of this disease, the journal The Lancet reported on Friday.The trial -- considered to be broad in sample and long in duration -- confirms evidence elsewhere that aspir

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Safety concerns about the popular birth control pill Yaz increased Thursday as federal health scientists reported that the Bayer drug and other newer birth control treatments appear to increase the risk of dangerous blood clots more than older medications.A new study released by t

The Ministry of Health and Welfare designated 99 hospitals as “specialized hospitals” guaranteed by the government. The selected hospitals deal with the areas of joints, cardiovascular, colorectal, cardiac, alcoholism, breast, gynecology, rehabilitation, orthopedic, stroke and replants. Such hospitals will be able to promote themselves as specialized hospitals for three years. It is illegal for other institutions to claim to specialize in these areas. The designation will be reviewed once more f

The Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital opened a pulmonary hypertension center last week. According to the Mayo Clinic, pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects only the arteries in the lungs and the right side of your heart. It is considered a serious illness that deteriorates progressively and is sometimes fatal. “But pulmonary hypertension has become controllable thanks to new drugs and treatments introduced every year. What we need is a close watch and consultation,” the ho

LONDON (AP) ― Scientists are warning officials negotiating a global treaty on mercury that banning the deadly chemical completely would be dangerous for public health because of the chemical’s use in vaccines.The ban option is one of several proposals on the table for a meeting later this month in Nairobi, but a final treaty isn’t expected until 2013.According to the World Health Organization, mercury is one of the top 10 chemicals of public health concern and is highly toxic. Most of the worry

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Shoppers nervous about foodborne illnesses may turn to foods produced at smaller farms or labeled “local,” “organic” or “natural” in the hopes that such products are safer. But a small outbreak of salmonella in organic eggs from Minnesota shows that no food is immune to contamination.While sales for food produced on smaller operations have exploded, partially fueled by a consumer backlash to food produced by larger companies, a new set of food safety challenges has emerged. And

LONDON (AP) ― Danish researchers can offer some reassurance if you’re concerned about your cellphone: Don’t worry. Your device is probably safe.The biggest study ever to examine the possible connection between cellphones and cancer found no evidence of any link, suggesting that billions of people who are rarely more than a few inches from their phones have no special health concerns.The Danish study of more than 350,000 people concluded there was no difference in cancer rates between people who

ATLANTA (AP) — A vaccine against cervical cancer hasn't been all that popular for girls. It may be even a harder sell for boys now that it's been recommended for them too.A government advisory panel on Tuesday decided that the vaccine should also be given to boys, in part to help prevent the c

Researchers in the United States said on Tuesday they had found a "shocking" association -- if only a statistical one -- between violence by teenagers and the amount of soda they drank.High-school students in inner-city Boston who consumed more than five cans of non-diet, fizzy soft drinks every wee

As if you didn't have enough to worry about during those sleepless nights, a Norwegian study out Monday suggests that people with insomnia face a 27 to 45 percent higher risk of heart attack.About one-third of people report having trouble sleeping and should see a doctor for help, urged the authors

CHICAGO (AP) — Exposure to BPA before birth could affect girls' behavior at age 3, according to the latest study on potential health effects of the widespread chemical.Preschool-aged girls whose mothers had relatively high urine levels of bisphenol-A during pregnancy scored worse but still wit

The first shoes with built-in GPS devices -- to help track down dementia-suffering seniors who wander off and get lost -- are set to hit the US market this month, the manufacturer says.GTX Corp said the first batch of 3,000 pairs of shoes has been shipped to the footwear firm Aetrex Worldwide, two y