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| U.S. justice grants exemption in contraception mandate challenge Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 07:46 PM PST  By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roman Catholic Church-affiliated organizations on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to block implementation of a part of the Obamacare healthcare law that requires employers to provide insurance policies that cover contraception. Catholic University of America and nonprofits in Michigan and Tennessee were among those filing three separate applications asking the court to temporarily exempt them from the so-called contraception mandate while litigation continues. The mandate, which is due to take effect for the organizations on January 1, is already in place for many women who have private health insurance. The court did not immediately respond to the applications. Full Story | Top |
| Gay couple to exchange vows on Rose Parade float Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 07:27 PM PST By Dana Feldman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A gay Los Angeles couple plans to exchange wedding vows on a flower-covered float trundling through Pasadena during the nationally televised Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, capping a momentous year for same-sex marriage in the United States. The planned nuptials of Danny Leclair, 45, and Aubrey Loots, 42, who have been together for 12 years and own a chain of hair salons, will mark the first same-sex marriage on a Rose Parade float in the 125-year history of the annual event, organizers say. But it won't be the only wedding ever to have been performed on one of the Rose Parade's flower petal-bedecked floats on national television. Leclair and Loots plan to make it official aboard a float shaped like a wedding cake coated in white coconut chips, accented with red kidney beans and festooned with 12,000 roses and other floral decorations, said Ged Kenslea, a spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Full Story | Top |
| Former first lady Barbara Bush hospitalized in Houston Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 06:15 PM PST  (Reuters) - Former first lady Barbara Bush has been hospitalized in Houston for treatment of early signs of a "respiratory-related issue," her husband's office said on Tuesday. Bush, 88, one of only two women to be both the wife and mother of U.S. presidents, was admitted on Monday to Methodist Hospital in Houston's Texas Medical Center, the statement said. "She is in great spirits, has already received visits from her husband and family, and is receiving fantastic care," the office of former President George H.W. Bush said in a written statement. Bush is the wife of George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, and mother of George W. Bush, the 43. Full Story | Top |
| West Nile virus blamed for death of bald eagles in Utah Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 05:14 PM PST  An unprecedented wintertime outbreak of West Nile virus has killed more than two dozen bald eagles in Utah and thousands of water birds around the Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said on Tuesday. At least 27 bald eagles have died this month in the northern and central parts of Utah from the blood-borne virus, and state biologists reported that five more ailing eagles were responding to treatment at rehabilitation centers. The eagles, whose symptoms included leg paralysis and tremors, are believed to have contracted the disease by preying on sick or dead water birds called eared grebes that were infected by the West Nile virus, said Leslie McFarlane, Utah wildlife disease coordinator. Some 20,000 of the water birds have died in and around the Great Salt Lake since November in an outbreak that may be a record in North America, McFarlane said. Full Story | Top |
| Schumacher slightly better but fragile: doctors Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 05:09 PM PST  By Lucien Libert GRENOBLE, France (Reuters) - French doctors treating Michael Schumacher for brain injuries sustained in a ski fall said the seven-times Formula One world champion was in slightly better condition on Tuesday after an overnight operation, but that he remained fragile. Doctors treating him at a hospital in the eastern city of Grenoble said his condition had stabilized enough by late Monday to carry out a new operation to treat the effects of internal bleeding within Schumacher's skull. "We have won some time but we must continue an hour-by-hour surveillance... It is premature to speculate on his condition," he said, adding that Schumacher was still in a critical state and suffering from severe lesions and contusions. He said the operation was designed to reduce, within Schumacher's skull, the pressure on the brain. Full Story | Top |
| Catholic groups ask U.S. Supreme Court to block contraception coverage Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 04:50 PM PST  By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roman Catholic Church-affiliated organizations on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block implementation of a part of the Obamacare healthcare law that requires employers to provide insurance policies that cover contraception. Catholic University of America and non-profits in Michigan and Tennessee were among those filing three separate applications asking the court to exempt them temporarily from the so-called contraception mandate while litigation continues. The mandate, which is due to take effect for the organizations on January 1, is already in place for many women who have private health insurance. The court did not immediately respond to the applications. Full Story | Top |
| Wal-Mart offers 30 days of prescriptions to backlogged Obamacare enrollees Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 04:50 PM PST  (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Tuesday it will provide a month's supply of certain prescriptions at no upfront cost to participants of U.S. President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law who have not yet received a plan identification number. The move by Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, comes a day after Walgreen Co instituted a similar practice. Wal-Mart said it will fill up to a 30-day supply of prescriptions through the end of January for customers who have enrolled in Obamacare, but do not have an ID yet from an insurer. It was not immediately clear if Wal-Mart would seek reimbursement once customers obtain their Obamacare IDs, though Walgreen said it would do so. Full Story | Top |
| Firm in Virginia governor's supplement scandal gets FDA warning Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 03:28 PM PST By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The company at the heart of a scandal involving the Virginia governor's promotion of one of its dietary supplement products, has received a warning from the Food and Drug Administration, the agency said on Tuesday. The FDA sent a letter to Star Scientific Inc on December 20, saying it was making claims on its website about the supplement, Anatabloc, that would require its approval as a drug, the FDA said on its website. Star Scientific has been at the center of a scandal involving Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell, a Republican whose term ends next month. Federal authorities are investigating the relationship between McDonnell and Star Scientific founder and former Chief Executive Jonnie Williams Sr, who sought state help promoting Anatabloc. Full Story | Top |
| West Nile virus blamed for death of eagles in Utah Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 02:21 PM PST An unusual wintertime outbreak of West Nile virus has killed more than two dozen bald eagles in Utah and thousands of shore birds around the Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said on Tuesday. At least 27 bald eagles have died this month in the northern and central parts of Utah from the blood-borne virus, and state biologists reported that five more ailing eagles were responding to treatment at rehabilitation centers. The eagles are believed to have contracted the disease by preying on sick or dead shore birds called eared grebes that were infected by West Nile virus, said Leslie McFarlane, Utah wildlife disease coordinator. The water birds have died by the thousands in and around the Great Salt Lake since November. Full Story | Top |
| Teen eating disorders may impact weight later: study Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 02:18 PM PST By Kathleen Raven NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young teens who binge eat and those who are fearful of weight gain may be more likely to become overweight later in adolescence, according to a new study from the United Kingdom. Researchers looked for early symptoms of eating disorders among more than 7,000 13-year-olds and found certain symptoms predicted which children would have weight problems at age 15. Both boys and girls who severely restricted their eating at 13 had lower BMIs when they were two years older. "The most important message is that even at this young age, a high percentage of boys and girls have worrying eating disorders symptoms," Dr. Nadia Micali told Reuters Health in an email. Full Story | Top |
| Judge strikes down Florida law mandating drug tests for welfare Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 01:42 PM PST (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday struck down a Florida law requiring drug screening for welfare recipients, saying that it violated the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches. Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican who campaigned on a promise to expand drug testing, said he would appeal the ruling. The law took effect in July 2011 and required parents to undergo and pay for urine tests for illegal drugs when they applied for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal-state program that helps poor people with children pay for food, shelter and necessities. Enforcement of the law was temporarily halted in October 2011 after the American Civil Liberties Union sued, arguing that mandatory testing of people who were not suspected of using drugs violated the constitutional prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. Full Story | Top |
| Over 2.1 million have signed up for Obamacare: officials Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 01:38 PM PST  By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 2.1 million people have enrolled in private health insurance plans through new federal and state websites since they were launched in October as part of President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Sign-ups for what has become known as Obamacare gained pace during December as the website's performance improved, and as more Americans focused on getting coverage by the new year. Many of the newly insured under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enrolled just ahead of a December 24 deadline to receive benefits on January 1, giving health insurers a tight framework to create accounts that can be accessed by doctors. About half the 2.1 million signed up for private health insurance on the federal website, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters in a conference call. Full Story | Top |
| Vitamin E may slow early Alzheimer's decline: study Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 01:03 PM PST By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Taking vitamin E during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease slowed declines in patients' ability to perform basic tasks by about six months in a new study. "It will be very interesting to see to what extent this will change practice," Dr. Maurice Dysken said. Researchers have studied vitamin E for possible benefits in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's, but those studies have yielded mixed results. For example, the researchers write in JAMA, past research has found the vitamin slowed disease progression in people with moderately severe Alzheimer's. But the vitamin was not effective at slowing the transition to Alzheimer's for people with so-called mild cognitive impairment, which typically precedes Alzheimer's. To see whether vitamin E - or a combination of the vitamin with memantine, a drug approved in the U.S. to treat Alzheimer's - would slow the rate of decline in people with mild to moderate forms of the disease, the researchers recruited 613 trial participants from 14 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Full Story | Top |
| Antioxidants in diet linked to cataract risk Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 11:22 AM PST By Kathryin Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who eat foods rich in antioxidants may have a lower risk of cataracts as they age, according to a new Swedish analysis. "Oxidative damage of the eye lens caused by free radicals has been suggested to be crucial in development of cataract," said Susanne Rautiainen of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institutet, who led the study. "Previous studies have focused on individual antioxidants obtained from the diet or supplements and they have reported inconsistent results," Rautiainen said. "However, in diet much wider ranges of antioxidants are present than those studied previously." Instead of looking at single antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and plant flavonoids such as lycopene, the researchers used a measure of total antioxidant values in foods, which takes into account how the nutrients work together. Full Story | Top |
| Cholesterol linked to Alzheimer's protein, unclear why Tuesday, Dec 31, 2013 08:16 AM PST  By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patterns of "good" and "bad" cholesterol usually associated with heart risks also predicted the levels of Alzheimer's-related beta amyloid protein seen in the brains of study participants. "One of the important themes emerging from dementia research over the past 15 years is that there are intriguing connections between vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease," Bruce Reed, who led the research, told Reuters Health by email. "It has become increasingly clear that what have been traditionally thought of as vascular risk factors - things like hypertension, diabetes and elevated cholesterol - are also risk factors for Alzheimer's disease," Reed said. In previous work, Reed and his colleagues found a connection between overall vascular risk and levels of brain amyloid. Full Story | Top |
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