FDA May Limit 'Risk Info' in Direct-to-Consumer TV Drug Ads

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may shorten the list of caveats for drugs you see advertised on television.

Prescription drug makers must now mention all benefits and risks in direct-to-consumer advertising, presenting viewers with a litany of potential harms, both major and minor. But a ...

Less is More for the Adult Cholera Vaccine

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say one dose of cholera vaccine appears to provide about the same protection as the standard two doses, at least for the first six months.

They also found that cholera vaccines are highly effective in adults but less so in young children, who are at particular risk of death from th...

'Confusion' Complicates Hospitalization of Elderly

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults with confusion are more likely to remain in the hospital longer once they are admitted, and are more likely to die, a new study finds.

"People with confusion -- or cognitive spectrum disorders -- make up over one-third of the population over 65 [in the U.K.] who are admitted as an...

Anti-Vaccine Family Members, Friends Spur Many Moms to Delay Baby's Shots

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- If a pregnant woman hears anti-vaccine messages from family or friends about childhood immunizations, she's much more likely to delay her baby's shots, new research shows.

And that's true even if she hears positive messages after the discouraging ones, the New Zealand investigators found.

Gun Access May Drive Higher Suicide Rates in Rural Areas

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of suicide in rural America appears to be significantly higher than in urban areas, a new study reports.

And much of the reason may have to do with the greater prevalence of gun ownership in rural areas, the study authors said.

The findings stem from an analysis that focused ...

Zika May Not Last in Semen as Long as Thought

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Zika virus might not remain in the semen of some infected men as long as previously thought, a small study suggests.

The researchers said Zika may only be present in semen for about a month. Previous research had suggested that Zika virus can be found in semen for as long as 188 days after the ...