France ending ban on gay male blood donors
PARIS (AP) — France will end its ban on blood donations by gay men, its health minister said Wednesday, calling the move the end “of a taboo and discrimination.”
Acupuncture and Alexander Technique may improve neck pain
By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) – Acupuncture sessions and Alexander Technique lessons both seem to improve the symptoms of chronic neck pain after one year, according to a new study. Alexander Technique involves hands-on lessons for self-care in everyday activities, aimed at reducing poor posture, excess muscle tension, poor coordination, stress or pain. Single interventions for chronic neck pain do not on average provide long-term benefits, so the positive results with acupuncture and Alexander Technique lessons were surprising, said lead author Hugh MacPherson of the University of York in the U.K. “Treatment was completed at around four to five months after entering the trial,” MacPherson told Reuters Health by email.
Walgreens Boots to buy Rite Aid in $17.2 billion deal
(Reuters) – Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc said it agreed to buy rival Rite Aid Corp in a deal valued at about $17.2 billion. Walgreens said on Tuesday it offered $9 per share for Rite Aid, a premium of 48 percent to the stock's Monday close. (Reporting by Ramkumar Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey)
Another challenge to health overhaul heads to Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) — Opponents of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul are taking yet another challenge to the law to the Supreme Court, and say they will be back with more if this one fails.
Mexican lower house votes to lower tax on sugary drinks
Mexico’s lower house of Congress on Monday approved a proposal to cut taxes on some sugar-sweetened drinks despite concerns the move would hinder the fight against obesity in Latin America’s No. 2 economy. Mexicans are among the world’s biggest drinkers of sodas made by companies like Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc, and in 2013, the country became the first major market to tax high-calorie soft drinks, by 1 peso ($0.06) per liter. The 500-strong lower house voted 423 to 33 to give general approval to a package of fiscal measures that included a 50 percent cut in taxes on soft drinks with less than 5 grams of added sugar per 100 ml.
Next Biometrics raises cash from veteran Swedish investors
Norwegian fingerprint sensor maker Next Biometrics said on Friday it plans to raise 120 million Norwegian crowns ($14.78 million) from Greenbridge Partners, a firm founded by Swedish investors Melker Schorling and Ola Rollen. “Greenbridge Partners Ltd has undertaken a thorough process before making the investment decision,” Next said in a statement. Melker Schorling is one of Sweden’s most prominent investors and his investment company Melker Schorling AB owns major stakes in companies like measurement technology and software firm Hexagon, lock maker Assa Abloy and security firm Securitas.
Brain scans could predict patients at risk of major depression
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists studying people with depression say brain scans could be used to predict who is most likely to relapse, an approach that could help doctors make better decisions about who should stay on antidepressants and who should stop. In a small study of 64 patients, the researchers found that significant differences showed up in brain scans of those who later went on to have a recurrence of their depression. While the results need first to be replicated and improved upon, Roland Zahn, who led the work, said the approach may prove important in the future “as there are currently no accurate ways to predict those who will have a recurrence following recovery”.
Amid VW scandal, polluted Paris asks if time to dump diesel
PARIS (AP) — Guidebooks rarely mention it, but Paris is one of the most polluted cities in the rich world. The Eiffel Tower is periodically shrouded in smog, and there's one key culprit: France's disproportionately heavy reliance on diesel fuel.
US hospital ship brings care, hope to poor Haitians
Port-au-Prince (AFP) – The huge white hospital ship anchored in the Port-au-Prince bay is impossible to miss, drawing Haitians from all over in hopes of a chance to see a doctor and get medical treatment. The USNS Comfort, on its fourth mission in Haiti since 2009, is open for business until September 18 in one of the western hemisphere's poorest countries. “It's very expensive to be seen by a specialist and since the general hospital is under construction, they can't see everyone,” she said.
Study: Tiny, wireless pacemaker could be surgery-free option
LONDON (AP) — A tiny, wireless pacemaker could offer some heart patients a surgery-free alternative to the traditional devices, a new study says. Some doctors, however, say there are lingering safety questions and warned patients not to rush to get the new technology.