Pfizer/Bristol drug cuts recurrence of blood clots - study

(Reuters) - A new blood clot preventer from Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co reduced the risk of recurrence of clots in veins and lungs and death by 80 percent with no increase in major bleeding in a study testing extended use of the drug.In the year-long trial of 2,486 patients who had been previously treated for the condition known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) the drug, apixaban, met the...

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Civilian Trauma May Contribute To Combat PTSD

War is hell. And for many soldiers, the experience leaves lasting scars. And not just physical ones. A subset of veterans develop posttraumatic stress disorder  or PTSD. But it might not be only the horrors of battle that make them susceptible. According to a study in the journal Psychological Science [link to come] echoes of  childhood abuse may contribute.Psychologists assessed the mental...

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USDA to allow more meat, grains in school lunches

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Agriculture Department is responding to criticism over new school lunch rules by allowing more grains and meat in kids' meals.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of Congress in a letter Friday that the department will do away with daily and weekly limits of meats and grains. Several lawmakers wrote the department after the new rules went into effect in September saying...

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Venezuela's Chavez says cancer back, operation in days

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's Hugo Chavez said on Saturday that his cancer  had returned and he would undergo another operation in the coming days, and for the first time the president named a successor if anything happened to him.The news was a big blow for supporters of the 58-year-old socialist leader, who elected him in October to a new six-year term in office. Twice since mid-2011 Chavez...

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Study could spur wider use of prenatal gene tests

A new study sets the stage for wider use of gene testing in early pregnancy. Scanning the genes of a fetus reveals far more about potential health risks than current prenatal testing does, say researchers who compared both methods in thousands of pregnancies nationwide. A surprisingly high number — 6 percent — of certain fetuses declared normal by conventional testing were found to have genetic...

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Twins have simultaneous and free hip replacements

BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) — To make the high school cheerleading team 40 years ago, twins Deborah and Sandra Fanelli performed an acrobatic move called "the flying splits."The memory recently drew a rueful laugh from the once-active sisters, who in recent years have had trouble simply walking.Severe arthritis has nearly crippled Sandra, known as Sam, who uses a walker. Deb has relied on a cane.But on Friday,...

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