Month: February 2014

The stress from contacting that injury lawyer could be tied to a worse recovery, a new study suggests. People injured in an accident or at work sometimes file for monetary compensation, and according to some studies those who file tend to have worse long-term health than those who do not. Study author David M. Studdert of Stanford University in California said past studies have compared people who filed for compensation to people who did not, but those groups might have different types of injuries to begin with. Another aspect to consider is that people who file claims have an incentive to exaggerate their symptoms to receive more compensation for longer.

By Ronnie Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Teenagers felt more compelled to apply sunscreen if they saw in a video that it could protect their skin from premature aging than if they saw that it could protect against cancer, a new study shows. “Vanity is more of a driving force to use sunscreen, as opposed to the fear factor of developing skin cancer,” the study’s lead author, William Tuong, told Reuters Health. In his study, high school students applied sunblock three times as often if they watched a video showing how it could prevent their skin from wrinkling than if they watched a video showing how sun exposure causes melanoma. Fifty Sacramento 11th-grade students participated in the study and saw one of two educational videos urging them to lather on sunscreen.

Spoiler Alert: “House of Cards” character Peter Russo may have kicked the bucket, but his campaign slogan hasn’t. Real-life gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf – who, like Russo, is a Democrat vying for the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion – recently touted himself as “a fresh start” for…        

There may be a link between weather and the risk of suffering a stroke, say researchers who analyzed climate trends and hospital records on millions of Americans.

(Reuters) – Ventrus Biosciences Inc said its lead experimental drug to treat anal fissures failed to reduce pain more than a placebo in a late-stage trial, sending its shares plunging 67 percent in premarket trading. Ventrus said on Wednesday that gastrointestinal disorders were the most common adverse events reported by the 434 patients in the study, which aimed to reduce anal pain associated with or following defecation. An anal fissure is a tear in the lining of the anal canal characterized by severe pain associated with or after bowel movements. Ventrus acquired the North American rights to VEN 307, also known as Diltiazem Hydrochloride 2% Cream, for the treatment of anal fissures from S.L.A. Pharma AG.

Israel has denied entry permits to some 50 Palestinian medical patients from the Gaza Strip because the words “State of Palestine” appears on the letterhead of their application, officials said on Wednesday. Israel does not recognize a Palestinian state, whose creation it says should stem from peace negotiations. It voted against a U.N. General Assembly resolution in 2012 that gave de facto recognition to a sovereign Palestinian state. “On Sunday (the Palestinians) filed a range of requests … on a document that said ‘State of Palestine’.