Archive for April, 2008

FDA takes closer look at complaints from Lasik customers

AP reports here at CNN: WASHINGTON - A decade after Lasik eye surgery hit the market, patients left with fuzzy instead of clear vision are airing their grievances before federal health officials.

Blood pressure diet aids against heart attack, stroke

CNN reports here: A large study offers the strongest evidence yet that a diet the government recommends for lowering blood pressure can save people from heart attack and stroke.

Obesity, smoking cuts many US women’s life expectancy: study

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Life expectancy has declined for many women in the United States, largely due to smoking-related diseases and obesity, a study published Tuesday showed.

Banks lose overdraft charges case

Mr Justice Andrew Smith’s decision will affect millions of bank customers, BBC News reports here: The UK’s biggest banks have lost a test case about overdraft charges.

The Role of Speculators in the Global Food Crisis

Spiegel Online reports here: Vast amounts of money are flooding the world’s commodities markets, driving up prices of staple foods like wheat and rice. Biofuels and droughts can’t fully exlain the recent food crisis, hedge funds and small investors bear some responsibility for global hunger.

Clinton leads Obama 55-45 percent in Pennsylvania

CNN reports here: PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - The race for the Democratic Party U.S. presidential nomination has taken a fresh turn after Hillary Clinton re-ignited her White House bid with a decisive win over frontrunner Barack Obama in Pennsylvania.

Panel says link between smog and premature death is clear

AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Short-term exposure to smog, or ozone, is clearly linked to premature deaths that should be taken into account when measuring the health benefits of reducing air pollution, a National Academy of Sciences report concluded Tuesday.

UK’s Brown: Food crisis is new credit crunch

CNN reports here: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that rising food prices pose as great a threat to world prosperity as the global credit crunch, warning that spiraling prices threaten to reverse progress made to alleviate poverty in the developing world.

Brain damage link to cancer drug

Fluorouracil is often used as part of a cocktail of drugs, BBC News reports here: A drug widely used to treat cancer may cause brain damage, with the effects lasting for years after the end of treatment, research suggests.