Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

California to list herbicide as cancer-causing; Monsanto vows fight

(Reuters) - Glyphosate, an herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto Co's popular Roundup weed killer, will be added to California's list of chemicals known to cause cancer effective July 7, the state's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) said on Monday.

Facing revolt on healthcare bill, U.S. Senate Republicans delay vote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leaders postponed a vote on a healthcare overhaul on Tuesday after resistance from members of their own party, and President Donald Trump summoned Republican senators to the White House to urge them to break the impasse.

Merck heart drug surprises with positive result; questions linger

(Reuters) - Merck & Co said on Tuesday its experimental cholesterol drug from a class with a history of consistent failure lowered deaths and heart attacks in a large trial, but the company has yet to decide whether to seek approval despite the surprise success.

Illinois retailers sue Cook County to halt sugary drink tax

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A group of retailers Tuesday sued Cook County, Illinois, to try to block the sweetened beverage tax scheduled to go into effect in the Chicago area on Saturday, arguing it is unconstitutional and too vague for stores to implement.

AstraZeneca cancer drug trial prompts investors to take options cover

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors in drugmaker AstraZeneca have taken defensive positions in the options market ahead of eagerly awaited results of a major trial of a lung cancer treatment, which are due any day now.

WHO hopes Yemeni cholera outbreak is half done at 218,000 cases

GENEVA (Reuters) - A major cholera outbreak in Yemen may have reached the halfway mark at 218,798 cases as a massive emergency response has begun to curb its spread two months into the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Authorities confirm bird flu case in southern Belgium

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian health authorities said they confirmed a case of bird flu in southern Belgium concerning the highly contagious H5N8 virus, and established a 3 kilometer perimeter around the area where the transport of birds and eggs was forbidden.

Vaccination may be curbing ER visits for shingles

(Reuters Health) - Emergency room (ER) visits for shingles fell in the past decade for people aged 60 and older but rose for most younger age groups. The decrease among older people may be due to more of them getting the shingles vaccine, U.S. researchers suggest.

Linde's Lincare settles U.S. whistleblower case for $20 million

(Reuters) - Linde AG's Lincare unit has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the company of fraudulently billing the U.S. government for oxygen and respiratory care equipment.

Can electroacupuncture decrease stress incontinence?

(Reuters Health) - Acupuncture paired with mild electric currents may be better than doing nothing at all to relieve a common type of urinary incontinence in women, a Chinese study suggests.