Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Armstrong Says He Doped Before Cancer Diagnosis: Source
In his interview with Oprah Winfrey, disgraced American cyclist
Lance Armstrong admitted that he began using performance-enhancing
drugs in the mid-1990s, before he was diagnosed with cancer.
That's what a person familiar with the interview told
USA Today. The anonymous source also said that Armstrong
intended to make a general confession about his doping to Winfrey,
but without going into great detail.
The interview was taped Monday and will be aired Thursday
night.
The source also revealed that Armstrong and his representatives
have had discussions with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency about a
meeting in which Armstrong would be expected to "answer every
question, give over records, telephone calls, test results,
everything,"
USA Todayreported.
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FDA Sends Warning Letter to Medical Device Maker
Problems with manufacturing and quality control at a California
plant where medical device maker St. Jude Medical makes implantable
heart defibrillators are outlined in a warning letter sent to the
company by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The company said it is working to correct the problems at the
plant. The FDA will not approve any new product lines at the plant
until the problems are corrected, but is not asking St. Jude to
recall any products, the
Associated Pressreported.
The company also said that it was allowed to continue making and
shipping products from the plant.
During an October examination of the plant, FDA inspectors
identified inconsistencies in the production and documentation of
defibrillators, which are implanted in the chest to correct heart
rhythm problems, the
APreported.
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Many People Use Internet to Seek Diagnosis
A new survey finds that about 35 percent of American adults say
they have used the Internet in an effort to determine what type of
medical condition they or someone else may have.
The rate of attempted online diagnosis is 59 percent among
adults who use the Internet to get any kind of health information,
according the Pew Research Center telephone poll of more than 3,000
people,
USA Todayreported.
The results suggest that the Internet is the starting point for
many people with medical questions or concerns.
"People are using the information they find to decide whether to see a doctor," lead researcher Susannah Fox told USA Today.
She noted that most did see a doctor, and only one-third ended
up handling the problem on their own.
The survey did not ask participants whether the problems they
tried to diagnose online were serious or not, and did not look at
whether using the Internet to attempt a diagnosis was good or bad
for health and peace of mind,
USA Todayreported.
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George H.W. Bush Released From Hospital
After spending nearly two months in the hospital for treatment
of a bronchitis-related cough and other health problems, former
U.S. President George H.W. Bush was sent home Monday.
Bush, 88, was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Houston on Nov.
23. His stay there included a week in intensive care last month,
the
Associated Pressreported.
"Mr. Bush has improved to the point that he will not need any special medication when he goes home, but he will continue physical therapy," Dr. Amy Mynderse, the internal medicine physician in charge of the former president's care, said in a statement released by Bush's spokesman Jim McGrath.
"I am deeply grateful for the wonderful doctors and nurses at Methodist who took such good care of me," Bush said in the statement, the APreported.
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