Health Tip: Living With Chronic Kidney Disease

(HealthDay News) -- Chronic kidney disease often requires making changes to your diet, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says.

U.S. 'Stroke Belt' May Also Be 'Sepsis Belt'

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- People living in a region of the southeastern United States known as the "Stroke Belt" are known to have significantly higher rates of stroke deaths than the rest of the country. New research reveals these residents are also at greater risk for sepsis, a severe illness in which bacteria overwhelms the bloodstream.

Health Plans Much Costlier for Docs in U.S. Than Canada: Study

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The cost of dealing with health insurers and payers is nearly four times higher for U.S. physicians than for Canadian physicians, a new study finds.

Eating Disorders Can Harm Women's Fertility

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women with the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia may take a bit longer to get pregnant than other women, a new study has found.

Many Military Vets in College Plagued By Thoughts of Suicide

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- American military veterans attending college are far more likely to entertain thoughts of suicide than fellow students who have never been in the military, a new national survey indicates.

Today's Teens Less Likely to Be Heavy Smokers, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with high school smokers two decades ago, today's teen smokers are more likely to smoke only occasionally, or smoke fewer cigarettes each day, according to a new study.

Stem Cell Therapy Holds Promise for Kidney Disease

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers may be one step closer to harnessing the power of stem cells to help treat, and potentially cure, kidney disease.

Gene Mutation Can Leave People Without Fingerprints

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- People with a rare condition where they are born without fingerprints may have a genetic mutation, according to a new study.

Scientists May Have Found Missing Link to Common Brain Cancer

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A map of the genetic mutations associated with the second most common form of brain cancer appears to reveal the biological cause of the tumors, researchers report.

Americans' Use of Antidepressants On the Rise: Study

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Americans are popping more antidepressants than ever before to deal with everyday stress, and non-psychiatrists are increasingly willing to prescribe the drugs to patients with no mental health diagnosis, a new study finds.

Health Highlights: Aug. 4, 2011

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

First Treatment Solely for Scorpion Stings Approved

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Anascorp, the first injection devised solely to treat scorpion stings, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Numbers of Autopsies Performed in U.S. Falls

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The autopsy rate in the United States has declined from about one in five to one in 10 Americans from 1972 to 2007, according to a new federal study.

No Increase in Medicare Drug Premiums in 2012

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- In 2012, the average Medicare premium seniors pay for their prescription drugs will actually drop slightly, U.S. officials announced Thursday.

More Neurology Residents Using Clot-Busting Drug for Stroke

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A growing number of neurology residents in the United States feel comfortable using the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat stroke patients with acute ischemic stroke, a new study finds.