Health Summary: Survey finds a rapid increase in the number of UK vapers

Adult survivors of childhood brain tumors may struggle to live independently

Roche steps up efficiency drive to take the sting out of biosimilars

Roche, the world's biggest producer of cancer drugs, is stepping up cost cuts in an efficiency drive made unavoidable by competition from cut-price copies of three mega-brands from its famed U.S. Genentech biotech stable. Even though the Swiss company has some of the pharmaceutical industry's most admired research and development labs, it is now battling to increase medicine sales as its biotech portfolio ages and rivalry intensifies.

Adult survivors of childhood brain tumors may struggle to live independently

Adults who had brain cancer as children may have a harder time living independently and having rich professional and personal lives than people who didn't have these tumors in childhood, a U.S. study suggests. The 306 childhood brain tumor survivors in the study were 26 years old on average and had typically been diagnosed with cancer about 18 years earlier. Overall, 40 percent had achieved levels of independence similar to what might be seen in 20-somethings without a history of cancer, managing things like a home of their own, a job, a driver's license, and a romantic relationship or marriage.

Survey finds a rapid increase in the number of UK vapers

An estimated 3.2 million people in Britain are now users of e-cigarettes, or vapes, compared with around 7.4 million who smoke tobacco cigarettes, according to data from a survey conducted by an anti-smoking charity. Among those who vape, more than half are people who have switched to electronic cigarettes after quitting tobacco, the survey by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found, and 40 percent are tobacco smokers trying to quit.

FDA approves AstraZeneca's drug for a rare form of blood cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it approved AstraZeneca Plc's treatment for hairy cell leukemia, a slow-growing type of blood cancer. The treatment, marketed as Lumoxiti, was approved for treating a stubborn form of the disease or a relapse in patients who have received at least two prior therapies, the FDA https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm620448.htm said.

Maternal obesity linked to complications in newborns

Babies born to obese mothers are more likely to face complications as newborns, even if the mother doesn't have high blood pressure or diabetes, a new study suggests. Obesity may be as important (as) hypertension and diabetes as a modifiable risk factor to improve birth outcomes, the study authors wrote in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The U.S., Cuba officials discuss mysterious embassy health incidents

U.S. and Cuban officials met at the State Department on Thursday to discuss the mysterious health problems that have affected more than two dozen American Embassy personnel, a situation that led to a reduction in staffing at the Havana mission and a chill in ties between the countries. "There's a briefing taking place between some of our colleagues from our various bureaus. They are having meetings with the Cuban government to discuss some of the medical issues that our people have experienced," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

FDA move on e-cigarettes means new risks for Fidelity funds

Fidelity Investments' bet on a privately held maker of e-cigarettes faces new risks after U.S. health regulators on Wednesday said they are considering a ban on flavored versions of the popular "vaping" products. Closely held e-cigarette maker Juul Labs and other Silicon Valley start-ups lately have turned up as side bets in portfolios from Fidelity and rivals like T. Rowe Price, as the asset managers look for big paydays once the small companies go public, as Facebook Inc did in 2012.

France calls for measures after African swine fever found in Belgium

France called on Thursday for protective measures following reports that African swine fever had been detected in wild boars in Belgium near the French border. The disease, highly viral for pigs but not dangerous for humans, has been spreading in the European Union, mainly in the eastern part of the bloc where it has led to the culling of hundred thousand of animals.

Immigrants use less health care than people born in the U.S.

Immigrants use fewer health care services and account for less spending by public and private insurance programs than people born in the U.S., according to a study that suggests the foreign-born may be subsidizing care for other patients. Immigrants' healthcare utilization was only one-half to two-thirds as high as that of people born in the U.S., the study found. While undocumented immigrants had by far the lowest healthcare use, even immigrants who attained U.S. citizenship still used less healthcare than people born in the country.

Aid agencies ramp up response to Zimbabwe cholera outbreak

The World Health Organization and the Red Cross said on Thursday they were ramping up their emergency responses to Zimbabwe's deadliest cholera outbreak in a decade, with politicians trading blame over contaminated water and collapsing infrastructure. The death toll rose to 26 from the disease, testing the capacity of a new government to handle a major crisis just weeks after violent demonstrations that followed the first election since Robert Mugabe was toppled in a coup.