Health News Roundup: Doctors struggle to help older gun owners; Vapers inhale lower levels of toxins than smokers

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

No immediate health coverage changes from Obamacare ruling: government

There will be no immediate health coverage impact from a federal judge's ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, is unconstitutional, as it is expected to be appealed through higher courts, a government official said. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday sided with a coalition of 20 states that argued requiring people to pay for insurance coverage is illegal because a change in tax law last year eliminated a penalty for not having health insurance.

Doctors struggle to help older gun owners

Doctors who work with seniors are grappling with ways to prevent gun-related suicides and accidents, often among gun-owning older patients with dementia or depression, according to a recent review article. People older than 65 have the highest rates of gun ownership, depression and suicide in the U.S., and while they're less likely to be victims of violent crimes, they are more likely to become victims of their own guns, the authors write in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Pfizer's cut-price version of Avastin wins EU panel greenlight

A panel of European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday recommended approval for Pfizer Inc's Zirabev, a cheaper version to Roche Holding AG's leading cancer drug Avastin. Pfizer's Zirabev is the second cancer biosimilar from the drugmaker to receive a positive opinion from the European advisory panel this year.

J&J shares nosedive on report it knew of asbestos in Baby Powder

Shares of Johnson & Johnson fell 10 percent on Friday and were on track to post their biggest percentage drop in more than 16 years, after Reuters reported that the pharma major knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder. The decline in shares erased about $40 billion from the company's market capitalization, with investors worrying about the impact of the report as it faces thousands of talc-related lawsuits.

Menopause-related sexual, urinary problems tied to worse quality of life

Severe sexual and urinary health problems after menopause are linked with poorer quality of life, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined survey data from 2,160 women, ages 45 to 75, who reported at least one symptom after menopause related to what's known as vulvovaginal atrophy, a common condition that can include symptoms like vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and urinary incontinence.

Flu shots tied to lower risk of premature death with heart failure

People with heart failure who get flu shots may be less likely to die prematurely than their counterparts who don't get vaccinated, a Danish study suggests. Researchers followed more than 134,000 patients with heart failure between 2003 and 2015, with half the patients staying in the study for at least 3.7 years. Overall, getting at least one flu shot was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of premature death from all causes and from cardiovascular problems in particular.

Vapers inhale lower levels of toxins than smokers

Vapers inhale significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals than smokers of traditional cigarettes, a new study suggests. Compared to nonsmokers, vapers had more biomarkers of toxic chemicals in their urine - but they had lower levels than smokers of traditional cigarettes, said study leader Maciej Goniewicz of the Roswell Park Cancer Center.

Worth the sting: Cuba's scorpion pain remedy

Once a month for the last decade, Pepe Casanas, a 78-year-old Cuban farmer, has hunted down a scorpion to sting himself with, vowing that the venom wards off his rheumatism pains. His natural remedy is no longer seen as very unusual here.

(With inputs from Reuters)