Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Ohio ban on Down syndrome abortion blocked by U.S. appeals court

A divided federal appeals court on Friday said Ohio cannot enforce a 2017 law banning abortions when medical tests show that a fetus has Down syndrome. Upholding a preliminary injunction, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said the law was invalid under Supreme Court precedents because it had the purpose and effect of preventing some women from obtaining pre-viability abortions. Trump EPA proposes overhaul of lead in drinking water rule, critics call plan weak

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed retooling a 1991 rule on lead and cooper contamination in drinking water, but critics said the change slows by 20 years the timeline for removing aging lead service lines that could expose children to a toxin known to harm developing brains. Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency chief, said at an event in Wisconsin that the plan would "ensure all Americans have access to clean drinking water." 'Executive physicals' at top-ranked hospitals may lack recommended screenings

Executive physicals may lure corporate clients and wealthy individuals with the promise of personalized attention and comprehensive preventive care, but a new study suggests many of these pricey exams may skip recommended screenings. These physicals are often provided by employers as perks for corporate leaders. They're also marketed to high net worth individuals who may want the convenience and peace of mind that comes with one or two days of personal attention during checkups instead of the brief encounters most people in the U.S. get when they go to the doctor. Hearing aids may help delay dementia, depression in elders

For older adults, hearing aids may delay some forms of mental and physical decline associated with hearing loss and aging, a U.S. study suggests. Among people who'd been diagnosed with hearing loss, those who used hearing aids were up to 18% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, depression or fall-related injuries over the next three years, compared to people not using the devices, researchers report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. OxyContin maker Purdue begins showdown to halt opioid lawsuits

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP will ask a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge on Friday to pause litigation against the company and its owners over the objections of U.S. states that allege the company is trying to protect the controlling Sackler family. Purdue's request promises to be one of the most contentious of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which was filed in September to try to implement a settlement proposal it values at more than $10 billion. 'Alarming upsurge' in measles has devastating impact, WHO warns

Measles is staging a devastating comeback in epidemics across the world as the virus exploits dangerous gaps in vaccination coverage, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Friday. Speaking after a two-day meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, Kate O'Brien, the WHO's department director, said the world "is facing an alarming upsurge in measles cases in all regions". U.S. health officials say vaping illness may have multiple causes

U.S. health officials said on Friday there may be more than one cause behind the nationwide outbreak of serious lung illnesses linked to vaping, and that they have not yet seen a meaningful drop in new cases. Investigators have pointed to vaping oils containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, as being especially risky, but have not yet tied the cases to any specific product or compound. Reynold American files for FDA review of e-cigarette

British American Tobacco Plc unit Reynolds American Inc on Friday became the first major company to confirm it had filed for a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review of its e-cigarette product, ahead of market leader Juul Labs Inc. Reynolds American said its Vuse e-cigarette delivers nicotine via a cartridge-based vapor system and seeks to offer adult smokers a "legal alternative to combustible cigarettes". New transplant research aims to salvage infected donated organs

Retired subway and bus driver Stanley De Freitas had just celebrated his 70th birthday when he started coughing, tiring easily and feeling short of breath. He was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, and put on the wait list for a transplant. "Life became unbearable. From the time I got up in the morning until when I went to bed at night, I struggled through every breath of air," De Freitas, now 74, told Reuters by phone from his home in Toronto. Eli Lilly's migraine treatment wins U.S. FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it had approved Eli Lilly and Co's migraine drug, Reyvow. The drug has been approved to treat acute migraine with or without aura, a sensory phenomenon or visual disturbance, in adults.

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