Health News Roundup: Sperm count higher with heart-healthy diet; 'White death' in Argentina and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Deaths, bad outcomes elude scrutiny at Canada's indigenous clinics

Ina Matawapit was barely conscious - intoxicated and suffering from a blow to the head - when police drove her to the North Caribou Lake clinic in Ontario, Canada, one summer evening in 2012. The nurse at the federal government-run clinic, the only source of emergency care in this remote indigenous community, told the officers the 37-year-old could sober up in jail, according to testimony at a 2018 inquest. Minutes after leaving the clinic, the police sped back. Matawapit had no pulse and could not be revived.

U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 34, cases of illness to 1,604

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 1,604 confirmed and probable cases and one new death from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, taking the total toll to 34. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,479 cases and 33 deaths from the illness and announced plans to start testing aerosols from vaping products as part of its investigation.

Several states wary of $48 billion opioid settlement proposal

Several U.S. states that have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic are pushing back on a proposed $48 billion settlement framework that would resolve thousands of lawsuits against five drug companies accused of fueling the addiction crisis. The proposal would bring an end to all opioid litigation against AmerisourceBergen Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and McKesson Corp, drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc, and Johnson & Johnson.

Sperm count higher with heart-healthy diet

Young men who eat a heart-healthy diet may have better quality sperm than their peers who dine mostly on junk food, a small study suggests. The American Heart Association recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or a Mediterranean-style diet to help prevent cardiovascular disease. Both diets emphasize cooking with vegetable oils, eating nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish and poultry, and limiting red meat and added sugars and salt.

Chiropractic care for back pain tied to lower odds of opioid use

People with chronic back and neck pain who receive chiropractic care may be less likely to use opioid painkillers, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from six previously-published smaller studies with a total of more than 62,000 participants with spinal pain. Across all of the studies, 11% to 51% of the patients used chiropractic care.

Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid pull 22-ounce J&J baby powder off shelves

Three major U.S. retailers, including Walmart, are removing all 22-ounce bottles of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder from their stores, following the healthcare conglomerate's recall last week of some bottles due to possible asbestos contamination. CVS Health Corp said on Thursday it would remove the bottles from its online store as well, out of caution and to prevent customer confusion. The pharmacy chain said all other sizes of the talc would remain on its shelves.

Two of three polio-viruses eradicated in 'historic' step: WHO

The World Health Organization welcomed an "historic step" toward a polio-free world on Thursday as an expert panel certified that the second of three types of the crippling virus has been eradicated globally. The announcement by the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication means that only wild poliovirus type 1 is still circulating after type 2 was declared eradicated in 2015, and type 3 this week.

FDA investigating whether Zantac causes carcinogens to form in users

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether the popular heartburn drug Zantac causes carcinogens to form in the bodies of users, in an effort to fully understand the risks posed by the already recalled drug, the agency's spokesman said on Thursday. The issue of whether ranitidine, commonly known as Zantac, causes levels of the probable carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) to rise in users' bodies has been raised previously by Valisure, an online pharmacy that originally flagged the potential contamination of ranitidine to the FDA.

Tiniest preemies born at special hospitals have better survival odds

Extremely premature infants born at hospitals lacking the specialized care they need are more likely to die or suffer severe brain damage, a UK study suggests. Researchers examined data on 17,577 infants born before 28 weeks gestation in England from 2008 to 2015. Overall, about 62% of these babies were born in so-called tertiary hospitals with specialized neonatal units and remained there; another 12% were transferred to tertiary hospitals within 48 hours of birth; and 15% were born at local hospitals with neonatal units and remained there.

'White death' in Argentina: The hunger of poverty feeds tuberculosis

In a poor Buenos Aires suburb, Cristian Molina's jeans and denim jacket hide his unhealthily slight frame, his legacy from years of a poor diet that left him susceptible to the tuberculosis infection he contracted earlier this year, a disease of poverty that is making a comeback in Argentina. Molina, 26, lives in the shantytown of Lujan near the wealthy capital with his parents, six siblings and four nephews. Doctors think one brother contracted the disease in prison and then spread it around the family when he returned home.