Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. 'List price' for healthcare treatments in the U.S. may be misleading

The "list price" for healthcare treatments can vary wildly and may not reflect what will appear on a patient's bill, a new study finds. After reviewing listed prices for a particular therapy -- radiation treatments for prostate cancer -- researchers concluded that publicly-available price lists for cancer treatment may not help patients who want to shop around for the best deal. China says second person dies in Wuhan pneumonia outbreak

A second person has died from pneumonia in the central Chinese city of Wuhan following an outbreak of a previously unknown virus, local health authorities said late on Thursday. The 69-year-old man had been admitted to hospital with abnormal renal function and severe damage to multiple organs, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement on its website. He died on Jan. 15. U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 60, cases of illness to 2,668

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported https://bit.ly/371CYA2 3 more deaths from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, taking the total death toll to 60. As of Jan. 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 66 new cases from the illness associated with use of e-cigarettes or vaping products. The number of people hospitalized now stands at 2,668. Health warning: How Fitbits can help predict flu outbreaks

The Fitbit on your wrist not only counts your steps and minutes of sleep, it can also help tell if you're coming down with the flu - and warn health authorities to get ready to help. A study in the United States has found that heart rate and sleep data from wearable fitness tracker watches can predict and alert public health officials to real-time outbreaks of flu more accurately than current surveillance methods. U.S. FDA panel split over approval of Durect's non-opioid painkiller

Independent experts on an FDA advisory panel on Thursday were split over the approval of Durect Corp's non-opioid painkiller to manage post-surgical pain. The panel members questioned the drug's effectiveness and raised concerns over the nausea, vomiting and bruising at the surgical site experienced by some patients during the studies. Surgical weight loss beats diet and exercise for reversing diabetes

People who have weight-loss surgery are more likely to achieve remission of diabetes than those who try to shed excess pounds by dieting and exercising, a recent study suggests. Researchers randomly assigned 61 participants with type 2 diabetes to one of three weight-loss interventions: an operation known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass; a type of surgery known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding; or an intensive weight-loss program focused on cutting calories and increasing exercise Yosemite National Park says 170 people ill in possible norovirus outbreak

Some 170 people who have spent time in Yosemite National Park in recent weeks have suffered from a gastrointestinal ailment "consistent with norovirus" and two have been diagnosed with the illness, park officials said on Thursday. Most of those who became ill spent time in Yosemite Valley during or around the first week in January, park spokesman Scott Gediman said in a written statement, while the number of new cases reported has declined in the past several days. Disease that killed millions of China's pigs poses global threat

Bettie the beagle, a detector dog for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, picked up the scent of pork on a woman arriving from China at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Soon the dog's handler discovered and confiscated a ham sandwich in the purse of a passenger who had flown on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai. Brazil reports third death from suspected poison craft beer

A third person has died in Brazil of suspected poisoning from a batch of craft beer contaminated with a toxic chemical used in antifreeze and other products, police in the state of Minas Gerais said on Thursday. In a statement, police said the man died on Thursday morning of suspected poisoning by diethylene glycol (DEG). Smartwatch band may help spot heart problems, but doctors still required

A smartwatch band with integrated electrodes to produce an electrocardiogram (ECG) might be able to help detect atrial fibrillation, but not as well as a traditional ECG machine used in a hospital, a recent study suggests. Researchers compared results for 200 people who had ECG's done using both an FDA-approved smartwatch heart rhythm monitor called the AliveCor KardiaBand and a traditional ECG machine used in many doctors' offices and hospitals.