Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. J&J, U.S. states settle hip implant claims for $120 million

Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit have agreed to pay $120 million to resolve deceptive marketing claims by several U.S. states over the company's metal-on-metal hip implants. Attorneys general of 46 U.S. states announced the settlement agreement in statements on Tuesday. They alleged DePuy engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in the promotion of its ASR XL and Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant devices. Britain's Prince William tackles mental health taboo at Davos gathering

Britain's Prince William revealed on Wednesday that "not one celebrity" had originally wanted to join a mental health campaign he started in 2016 with his wife Kate and brother Harry. "We went out to a lot of people and nobody, before we started, was interested in being a part of 'Heads Together' – because it was mental health," he said, speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos. Older women more surefooted after dual-task balance training

Older women with thinning bones may have a steadier gate and a lower risk of falls when they practice balance training and thinking tasks at the same time, a small Swedish study suggests. Walking becomes less automatic and requires more concentration as people age, the researchers note in Gait & Posture. And as older adults devote more attention to walking itself, they can be more apt to miss things around them like an icy patch of sidewalk or a loose carpet that might cause a fall. Childhood lead exposure tied to adult mental health issues

Beyond the well-known effects of childhood lead exposure on IQ, a new study suggests lasting effects on the brain may extend to personality traits in adulthood. Among more than 500 New Zealanders whose blood lead levels were tested when they were children, those with higher levels as kids were more likely to have personality traits that have been linked to a number of poor life outcomes, including greater psychopathology, worse physical health, less job satisfaction and troubled interpersonal relationships. Congo records one-day record for confirmed Ebola cases

Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday confirmed 14 new cases of Ebola virus in its eastern borderlands, the largest one-day increase since the current outbreak was declared in August. The outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri is already the second-largest in history with 713 confirmed and probable cases and 439 deaths. Israel cabinet expected to approve medical cannabis exports

Israel's cabinet is set to approve a long-awaited law to allow exports of medical cannabis, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday, in a move likely to boost state revenues. The ministry said the bill, to be voted on at Sunday's cabinet meeting, allows the export of medical cannabis to countries that permit its use after receiving licences from the health regulator. U.S. insulin costs per patient nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016: study

The cost of insulin for treating type 1 diabetes in the United States nearly doubled over a five-year period, underscoring a national outcry over rising drug prices, according to a new analysis shared with Reuters. A person with type 1 diabetes incurred annual insulin costs of $5,705, on average, in 2016. The average cost was roughly half that at $2,864 per patient in 2012, according to a report due to be released on Tuesday by the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Heart attack, stroke tied to lost work and wages

People who suffer a heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest may be less likely to work afterward, and those who do work may make less money, a Canadian study suggests. Survivors of sudden medical crises can experience lasting reductions in their quality of life and ability to complete daily tasks or perform work duties. For the current study, researchers examined hospitalization records and income tax data from 2005 to 2013 to see what happened to patients' earnings after a major cardiovascular event. Dutch hospitals warn no-deal Brexit will put patients in danger

Dutch hospitals warned on Wednesday that a no-deal Brexit would lead to a shortage of medicines and medical supplies in the Netherlands and could put patients at risk. The Dutch annually import around 2 billion euros worth of medicines and medical supplies from Britain, which is around 10 percent of all goods shipped from Britain to the Netherlands. Toxic substances found in diapers in France: government agency

A variety of potentially toxic substances, including the widely-used weed-killer glyphosate, has been found in babies' diapers in France, according to a study on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES. The study said research had found substances including butylphenyl methylpropional used in beauty products and certain aromatic hydrocarbons as well as glyphosate. All of them pose potential risks.

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