Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Mix of risk, benefit in Achilles tendon surgery

People who get surgery to fix a torn Achilles tendon may be less likely to experience repeat ruptures but more likely to develop infections than patients who get nonsurgical treatments, a research review suggests. The number of surgeries for these injuries has declined in recent years as a result of studies suggesting that operating might not be more effective than alternatives like a walking cast or physical therapy, researchers note in The BMJ. China clones gene-edited monkeys for sleep disorder research

Chinese scientists have made clones of a gene-edited macaque to aid research of circadian rhythm disorders that are linked to sleep problems, depression and Alzheimer's disease, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. It was the first time multiple clones had been made from a gene-edited monkey for biomedical research, the agency said. The clones were born at the Institute of Neuroscience at the China Academy of Sciences in Shanghai. Suicide risk rises in year following cancer diagnosis

Although cancer survival rates have greatly improved in recent decades, a diagnosis with certain types of cancer can still be upsetting enough to increase a patient's risk of suicide, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on more than 4.6 million cancer patients, including 1,585 people who died by suicide within one year of their diagnosis. This was a suicide rate about 2.5 times higher than what would be expected in the general population, researchers report in the journal Cancer. Not-for-profit to offer 20 generic drugs in 2019 to alleviate shortages

A new not-for-profit supplier of generic drugs formed by a consortium of hospitals systems said it expects this year to be able to provide about 20 products to alleviate shortages of medicines used during surgeries and to treat life-threatening conditions, such as septic shock. Since the start-up of Civica Rx spearheaded by Intermountain Healthcare was announced last January, the Utah-based company has raised more than $160 million from its members, which include HCA Healthcare Inc hospital chain, the Mayo Clinic, the Catholic Health Initiatives and others, which together represent about 800 hospitals. Most parents know good hygiene, not folklore, helps prevent colds

Ninety-nine percent of parents said they reinforced principles of good hygiene, like frequent hand-washing and avoiding contact with people who are ill, to prevent their kids from getting sick during cold season, according to a nationally-representative U.S. poll. Still, half of the participants also said they gave their kids supplements, including vitamin C or echinacea, that aren't proven to prevent colds. And 70 percent admitted to following "folklore" prescriptions like avoiding going outdoors with wet hair. WHO warns of deadly outbreak of rat-borne hantavirus in Argentina

At least 11 people have died in Argentina after becoming infected with hantavirus, a disease carried by rats and other rodents, according to a news alert from the World Health Organization (WHO). Among 29 cases of the disease confirmed with laboratory tests between late October 2018 and Jan. 20, 2019, almost 60 percent were in women or girls, the WHO said. Savencia unit recalls baby milk in France after salmonella alert

Sodilac, a unit of French dairy group Savencia, said it was recalling infant formula sold in pharmacies in France and produced at a Spanish factory due to possible links with salmonella cases among babies. Sodilac said in a statement it had decided, in agreement with the French authorities, to carry out a precautionary recall of all products under its Modilac brand supplied by the Spanish factory. Soluble fiber may improve diabetes control

People with diabetes who take soluble fiber supplements have slightly lower blood sugar than diabetics who don't add this type of fiber to their diets, a research review finds. Researchers focused on supplements containing viscous fiber, a type of soluble fiber that forms a thick gel when mixed with water. Foods like legumes, asparagus, oats, and flax contain viscous fiber; supplements with this type of fiber include guar gum, psyllium and pectin. CVS unveils 'Beauty Marks' in stores, warning shoppers of edited images

CVS Pharmacy unveiled an initiative in U.S. stores on Thursday, labeling photos of models in its beauty aisles to make it clear whether the images had been digitally altered. The U.S. No 2 drugstore chain, part of CVS Health Corp, is the first major American company to adopt such a policy in the face of rising concerns about doctored images setting unrealistic ideals of beauty, especially for young women. Aetna, other health insurers team up with IBM on blockchain project

CVS Health Corp's Aetna and a host of other health insurers said on Thursday they have partnered with IBM Corp to create a blockchain network aimed at cutting costs in the healthcare industry. The companies intend to use blockchain technology, which allows the sharing of databases across a network of computers, for processing claims and payments and to maintain directories, they said in a joint statement.