Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. High-volume hospitals and surgeons do better on neck artery procedures

Patients who need blockages cleared in their carotid arteries to reduce the risk of stroke may want to seek hospitals and doctors who do a lot of these procedures, a new research review suggests. These delicate procedures on a major artery carrying blood to the brain carry a high risk for complications. The analysis found that hospitals and doctors with higher volumes had roughly half the rate of patient deaths and strokes compared to those with lower volumes. Quality of surgical care across a hospital network may vary

Just because the flagship hospital gets good marks for patient care doesn't mean results will be equally good in affiliated hospitals in the same network, a new study finds. Researchers found variable surgical outcomes across networks associated with hospitals that received the highest rankings from U.S. News & World Report, according to the study published in JAMA Surgery. California jury awards $29 million to woman with cancer who used J&J talc

A California jury on Wednesday awarded $29 million to a woman who said that asbestos in Johnson & Johnson's talcum-powder-based products caused her cancer. The verdict, in California Superior Court in Oakland, marks the latest defeat for the healthcare conglomerate facing more than 13,000 talc-related lawsuits nationwide. Breast cancer risk tied to DDT varies by exposure timing

The once-common pesticide DDT has long been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Now, research suggests that women's age at first exposure to DDT may influence when in life the risk for breast malignancies is greatest. Women exposed to DDT before age 14, particularly in infancy and early childhood, were most likely to develop breast cancer, before age 50 and before they went through menopause, researchers report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. However, women exposed to DDT after infancy had a greater risk of developing cancer later, at ages 50 to 54. Exclusive: India's health ministry calls for blocking Juul's entry into country - document

India's health ministry has called for Juul Labs Inc's electronic cigarettes to be blocked from entering the country, a letter seen by Reuters showed, potentially dealing a blow to the U.S. company's plans to tap the South Asian market. Juul has plans to launch its products in India by late 2019 as it looks to expand away from its home turf. The company has hired new executives and plans to open an India subsidiary, Reuters reported in January. Teen drivers reaching for objects more likely to crash

Teen drivers who wisely stow away their cell phones while they're behind the wheel still need to be aware of another important risk factor for accidents, a small study suggests. Even when not distracted by their phones, adolescents who reach for or handle other objects while driving are almost seven times more likely to crash than teens who don't reach for anything at all, the study found. WHO says Ebola area contained but Congo needs long-term support

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is now concentrated in two areas and could be stopped by September, but the country also needs help tackling its broader health problems, the head of the World Health Organization said on Thursday. The outbreak, the second worst in history, is believed to have killed 587 people in a region beset by violence and poverty. A rapid international response has so far stopped the disease spreading into neighboring countries. Diabetics more likely to report back pain

People with diabetes are more likely to report back and neck pain, but it's still unclear if diabetes is the cause of their pain, a research review concludes. Diabetes was associated with a 35 percent higher likelihood of reporting back pain, in an analysis of five studies with a total of 131,431 people, and with a 24 percent greater risk of neck pain, according to two studies with 6,560 people. New study ties egg and cholesterol consumption to heightened risk of heart disease

After a raft of studies reassuring consumers that eggs are OK to eat, a new report associates an increasing risk of heart disease with the increasing consumption of eggs. The report, combining data from six earlier studies, found a 6 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease when the average number of eggs consumed per day went up by half an egg. Turkey's Erdogan opens giant city hospital in Ankara amid criticism from medics

President Tayyip Erdogan opened one of the world's largest hospitals in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday, brushing aside criticism of what is the latest in a series of mega projects that have marked his 16 years in power. The Ankara City Hospital, built at a cost of around 1 billion euros, is equipped with some 3,810 beds and covers an area the size of around 100 football pitches. Critics in the health sector say its size will cause logistical problems.