More heart, lung transplants possible with therapy to clear Hepatitis C from donor organs

The presence of hepatitis C in potential organ donors has long prevented hearts and lungs from going to patients who desperately need them, but that prohibition may soon disappear thanks to a technique that attacks the virus before it can gain a foothold in the recipient. Doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston say they have eliminated the risks that came with all 69 hepatitis C-tainted hearts or lungs they transplanted into patients since March 2017. They achieved it with four weeks of antiviral therapy given to organ recipients that began just hours after the transplant surgery. Bans on texting while driving tied to drop in ER visits for crash injuries

States where it's illegal to text while driving may have safer roads, according to a U.S. study that tracked declines in crash-related emergency room visits after these laws took effect. On average, states saw 1,632 fewer traffic-related emergency room visits per year after implementing a texting ban, the new study found. U.S. House condemns Trump's courtroom efforts to end Obamacare

Calling it an effort to take away Americans' healthcare, the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to condemn the Trump administration's courtroom bid to eliminate Obamacare. The 240-186 vote was a largely symbolic move aimed at keeping the spotlight on the issue. Just eight Republicans joined majority Democrats in voting to urge the administration to reverse its assault against Obamacare, as the 2010 Affordable Care Act that overhauled the U.S. healthcare system is popularly known. Cigna launches program to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $25/month

Health insurer Cigna Corp on Wednesday launched a program aimed at ensuring some diabetes patients pay no more than $25 for a 30-day supply of insulin in the wake of heightened public scrutiny over soaring prices of the life-saving drug. U.S. lawmakers have pulled up healthcare companies over rising costs of medicine, with powerful committees in Congress holding hearings in January on insulin affordability. One in five deaths worldwide linked to unhealthy diet

Eleven million deaths worldwide in 2017 were linked to people eating poor diets high in sugar, salt and processed meat that contributed to heart disease, cancer and diabetes, a global study found. The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that among 195 countries studied, the proportion of diet-related deaths was highest in Uzbekistan and lowest in Israel. The United States ranked 43rd, while Britain was 23rd, China 140th and India 118th. Biogen SMA drug price, Novartis estimates for its treatment far too high - U.S. group

Biogen Inc should slash the price of its spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) drug, and the $4 million to $5 million Novartis has said its experimental gene therapy for the disease is worth is excessive, an independent U.S. organization that reviews the value of medical treatments said on Wednesday. Assessments by the nonprofit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) have become increasingly influential in U.S. drug pricing and are taken into consideration by health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers making decisions about payments and patient access to treatments. People rarely apply SPF moisturizer as thoroughly as sunscreen

When applying sunscreen, people tend to miss spots on their faces, and a new study suggests this is even more likely when they use SPF moisturizers. Many moisturizers contain ingredients that offer a sun protection factor (SPF) comparable to what can be found in sunscreens, and in theory, both options could offer similar protection from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Family colon cancer risk similar for siblings and half-siblings

Siblings of people with colorectal cancer are themselves at higher risk for the disease - but a new study suggests half-siblings face nearly as a high a risk. Colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives - parents, children and siblings - is strongly associated with an increased risk of these tumours. Some studies have also found a smaller risk increase in second-degree relatives, such as grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and half-siblings, but others have not found this link in these more distant relatives. U.S. states sue to undo Trump rollback of healthy school lunch rules

Several U.S. states sued the Trump administration on Wednesday to undo its recent decision that allowed fewer whole grains and more sodium in school breakfasts and lunches. The states accused the U.S. Department of Agriculture of ignoring federal dietary guidelines and scientific research on children's nutrition when it eased rules championed by former first lady Michelle Obama to make school meals healthier. U.S. FDA warns of potential seizure risk in some users of e-cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday warned of potential safety risks from the use of e-cigarettes after it found certain users had suffered from seizures. The announcement https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm635157.htm comes at a time when the regulator is aiming to curb the surge in teenage use of the popular nicotine devices, which the FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, due to leave the agency this month, has termed as an "epidemic".

(With inputs from agencies.)