Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. For frail elderly after heart attack, meds may prolong life but impact function

After a heart attack, frail older adults may live longer by taking several medications typically prescribed to prevent future heart problems, but the drugs might also contribute to increased frailty, a U.S. study suggests. Within 90 days of a heart attack, elderly nursing home residents who took three or more medications were less likely to die than those who took just one. But in some circumstances, functional decline was more common with more medications, the study found. U.S. criticizes Vietnam ban of glyphosate herbicide imports

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday criticized Vietnam's move to ban imports of glyphosate-based herbicides, saying the decision would have "devastating impacts on global agricultural production." Vietnam's government said in a statement that the toxic level of herbicides containing glyphosate had long been of concern, in the latest display of global worries over the product's impact on human health. State media reports said the ban would take effect in June. C-section complication risk rises with mother's age

Pregnant women are more likely to have complications during labor and cesarean deliveries than during vaginal births, and a new study offers fresh evidence that older mothers are most at risk. Rates of cesarean deliveries, or C-sections, have risen in the developed world to more than 20 percent of births, even though the World Health Organization recommends this surgery only for the roughly 10 to 15 percent of cases when the health of the mother or baby is in danger. While C-sections can be life-saving, the procedures carry risks like infection, excessive bleeding, damage to reproductive organs and blood clots. U.S. FDA loosens alcohol restrictions for female libido pill

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday women taking Sprout Pharmaceuticals Inc's female libido pill, Addyi, need not completely avoid alcohol. The FDA ordered Sprout to make changes to the drug's label to reflect that patients should stop drinking two hours before taking Addyi at bedtime or to skip the dose that evening. South Korea court strikes down abortion law in landmark ruling

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Thursday overturned a ban on abortion that has stood for more than 65 years, saying in a landmark ruling that current law unconstitutionally curbs women's rights. In a statement, it said the ban, as well as a law making doctors liable to criminal charges for abortions done with the woman's consent, were both unconstitutional. International Red Cross says stepping up aid to Venezuela

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday it has reached agreement with the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro to expand aid operations, supporting hospitals and health centers in providing vital medical care. In a statement, the independent aid agency said after a five-day visit by ICRC President Peter Maurer: "Twenty-eight hospitals and eight primary health centers in Venezuela will benefit from training, water and sanitation and medical materials supplied by the ICRC." French court finds Bayer's Monsanto liable for farmer's sickness

A French court has ruled that Monsanto was liable for the sickness of a farmer who inhaled one of its weedkillers, in another legal setback for the Bayer-owned business over health claims. In the latest stage of a decade-long legal tussle, the appeals court in Lyon on Thursday found in favor of farmer Paul Francois' claim that Monsanto's Lasso weedkiller had made him sick and that the product's labeling had been inadequate. South Korea WTO appeal succeeds in Japanese Fukushima food dispute

South Korea won the bulk of its appeal on Thursday in a dispute at the World Trade Organization over import bans and testing requirements it had imposed on Japanese seafood in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Last year a WTO dispute panel supported Japan, saying South Korea was wrong to keep its initial trade restrictions in place. But Thursday's ruling overturned several key points of that verdict, saying South Korea's measures were not overly restrictive and did not unfairly discriminate against Japan. More U.S. states push ahead with near-bans on abortion for Supreme Court challenge

North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum signed legislation on Wednesday making it a crime for doctors to perform a second-trimester abortion using instruments like forceps and clamps to remove the fetus from the womb. The move came the same day that Ohio's Republican-controlled legislature passed one of the nation's most restrictive abortion bans - outlawing the procedure if a doctor can detect a heartbeat. The bill now goes to Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who is expected to sign it. Teen cigarette smoking declining more slowly in rural U.S.

The odds of smoking for U.S. adolescents are 50 percent higher in rural areas than in urban areas, even as rates of teen smoking in both settings have fallen, a recent study found. Using data from more than 95,600 adolescents who participated in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, researchers analyzed smoking rates over two periods: 2008-2010 and 2014-2016. Fifteen percent of the youth lived in rural counties.