Health News Roundup: U.S. recorded 18 new cases of measles; Weight loss support helps people with fatty liver disease

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Mother of French quadriplegic brings appeal to keep him alive to U.N.

The mother of a quadriplegic French man who has been in a vegetative state for more than a decade brought her case to the United Nations on Monday, seeking diplomatic pressure for maintaining his life support. France's top court ruled last Friday that Vincent Lambert should be allowed to die. The Cour de Cassation overruled an appeals court which in May had ordered doctors to keep Vincent Lambert alive, just 12 hours after medics had already switched off the man's life support against his parents' will.

U.S. states sue EPA for stricter asbestos rules

Ten U.S. states and Washington, D.C. sued the Environmental Protection Agency to begin working on rules to tighten oversight of asbestos, and reduce the health risks that the substance poses to the public. The attorneys general from California and Massachusetts, Xavier Becerra and Maura Healey, said on Monday they are leading the case, after the EPA denied the states' petition that it collect more data on asbestos.

Trump immigration proposal may mean sick kids lose health benefits

A Trump administration proposal to increase the odds that immigrants will be deemed "public charges" ineligible for government health benefits may result in millions of kids becoming uninsured, a study suggests. The proposed changes are expected to cause many immigrants to disenroll their children from safety-net programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) out of fear and confusion, even among families to whom the rule would not apply.

Alcohol's secondhand harms prevalent among U.S. women and men

Just like cigarettes, alcohol creates secondhand harms, a new study suggests. Over a 12-month period, more than one in five women and nearly one in four men experienced some harm related to someone else's drinking, in a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

India asks its states not to partner with Philip Morris-funded foundation

India's health ministry has asked all state governments in the country not to partner with the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) because of its links to tobacco giant Philip Morris International Inc, a letter seen by Reuters showed. Established in 2017, the FSFW focuses on eliminating usage of cigarettes and works toward smoking cessation using new technologies and alternative products. It says it works independently, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there are "clear conflicts" due to the $80 million in annual funding the foundation receives from Philip Morris.

U.S. recorded 18 new cases of measles last week

The United States recorded 18 new measles cases last week, taking the total for the year to 1,095 in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has recorded cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease in 28 states as of June 27, the majority of them in New York City and nearby Rockland County.

FDA ties three deaths to Edwards Lifesciences' recalled heart devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday three deaths had been reported related to Edwards Lifesciences Corp's recall of some of its heart devices. The agency said the company's voluntary recall of its IntraClude intra-aortic occlusion device in May has now been classified by the FDA as Class I.

Older women have higher heart disease risk with 'apple' shape

Older women who are at a healthy weight may be more likely to develop heart disease when they carry excess fat around their midsection than when they store more fat in their hips and thighs, a new study suggests. While being overweight has long been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, the risks associated with excess fat for people with a body mass index (BMI) in the healthy range aren't as clear, researchers note in the European Heart Journal.

U.S. federal court delays adoption of healthcare rule on abortion

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its opponents in a California lawsuit agreed on Friday to delay implementing a rule that would allow medical workers to decline performing abortions or other treatments on moral or religious grounds, according to a federal court filing. The rule, which was due to take effect on July 22, will now be delayed for final consideration until Nov. 22, the filing said.

Weight loss support helps people with fatty liver disease

People who have fatty liver disease related to being overweight may get the disease under better control when they get lots of support to lose weight, a research review suggests. Most people have a little bit of fat in their liver, but fatty liver disease can be diagnosed when more than 5% of the liver is made up of fat. If the condition isn't linked to liver damage from heavy drinking, it's known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is most often associated with obesity and certain eating habits.