Antidepressants May Be Helpful for Some Heart Patients: Study TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the antidepressant Lexapro appears to help prevent a potentially serious stress-related heart condition, a new study finds. The condition is known as known as "mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia." Although people with this condition may not develop noticeable symptoms, their heart muscle is not receiving adequate blood supply, according to researchers from Duke University School of Medicine in...

Age, Other Illnesses May Make Prostate Cancer Treatment Unnecessary TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Aggressive treatment for prostate cancer may not be warranted for many older patients with underlying medical conditions, a new study finds. Treatments for prostate cancer, such as surgery, radiation and radioactive seed implants, can cause serious side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence and bowel problems, explained researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (...

COPD Patients May Do Fine With Shorter Course of Steroids TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Less is more when it comes to steroid therapy for patients having severe bouts of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to Swiss investigators. Five days of glucocorticoid treatment with prednisone to treat COPD flare-ups was as good as the standard 14 days, but with fewer chances for adverse side effects, they said. "We wanted to show that a shorter period of treatment was not less effective ...

Study Supports Using Low-Dose CT Scans to Spot Early Lung Cancer TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Finding early signs of lung cancer was once next to impossible, but a new study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that screening with low-dose CT scans may help spot the beginnings of disease in high-risk patients. Among patients considered at the greatest risk for lung cancer, 6 percent were found to have lung cancer after getting CT scans and follow-up biopsies to confirm the diagnosis. CT ...

Student Suicide May Spur Similar Thoughts in Teens TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- When a classmate commits suicide, teens are more likely to consider or attempt suicide themselves, according to a new study. This "suicide contagion" occurs regardless of whether the teens knew the deceased student personally, the researchers found. Teens aged 12 and 13 are particularly vulnerable, according to the study by Dr. Ian Colman, Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Epidemiology, and Sonja Swanson, of the ...

Weather Worries Can Threaten a Child's Mental Health TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The monstrous tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., on Monday, killing dozens of adults and children, is a stunning example of violent weather that can affect a child's mental well-being. But even thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds can be emotionally upsetting, too, health experts note. Some anxiety in the face of violent weather is normal. But some children develop storm phobias that interfere with their...

Americans Still Making Unhealthy Choices: CDC TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The overall health of Americans isn't improving much, with about six in 10 people either overweight or obese and large numbers engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, heavy drinking or not exercising, a new government report shows. Released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report found Americans continuing to make many of the lifestyle choices that have led to soaring rates of heart...

Depression May Raise Low Blood Sugar Risk in Diabetics TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Depression can affect almost every aspect of life, but some of the changes brought about by the disorder can be downright dangerous for those with diabetes. New research has found that people with diabetes who are depressed have more than a 40 percent higher risk of having a severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) episode that lands them in the hospital compared to people with diabetes who aren't depressed. "Depress...

Bed-Sharing Raises SIDS Risk Fivefold, Study Finds TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is five times higher when parents sleep with their infant, a new study finds. British researchers noted that bed-sharing increases the risk for SIDS even if parents do not drink, use illegal drugs or smoke. They advised that rates of SIDS, which is a major cause of infant death in developed countries, would drop dramatically if parents did not sleep with their babies. In...

Pain a Common Problem for People With COPD TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients experience a significant amount of pain, new research suggests. Pain levels are nearly on par with the kind of discomfort experienced by many osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to the study, which is scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the American Thoracic Society annual meeting in Philadelphia. "Several studies have found high rates of pain med...