US-HEALTH Summary

Sep 2, 2011, 6:01 p.m.

Space missions may damage eyes

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Astronauts experience bone and muscle loss in the weightlessness of space, and now the first study of returning space travelers' eyes suggests that prolonged amounts of time in orbit can take a significant toll on vision, although the long-term effects aren't clear. The new study, of more than 300 astronauts in the U.S. space program, found that almost 50 percent of those who served on long missions -- six months or more -- reported experiencing new problems with their ability to see objects near to them while in space and for some time after returning to Earth. Roughly 23 percent of astronauts who spent shorter periods in orbit reported problems with their near vision during their missions and after getting home.

Ozone in smog damages health even at current level

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health experts lamented a move by U.S. President Barack Obama to halt rules on limiting smog pollution, saying the decision could endanger many people already susceptible to respiratory problems. Under pressure from businesses and Republican lawmakers, the Environmental Protection Agency had delayed issuing a rule on ozone limits several times. On Friday, Obama unexpectedly told the EPA to withdraw the clean-air initiative.

Listeria outbreak kills two in Colorado

DENVER (Reuters) - Two people in Colorado have died in the last month in a listeria outbreak following a puzzling surge in cases of gastrointestinal infection caused by the food-borne bacteria, state public health officials said. Alicia Cronquist, a state epidemiologist, said nine people in Colorado were hospitalized with the infection in August, including the two who died, with seven cases tallied in just the last week.

Obama backtracks on smog plan, bows to big business

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama put a stop on Friday to new rules that would limit smog pollution, unexpectedly reversing course on a key policy measure after businesses said it would kill jobs and cost them billions of dollars. Obama said the decision to withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard by the Environmental Protection Agency was part of an effort to reduce regulatory burdens for business.

Court upholds most of South Dakota abortion

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An appeals court on Friday upheld much of a South Dakota law setting out what a pregnant woman should be told 24 hours before an abortion, including that the procedure would "terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a provision in the 2005 law that would require the doctor to tell the woman about an increased risk of suicide after an abortion -- with the court saying the link was unproven and may not exist.

Obese kids have more asthma flare-ups

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Shaving off extra pounds might help asthmatic kids prevent flare-ups of the disease, according to a study that found obese children have a harder time controlling their symptoms. The work is the first to show that even after taking race and social factors into account, heavier kids use more drugs to control their asthma and curb flare-ups than their slimmer peers.

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