Reuters Health News Summary

A Mediterranean diet with extra nuts and olive oil might help improve memory in older adults, a Spanish study suggests, though the results aren't definitive and more research is needed. "This small study found that a Mediterranean diet, which is low in animal foods like meat and butter, and high in vegetables, legumes and whole grains, when supplemented with olive oil or nuts is associated with improved cognitive function," Samantha Heller, a nutritionist at New York University's Center for Musculoskeletal Care and Sports Performance who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.

Kids and parents worry about schoolwork after concussions

Kids and teens who suffer a concussion worry about their academic skills in the weeks afterward, and older kids and those with more severe symptoms seem to worry the most, according to a new study. Studies in the last five years have focused largely on the athletic side of the equation - "taking them off the field, not putting them back on the field with symptoms, but this is really looking at the student side of the equation," said senior author Gerard A. Gioia of Children's National Health System in Rockville, Maryland.

Inhaler ban boosts costs for people with asthma

A 2008 ban on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has ended up being particularly costly for people with asthma. The ban changed the type of albuterol inhaler available in the U.S., and since then costs have gone up and inhaler use has gone down, according to a new study.

In malpractice settlements, injured parties often agree to keep mum

Most medical malpractice settlements include some type of nondisclosure clause, but the restrictions may go beyond what's necessary to improve patient care, a study at one Texas health system suggests. Researchers reviewed settlements at the University of Texas System, which provides medical malpractice insurance for more than 6,000 physicians at six campuses in five cities. They found that roughly nine in 10 agreements included nondisclosure provisions.

Five million Syrians at high risk of explosive weapons: study

About 5.1 million Syrians are living in areas at high risk from explosive weapons, some of which fail to detonate and so will pose a deadly threat for years to come, aid group Handicap International said. The global charity examined 78,000 violent incidents in Syria's war between December 2012 and March 2015 and found that more than 80 percent involved highly destructive weapons like rockets, mortars and bombs, rather than light arms.

Drug-resistant 'superbug' strain of typhoid spreads worldwide

An antibiotic-resistant "superbug" strain of typhoid fever has spread globally, driven by a single family of the bacteria, called H58, according to the findings of a large international study. The research, involving some 74 scientists in almost two dozen countries, is one of the most comprehensive sets of genetic data on a human infectious agent and paints a worrying scene of an "ever-increasing public health threat", they said.

Fitness vacations favor fun, adventure over weight loss

Fitness vacations have ventured far from the fat farm. Today's fit-focused travelers want to pair exercise with escapades and fitness with fun, whether it's yoga among the sea turtles, bootcamp on the beach or a zumba cruise.

Doctors' group supports LGBT-inclusive policies, same-sex marriage

The largest group of internal medicine doctors in the U.S. came out Monday in support of policies it says will improve the health of the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Those policies include support for civil marriage rights for same-sex couples, opposition to so-called conversion or reparative therapy and support for health insurance plans that include comprehensive transgender healthcare services.

U.S. says insurers must cover FDA-approved birth control methods

The U.S. government said health insurers must cover all FDA-approved methods of birth control without co-pays or charges to the patient, as it issued a paper on Monday looking to clarify coverage guidelines under the Affordable Care Act. Recent published reports found that some payers were ignoring federal requirements for covering birth control, a benefit under the healthcare reform commonly referred to as "Obamacare."

Bird flu found in Indiana; 15th state to report it

A strain of avian flu that until now had been found only in the Western United States has cropped up in Indiana, bringing the total number of states affected by the virulent outbreak to 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday. The eastward spread of any strain of the highly contagious H5 virus is worrying to farmers and investigators, who have hoped that warmer spring weather would help lower the number of infections in birds and curtail the virus' spread.