Reuters Health News Summary

Plastic drinking bottles, canned goods and other items containing the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) distributed in California might soon be required to carry a label disclosing that the compound can cause reproductive harm to women. Thursday's decision by a board of scientific experts to include BPA on a list of chemicals known to cause harm is the latest in a years-long dispute between state experts and the chemical industry, which says the substance is safe.

Mediterranean diet with olive oil, nuts linked to healthier brain

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.

Liberia declared Ebola-free, but outbreak continues over border

Liberia was declared free from Ebola by the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday after 42 days without a new case of the virus, which killed more than 4,700 people there during a year-long epidemic. However, celebrations were muted by thoughts for the dead and medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) urged vigilance until the worst outbreak of the disease ever recorded was also extinguished in neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone.

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.

USDA finds H5N8 bird flu strain in Indiana

A strain of highly pathogenic H5 avian flu that had recently been found only in the Western United States has been confirmed in a backyard poultry flock in Indiana, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday. The eastward spread of any strain of the H5 virus is worrying to farmers and state and federal investigators alike, who have hoped that warmer spring weather would help lower the number of infections in birds and curtail the virus' spread.

Hunt for AIDS cure accelerates as GSK and U.S. experts link up

Britain's GlaxoSmithKline, which decided last week to retain rather than float off its HIV drugs business, is to collaborate with U.S. scientists in developing a cure for AIDS. Until recently, many researchers were reluctant to even discuss the possibility of curing the disease caused by HIV, which infects 35 million people worldwide, since the obstacles seemed insurmountable.