 More Obamacare enrollees in two days than all of October: sources
 By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More people signed up on the government's new health insurance website on the first two days of December than in the entire first month of the launch of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, sources familiar with the numbers said on Wednesday. Obama's administration has been criticized by Republican opponents for not regularly disclosing figures over political concerns. The improved enrollment figures provide the first evidence that a five-week emergency effort by the administration to fix HealthCare.gov was allowing more people to sign up for insurance in 36 states served by the website.
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FDA warns of flaw in some Philips defibrillators
(Reuters) - U.S. regulators have warned that some automated external defibrillators made by Philips Medical Systems may be unable to deliver potentially life-saving shocks to the heart in emergency situations, due to an electronic product malfunction. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a safety advisory posted on the agency's website, provides recommendations on how to better inspect and monitor readiness of the previously recalled HeartStart AEDs. Philips, a unit of Dutch electronics company Royal Philips NV, in August 2012 voluntarily began notifying its customers that some of its more than 600,000 devices, almost half of them located in the United States, might fail to work properly due to a flawed internal electrical component. The FDA the following month declared a Class II recall on the devices, citing a "remote" chance of severe adverse consequences or death due to the product flaw.
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5 Phrases to Help You Cultivate Calm in a Chaotic World
So many of us live in a constant state of reactivity and uneasiness, trying to control things that are far outside our control. But what if there could be an alternative? What if we could find peace and calm right now, even amidst all the chaos of life?
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The Weekly Rune -- Eihwaz
Eihwaz -- Yew -- I like to note trends in The Weekly Rune series, as patterns in casts can inform us on a Rune, as much as its meaning. The last time Eihwaz was cast for the week, of note was jarring interaction between Uranus and Pluto. So, of course, this week that same interaction is highlighted again, coming out of its tight November alignment, and ever encouraging change through crisis. Not exactly gentle nudging toward self-hood. Appropriately, Eihwaz arrives at the end of something. Of course this dance between Uranus and Pluto doesn't close until 2015, though picking up the
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Risk of falls increases between cataract surgeries
The finding that corrective eye surgery may - at least temporarily - be linked to an increase in falls comes after years of conflicting study results on the subject, researchers write in the journal Age and Ageing. But the topic remains important as the global population ages and demand for cataract surgery increases. In Australia, where the study was conducted, cataract surgeries tripled over the past two decades. "This study tells us that timing of cataract surgeries is very important," Dr. Ediriweera Desapriya of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, told Reuters Health.
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Wisconsin Assembly approves delay in state Medicaid changes
 By Brendan O'Brien MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Wisconsin legislators on Wednesday approved delaying by three months a plan to shift thousands of people from a state Medicaid program onto the federal health insurance marketplace, which has been plagued by technical problems. The Republican-led Assembly voted 64-32 to approve a proposal that would allow 72,000 people due to be shifted from Wisconsin's BadgerCare Medicaid program on January 1 to stay on until the end of March. Republican Governor Scott Walker sought the delay. The majority Republican state Senate could vote on the delay later in December.
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Analyst who cast doubt on Provenge vaccine settles with SEC
A former hedge-fund analyst who argued that Dendreon Corp's therapeutic vaccine for prostate cancer may hasten the death of patients has reached a settlement with U.S. securities regulators over failure to disclose her financial interests in the company. Marie Huber, who trained as a biochemist at Cambridge University in England and worked at an unnamed New York hedge fund from 2007 to 2011, neither admitted nor denied the Securities and Exchange Commission's findings, according to the agency. Huber said she stood by her analysis of the vaccine, Provenge. The SEC settlement bars her from the securities industry for six months and requires her to pay a $25,000 fine.
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Pfizer to expand clinical data access to researchers, patients
 By Bill Berkrot NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global drugmaker Pfizer Inc will broaden access to information from its scores of clinical trials to independent researchers and to patients who take part in the studies, the company said on Wednesday. Pfizer, the largest U.S. pharmaceutical company, said it hoped the enhanced access to its data will help spur further scientific and medical research as well as encourage more patients to get involved in clinical trials. "We are impressed to see how active patients are individually to manage and understand their disease, and in patient foundations a tremendous, great job is made to contribute to the advance of care," Pfizer research chief Mikael Dolsten told reporters at the company's New York headquarters. "We think this is the right time to support this trend." The move comes at a time of increasing pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to be more transparent with clinical trial information - including safety data and details of failed studies - and to increase access for the scientific community.
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7 Most Common Genetically Modified Foods
 Genetically modified material sounds a little bit like science fiction territory, but in reality, much of what we eat on a daily basis is a genetically modified organism (GMO). Whether or not these modified foods are actually healthy is still up for debate.
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Fast-Food Faux Pas
 The momentum is building for healthier restaurant menus, but not building fast enough. Unfortunately they follow the guidelines of the media, jumping on what the media hypes, and not nutrition specialists.
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Is It Possible To Be Obese And Healthy?
 When it comes to health reporting about fat people, don't swallow everything you see. Major news outlets on TV, radio and online lit up Monday with news about a study claiming there was no such thing as "healthy obesity," which is the notion that a person can be obese according to the body mass index chart, while at the same time be spared adverse health effects like high blood pressure, insulin resistance and high cholesterol levels. For example, NBC News' headline said the study "Disputes Fat But Fit Claim," while NPR went with the headline "Overweight And Healthy: A Combo
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Jamaica launches its first medical 'ganja' company
 By Horace Helps KINGSTON (Reuters) - It's been a long time coming, but the birthplace of reggae and legendary pot-lover Bob Marley has announced the launch of its first medical marijuana company. Jamaican Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton was among government officials on hand at a ceremony in the capital, Kingston, on Tuesday night where the opening of the company known as MediCanja was formally announced. The island nation, world famous among connoisseurs for the distinctive and almost mystical allure of its pot known locally as ganja, has long been known as the leading Caribbean supplier of illegal marijuana to the United States. But MediCanja marks the first known effort to find a legitimate source of revenue from Jamaica's bountiful, but still illicit, crop of marijuana.
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At the Top of My Lungs: Waiting to Exhale
 My most recent CT scan came back with encouraging results. The tumors in my neck have all but disappeared and the primary tumor in my lung has not grown. For now, we can say that my cancer seems to be contained and we are working to manage it so that it does not grow or spread again.
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Dehydration Myths: 7 Things You Should Know About Staying Hydrated
 Every single cell in the human body needs water to function properly. We need water to regulate our temperature, to cushion and protect joints and organs and to help digestion move smoothly. Most of us drink at least some water every day, but now that it's summer and the mercury is rising, it's important to be more vigilant than ever. Need to raise that hydration IQ? Here are some of the most common dehydration myths -- and the facts behind them. Myth: Dehydration is uncomfortable, but not dangerous. Fact: While most of us will only ever experience mild dehydration symptoms
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China mother, fined $54,200 for flouting one-child policy, sues for basic rights
 By Sui-Lee Wee BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese warehouse worker Liu Fei was fined 330,000 yuan ($54,200), or 14 times her yearly wage, for having a second child and her failure to pay means the boy has no access to basic rights like schooling and healthcare. Their dilemma has now triggered a rare legal battle against the police for denying the boy a "hukou" - household registration - due to strict family planning laws. Family planning officials in Beijing told Liu in 2011 she would not be able to obtain a "hukou" if she did not pay up. If I had known, I would never have given birth." Liu's ordeal underscores the punitive nature of China's family planning policy, beyond the more well-known stories of forced abortions and sterilizations, and highlights the plight of an estimated 13 million undocumented children, known as "black children".
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The Downfall in Homogenizing the Causes of Obesity
 The JAMA article pointed out the impressive results from understanding cancer as a genetically complex disease, and developing personalized therapies in response. Isn't it time for us to understand obesity in all its complexity and mirror this process?
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The Mind-Body Connection That Occurs During Yoga (VIDEO)
 We know that yoga feels good, but what's really happening between the brain and the body when we're in Child's Pose? It turns out, the mind-body connection during the practice goes deeper than we might think. According to Dr. John Denninger of the Benson-Henry Institute, certain genes turn on and off during yoga, triggering beneficial responses in the body and the brain. In order to uncover which genes are affected by the practice, Denninger conducted an experiment which measured blood samples of individuals who ranged from yoga beginners to advanced practitioners. ...
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Connecting Time: Make the Time to Connect With Others
 A deep connection to work is wonderful if it doesn't disconnect you from others. It's even better if your connection to work connects you to others and offers them an opportunity to create their own connections in turn. This is not just great business; it keeps you alive!
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U.S. Republicans broaden attacks on Obamacare
 By Caren Bohan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the Obamacare website performing better, congressional Republicans on Wednesday returned to their broader attack on President Barack Obama's healthcare law, warning that it would harm the quality of medical care and drive up costs. They used hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives to highlight what they say are flaws in the 2010 Affordable Care Act that go beyond the potentially transitory issues of the website, HealthCare.gov, and cancellations of several million insurance policies that did not meet the law's standards. Repeating predictions they have been making since the law was being debated in Congress in 2009, Republicans said it would end up restricting consumers' choices of doctors and would ultimately saddle families and businesses with higher premiums. "The Affordable Care Act's fundamental problems can't be fixed with better marketing.
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Hell for the Holidays
 There's an old adage that says that Religion is for people who are afraid of going to Hell, but Spirituality is for people who've already Been There. Having survived a crippling drug addiction (I remain, to this day, a recovering drug addict with over 29 years clean and sober), I'm going to have to stand up and side with the rest of the population when I tell you -- with conviction -- that Hell isn't all fire and brimstone.
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The World Is Waiting for You
 Every one of us can present a gift to the world. We all possess inherent interests and passions and can choose our respective thresholds for risk, exposure and adventure.
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Hundreds of commuters evacuated from San Francisco area train
By Laila Kearney SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hundreds of passengers on a San Francisco Bay Area commuter train were evacuated on Wednesday after a parking brake suddenly deployed in a tunnel and passengers complained of smoke inhalation, authorities said. As many as 15 passengers complained of smoke inhalation, the Oakland Fire Department said on its Twitter feed. "This is primarily due to being confined on the train in the tunnel, and there was smoke or brake dust that resulted from the train trying to move while the brake was engaged," BART spokesman Jim Allison said in a recorded message. There was no immediate word on what caused the parking brake to deploy, nor whether passengers felt ill from breathing smoke, fumes or brake dust.
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Mexico finds stolen truck that carried radioactive material: official
 Mexican police have found a truck they suspect was stolen by common thieves and carried a dangerous radioactive medical material the United Nations said could provide an ingredient for a "dirty bomb," a government official said on Wednesday. The truck was found close to where it was stolen outside Mexico City, said the official, who asked not to be identified in line with policy. The truck was stolen on Monday while it was taking cobalt-60 from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a radioactive waste-storage center, Mexican officials and a U.N. agency said earlier.
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After health law woes, Obama returns focus on middle class, poor
 By Mark Felsenthal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seeking to recover from the bungled rollout of his healthcare reforms, President Barack Obama went back to basics on Wednesday with a renewed focus on government policies that benefit the struggling poor and middle classes. With his job approval ratings sinking, Obama sought to promote some of the ideals he has championed throughout his presidency. "We have to relentlessly push a growth agenda," Obama told a supportive crowd at a community center in one of the capital's poorest neighborhoods. "A relentlessly growing deficit of opportunity is a bigger threat to our future than our rapidly shrinking fiscal deficit." He challenged Republicans in Congress to do more than say 'no' to initiatives including raising the minimum wage or expanding health coverage: offer alternatives and set aside a preoccupation with cutting government spending.
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Are You Afraid to Approach Women?
 Feeling uncomfortable around others is one of the most common problems people have to contend with. There is a subcategory of such people who specifically have great difficulty communicating with members of the opposite sex. They have a fear of failure: a fear that members of the opposite sex will reject them. Although women suffer from approach anxiety, it is much more common with men. About two years ago I recruited male volunteers who complained of approach anxiety for a little study I wanted to conduct. I offered to help them eliminate the beliefs causing their approach anxiety so that
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Diners say not biting on KFC's China revival campaign
 By Lisa Baertlein and Adam Jourdan NEW YORK/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Yum Brands Inc's KFC website in China trumpets the slogan "Trust in every bite." That message is part of the company's new "I Commit" campaign intended to reassure customers in its largest market, who have cut back on visits since Chinese media reports a year ago about excessive antibiotic use by a few KFC suppliers. It is China's largest Western restaurant operator with roughly 4,500 KFC outlets, and the company reaps more than half of its overall operating profit there. Despite a decades-long reputation for serving safe food in China, KFC has struggled to fully restore diners' trust in a country where dangerous contamination scandals are commonplace. Interviews with Chinese consumers suggest that rather than soothing concerns, KFC's new ads are reminding diners about the food safety scare at the fried-chicken chain, which could undermine Yum's mission to revive sales there.
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Dementia epidemic looms with 135 million sufferers seen by 2050
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Many governments are woefully unprepared for an epidemic of dementia currently affecting 44 million people worldwide and set to more than treble to 135 million people by 2050, health experts and campaigners said on Thursday. Fresh estimates from the advocacy group Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) showed a 17 percent increase in the number of people with the incurable mind-robbing condition compared with 2010, and warned that by 2050 more than 70 percent of dementia sufferers will be living in poorer countries. "It's a global epidemic and it is only getting worse," said ADI's executive director Marc Wortmann. It's vital that the World Health Organization makes dementia a priority, so the world is ready to face this condition." Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, is a fatal brain disease that has no cure and few effective treatments.
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New factory puts Iceland in biosimilar drugs race
Iceland is joining the race to make copycat versions of complex biotech drugs with an investment of $250 million in development and manufacturing by Alvotech, a sister company of privately owned U.S.-based Alvogen. The money will pay for a 11,800 square meters facility in Iceland that will open in early 2016. Alvotech was founded by Icelandic entrepreneur Robert Wessman, who also heads Alvogen and who has a track record of building generic drug businesses. He ran Actavis until four years before its 2012 sale to Watson.
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Mexico finds stolen radioactive material amid dirty bomb fear
By Fredrik Dahl and Ana Isabel Martinez VIENNA/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police have found dangerous radioactive medical material stolen by thieves that the United Nations said could provide an ingredient for a "dirty bomb," the country's national nuclear safety commission CNSNS said on Wednesday. The truck was found on Wednesday close to where it was stolen outside Mexico City. The thieves removed the radioactive material from a protective case, exposing them to dangerous levels of radiation then dumped it less than a mile away. "Both the container and the radioactive source have been located," said Mardonio Jimenez Rojas, an official at the commission, told Reuters.
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Toronto Mayor Ford may have tried to buy crack video -police documents
 By Cameron French TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford may have offered cash and a car to buy a video allegedly showing him using crack cocaine, according to notes from police wiretaps. Ford admitted early last month he had smoked crack cocaine, saying it was probably "in one of my drunken stupors," but he said he is not an addict and does not need help. The existence of an alleged video was initially reported in May by the Toronto Star newspaper and media website Gawker. Ford said at the time that he could not comment on a video he had not seen "or does not exist." But according to police notes of a recorded phone conversation involving two suspected gang members, Ford was aware of the video's existence in March, and offered to buy it.
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Updated healthcare.gov gets mixed reviews
 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Counselors helping people use the federal government's online health exchange are giving mixed reviews to the updated site, with some zipping through the application process while others are facing the same old sputters and even crashes.
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Workout videos help 200-lb loss
Rebecca Privitera desperately wanted to lose the excess weight she had carried around her entire life. But her husband told her they couldn't afford surgery or a meal plan. 
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