Anxiety in middle age linked to dementia later

(Reuters Health) - People with moderate to severe anxiety in middle age may be more likely to develop dementia as they get older, a recent study suggests.

Obesity tied to worse disability in rheumatoid arthritis

(Reuters Health) - People with rheumatoid arthritis and obesity may be more likely to become disabled than their counterparts who maintain a healthier weight, a U.S. study suggests.

Healthy, smoke-free lifestyle tied to at least an extra decade of life

(Reuters Health) - Adults who follow a healthy lifestyle in middle age may extend their lifespan by more than a decade and have a lower risk of dying from cancer or heart disease, a U.S. study suggests.

U.S. appellate judges seem divided on gene editing patents decision

(Reuters) - U.S. appeals court judges appear divided over whether to allow a research center affiliated with MIT and Harvard to keep patents potentially worth billions of dollars on a groundbreaking gene editing technology known as CRISPR.

Fewer African-Americans admitted to ICU for heart failure receive cardiologist care

(Reuters Health) - African-Americans admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for heart failure are less likely than white patients to receive care by a cardiologist.

FDA clears Pluristem radiation treatment for emergency use

HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - Pluristem Therapeutics Inc, a developer of placenta-based stem cell products, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the emergency use of its therapy to treat acute radiation exposure in a nuclear event.

Hong Kong scrambles for talent in battle for Nasdaq's biotech crown

HONG KONG (Reuters) - When Hong Kong unveiled plans last year to encourage biotech companies to list in the city by loosening listing rules, the financial industry and investors cheered.

Zimbabwe says will issue cannabis licences to growers

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans can now apply for licences to grow cannabis for medical and research purposes, the government has said in a legal notice, making the southern African nation the second country in Africa to legalize cultivation of the plant.

Eating better tied to lower risk of liver disease

(Reuters Health) - People who make an effort to improve their diet may be more likely to have less fat in their livers and a lower risk of liver disease than individuals who stick to unhealthy eating habits, a U.S. study suggests.

Fewer dementia patients die after surgery when nurses more educated

(Reuters Health) - Patients with Alzheimer's disease and dementia may be less likely to die after surgery when they're treated at hospitals that employ a larger proportion of nurses with at least a college degree, a U.S. study suggests.

U.S. FTC requires Amneal and Impax to divest rights to 10 generic drugs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Friday it would require Impax Laboratories Inc and privately held Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC to divest rights to 10 generic medications as a condition of their merger.

Talk therapy may help soldiers combat insomnia

(Reuters Health) - Talk therapy for insomnia is effective at reducing insomnia, as well as mental fatigue, among military personnel, according to a new study.

Ninety-eight now sick from romaine lettuce-linked E. coli: CDC

(Reuters) - Fourteen more people fell ill from an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, U.S. health officials said on Friday, bringing the number of people affected to 98 across 22 U.S. states.