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Self-harm, suicide attempts climb among US girls

CHICAGO (AP) — Attempted suicides, drug overdoses, cutting and other types of self-injury have increased substantially in U.S. girls, a 15-year study of emergency room visits found. It’s unclear why, but some mental health experts think cyberbullying, substance abuse and economic stress from the recent recession might be contributing. The rising rates “should be of concern to parents, teachers, and pediatricians. One important reason to focus on reducing self-harm is that it is key risk factor for suicide,” said Dr. Mark Olfson, a Columbia University psychiatry professor who ...

US scientists attempt first gene editing in the human body

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Scientists for the first time have tried editing a gene inside the body in a bold attempt to permanently change a person’s DNA to try to cure a disease. The experiment was done Monday in California on 44-year-old Brian Madeux. Through an IV, he received billions of copies of a corrective gene and a genetic tool to cut his DNA in a precise spot. “It’s kind of humbling” to be the first to test this, said Madeux, who has a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome. “I’m willing to take that risk. Hopefully it will help me and other people.” Signs ...

FDA warns of injury, death with herbal supplement kratom

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health authorities are warning about reports of injury, addiction and death with a herbal supplement that has been promoted as an alternative to opioid painkillers and other prescription drugs The supplement, kratom, made from a plant native to Southeast Asia, has gained popularity in the U.S. as a treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. Users have opposed efforts to regulate the plant, saying it could be a safer alternative to opioid pain pills that have caused an epidemic of abuse. But the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that kratom ...

Study suggests women less likely to get CPR from bystanders

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Women are less likely than men to get CPR from a bystander and more likely to die, a new study suggests, and researchers think reluctance to touch a woman’s chest might be one reason. Only 39 percent of women suffering cardiac arrest in a public place were given CPR versus 45 percent of men, and men were 23 percent more likely to survive, the study found. It involved nearly 20,000 cases around the country and is the first to examine gender differences in receiving heart help from the public versus professional responders. “It can be kind of daunting ...

Boy with rare disease gets new skin

LONDON (AP) — Doctors treating a critically ill boy with a devastating skin disease used experimental gene therapy to create an entirely new skin for most of his body in a desperate attempt to save his life. Two years later, the doctors report the boy is doing so well that he doesn’t need any medication, is back in school and even playing soccer. “We were forced to do something dramatic because this kid was dying,” said Dr. Michele De Luca of the University of Modena in Italy, who got a call for help from the German doctors treating the boy. The boy, then 7, was ...

Drugstore pain pills as effective as opioids in ER patients

CHICAGO (AP) — Emergency rooms are where many patients are first introduced to powerful opioid painkillers, but what if doctors offered over-the-counter pills instead? A new study tested that approach on patients with broken bones and sprains and found pain relievers sold as Tylenol and Motrin worked as well as opioids at reducing severe pain. The results challenge common ER practice for treating short-term, severe pain and could prompt changes that would help prevent new patients from becoming addicted. The study has limitations: It only looked at short-term pain relief in the ...