Health Buzz: The Latest in Medical News

Parity for Mental Illness Treatment

Two Kennedys are battling it out in Congress over mental health coverage. Yesterday the House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a Democrat from Rhode Island, that requires health insurers to cover mental illness treatments as they do physical ailments.
Kennedy's father, Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, is sponsoring a competing bill in the Senate that gives insurance companies more flexibility. Whether some version of these bills turns into law remains to be seen: Congress has attempted to provide parity in mental illness coverage before.

Where does your state fall?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, today released a state-by-state snapshot of mental health problems, alcohol abuse, substence dependency, and tobacco use in the United States. Some statistics: North Dakota scored lowest in the nation on percentage of citizens using illicit drugs, but it ranks the highest for underage alcohol use.  New Jersey reports the lowest percentage of people with substance abuse problems, while the District of Columbia reports the high for the country at 12.3 percent. Where does your state fall? Check it out here.

Recalled drug has contaminant

The Federal Drug Administration is determining whether a contaminant in the recalled drug heparin, a prescription blood thinner, is behind 19 deaths in the United States. The federal agency is also investigating whether the addition of the contaminant was an accident or a deliberate action.

The raw ingredients of the Baxer International blood thinner that are under scrutiny include pig intestines produced in China. Millions of products partly or fully manufactured in China, from toys to food items and pet food, have been recalled over the past year.

The contaminant in the heparin remains unidentified.

Sad News for 'Dirty Dancing' fans

Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from his publicist.  The star of the 1987 romance "Dirty Dancing" and other movies is 55 years old, and is responding well to the treatment, according to news reports.

Yes, cell phones in cars are dangerous

A study released yesterday by Carnegie Mellon shows that just listening to a cell phone causes a car driver to make the same mistakes as a driver under the influence of alcohol.  Using brain imaging technology, scientists noticed that talking on the phone reduces the amount of the driver's brain activity devoted to driving by 37 percent. And no, hands-free devices and voice-activated technology don't help matters.