Gender Plays Role in Kidney Transplant Outcomes

FRIDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women who receive kidneys from males have a higher rate of graft failure than other donor-recipient combinations, and gender should be considered when choosing donor matches, a new Swiss study says.

 Health Highlights: July 4, 2008

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

 On Independence Day, Think Fireworks Safety First

FRIDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- Fireworks can be breathtaking spectacles, creating glittering showers of sparks and earth-rumbling booms that thrill people for miles around.

 Health Tip: Have a Safe Fourth of July

(HealthDay News) -- Food, fun and fireworks are all part of the Fourth of July holiday.

 Health Tip: Trying Pregnancy Again

(HealthDay News) -- Trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage can be fraught with a host of emotional and physical concerns.

Yesterday

 Screening Athletes Could Cut Sudden Cardiac Death Risk

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Including an electrocardiogram in screenings for heart disorders in competitive athletes would improve detection of those at risk for sudden cardiac death and save lives, say Italian researchers.

 Kidney Cancer Vaccine Shows No Boost in Survival

FRIDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- The new vaccine vitespen didn't increase recurrence-free survival among kidney cancer patients who'd had surgery, say U.S. researchers.

 Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent sexual intercourse may cut down on a man's chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Finnish researchers report.

 Working Hard When Tired Raises Blood Pressure

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Doing mental or physical work while exhausted may harm your health, a new study shows.

 New Tests Assess Kids' Sense of Smell, Taste

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- A series of tests that are the first to accurately assess children's ability to taste and smell have been developed by Australian researchers.

 SIDS Linked to Brain Chemical Dysfunction

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- A malfunction in the regulation of the brain chemical serotonin may be at the root of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), new research suggests.

 New Drug-Coated Stent Approved

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- The Xience drug-coated stent, used to prop open a blocked or narrowed artery in people with coronary artery disease, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, maker Abbott Laboratories said.

 Barcode Technology Flaws Put Some Patients at Risk

THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Flaws in the design and implementation of barcode systems designed to match hospital patients with the right dose of the right medication can increase the risk of certain medication errors, according to a study that looked at the use of the system in five U.S. hospitals.

 Freeze-Dried Formula May Block HIV Virus in Breast Milk

THURSDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- In developing countries where breast-feeding is a necessity, and HIV is rampant, the risk of disease transmission through breast milk might be reduced if infants were first fed a freeze-dried formula full of good bacteria that could capture and potentially destroy the deadly virus.