Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is disease that was first described in children only 20 years ago, but has shown a rising incidence in both children and adults. An inflammatory condition of the esophagus, its symptoms including vomiting, heartburn and difficulty in swallowing. [click link for full article]

The number of cancer deaths in the U.S. declined by 3,014 from 2003 to 2004, marking the second consecutive decline in annual cancer deaths, according to an American Cancer Society report released on Wednesday, the New York Times reports. [click link for full article]

Swimmers and scuba divers can improve their swimming endurance and breathing capacity through targeted training of the respiratory muscles, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.In this pioneering work, subjects who followed a resistance-breathing training protocol (breathing load) improved their respiratory muscle strength and their snorkel swimming time by 33 percent and underwater scuba swimming time by 66 percent, compared to their baseline values. [click link for full article]

A bill introduced on Tuesday by Washington state Rep. Shay Schual-Berke (D) would require school districts in the state that provide sex education to teach medically and scientifically accurate information, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Sex education is not mandatory in the state, although HIV/AIDS prevention education is required. [click link for full article]

Variation in Estimated Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs and Affordability for Beneficiaries Living in Different States,” [click link for full article]

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) has announced that Webster K. Cavenee, Ph.D. has been awarded the 2nd Annual Albert Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research. Dr. Cavenee, Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Distinguished Professor at the University of California, San Diego, won the prize for his groundbreaking discoveries regarding the genetic mechanisms of predisposition to human cancer. Dr. [click link for full article]

The following highlights recent news on state actions regarding human papillomavirus vaccines and abortion. HPV Vaccines Colorado: State House Minority Leader Mike May (R) and state Sen. Suzanne Williams (D) recently introduced a bill that would require girls ages 12 and older to show proof they have received [click link for full article]

In those suffering from allergies, nearly 70% report problems with dust mite allergy. Dust mites are microscopic arthropods present in bedding, carpeting and upholstery. People with dust mite allergy…

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses legislation that would require federal negotiations for Medicare prescription drug prices, a bill to expand embryonic stem cell research and a prescription drug reimportation measure in this week’s ” [click link for full article]

A UK study reveals that owning a dog is good for your health. And having a pet dog improves your physical and mental wellbeing more than having a cat. This is the conclusion of a study by a senior lecturer, Dr Deborah Wells, from the Canine Behaviour Centre of Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.Dr Wells has published her study in the British Journal of Health Psychology. [click link for full article]