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FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs that many men with prostate cancer might already be taking -- cholesterol-lowering statins -- may help extend their survival if they have a "high-risk" form of the disease, new research suggests. High-risk patients include men with high blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and a "Gleason score" of 8 or more. Gleason scores are a calculation used to gauge prognosis in prostate cancer. Men with a high Gleason score may develop difficult-to-treat cancers. Prior research had suggested that statins and the diabetes drug metformin (often prescribed together) have anticancer properties. However, it hasn't been clear which of the two drugs is the bigger cancer-fighter, or whether either might help against high-risk prostate...

FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- With stories about the new coronavirus outbreak flooding the media, it's easy to get scared. And if you're scared, your kids might be, too -- but they don't have to be. Honesty and directness are key when talking to your child about this new virus, said Diane Bales, associate professor of human development and family science at the University of Georgia, in Athens. To relieve your child's fears about the virus, she recommends these steps: Monitor your child's social media. Not all information your child receives will be accurate and reliable. Keep an eye on what they're watching or reading, so you can put information in context. Remind your child that coronavirus isn't widespread in the United States. Don't downplay the outbreak's...

FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Bedtime without your partner on Valentine's Day could make sleep elusive. But a new study suggests one remedy: Cuddling up with a piece of his or her clothing. Researchers say having a loved one's natural scent nearby could be as effective a sleep aid as melatonin. "One of the most surprising findings is how a romantic partner's scent can improve sleep quality even outside of our conscious awareness," said study senior author Frances Chen. She's an associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. For the study, 155 people were given two T-shirts to use as pillowcases. One had been worn by their lover; the other was clean or had been worn by a stranger. While the participants' partners were wearing...

FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Coronavirus cases in China have nearly reached 64,000, while the death count is approaching 1,400, Chinese health officials reported Friday. For the first time, the number of medical workers who have been infected with the virus was reported Friday, with 1,700 confirmed illnesses and six deaths, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that two new cases have been confirmed in this country, upping the total from 13 to 15. Both of the new cases involved patients who were among the hundreds of American evacuees from China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak. The latest case, announced Thursday, "is among a group of people under a federal quarantine order at...