Top Medical News: KFC, Viagra, Fruit Flies, Salty Food, Meat Glue, Insomnia, Glaucoma, Pain, & More

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1. KFC ordered to pay $8.3 million to Australian girl: Fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken has been ordered to pay Aus$8 million (US $8.3 million) to an Australian girl who suffered severe brain damage and was paralysed after eating a Twister wrap.

2. Soft drinks: Public enemy No.1 in obesity fight?: Would cutting sweetened drinks help America's fight against weight or diabetes? About 25% of Americans gets at least 200 calories a day from sugary drinks. Beverage makers say their products are part of a sensible diet.

3. Loyal Companion Helps a Veteran Regain Her Life After War Trauma: Tori Stitt is among a growing group of war veterans finding that service dogs can offer relief from some of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.

4. High Reps With Low Weights Builds Muscle, Too: Study shows that lifting a ton is not the only way to bulk up.

5. Research Gets Closer to Genetic Roots of Glaucoma: Two genetic variations are linked to a common form of glaucoma, known as primary open-angle glaucoma, according to new research.

6. Denosumab (Xgeva) Not Approved For Metastasis Prevention: Amgen's application for expanded indications for denosumab (Xgeva) were turned down by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) - the expanded indications were to include bone metastases prevention in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

7. High salt intake linked to higher stroke risk: Older adults with salty diets may have an increased risk of suffering a stroke, a new study suggests. 

8. Should you be grossed out by 'meat glue?': Still reeling from the specter of "pink slime," beef industry officials on Friday fought off another culinary creep-out: “meat glue.” Reports say some restaurants are sticking together scrap meat and calling it prime steak, but experts contend that's not quite the case.

9. Thirty percent of US workers don't get enough sleep: Nearly a third of workers in the U.S. aren't getting enough sleep, according to a new government report.

10. Study reveals direct correlation between negative thinking about pain and poor sleep: Chronic pain sufferers who learn to dwell less on their ailments may sleep better and experience less day-to-day pain, according to results of research conducted on 214 people with chronic face and jaw pain.

11. More physicians calling the shots in latest round of ACOs. Most of the new accountable care organizations approved by Medicare are led by doctors, who can share bonuses for keeping patients healthy and cutting costs.

12. D.C. Week: Hospital Payment Update Proposed. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a slight pay hike for hospitals for 2013, and the Government Accountability Office said the Obama administration should cancel a Medicare bonus program.

13. Fruit Flies Provide New Knowledge About Uninhibited Cell Growth: In a new study, scientists at the University of Copenhagen show that a specific type of carbohydrate plays an important role in the intercellular signalling that controls the growth and development of the nervous system.

14. FDA Backs New Rival For Viagra: The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new drug from Vivus Inc. to treat erectile dysfunction.