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

Mens' Weight Affects Sperm Quality

Men who weigh too much or too little have poor sperm quality, according to a new Danish study.

The study found that sperm counts and sperm concentration were 28.1 percent and 36.4 percent lower, respectively, in underweight men than they were for men of normal weight, the Associated Press reported. The same measures were 21.6 percent and 23.9 percent lower respectively in overweight men.

"Low BMI can result from a 'healthy lifestyle' but may also be due to many chronic diseases," the authors wrote in the latest issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Experts say they don't know why this is happening, but offered some guesses. "It may be an alteration in hormonal values," Dr. Anthony J. Thomas Jr., a Cleveland Clinic urologist and president of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, told the AP. He was not involved in the study.

A separate study found that dapoxetine hydrochloride, the first oral drug developed to treat premature ejaculation, is safe and effective when prescribed as needed.

The study included 166 men who were randomly assigned to receive either 60-milligram or 100-mg doses of the drug, or a placebo. The men's sex partners measured the duration of sexual intercourse with stopwatches.

Further large-scale clinical trials of the drug are now being conducted.

It's estimated that premature ejaculation affects about 30 percent of men at some time in their lives.

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Report Focuses on Oral Sex Transmission of Syphilis

About 14 percent of primary and secondary syphilis cases reported in Chicago between 2000 and 2002 were transmitted through oral sex, according to a new report by the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The report said that about 20 percent of men who have sex with men (MSM) with syphilis reported only oral sex exposure to syphilis. According to the report, gay men were 3.8 times and 3.4 times more likely than heterosexual men and women, respectively, to report only oral sex exposure.

Of the MSM with syphilis, 51 percent were HIV-positive, 14 percent were HIV-negative, and 34 percent did not know their HIV status.

The risk of transmitting HIV via oral sex is much lower than the risk through anal or vaginal sex. However, oral sex is an efficient way of transmitting syphilis, the report noted.

The report's authors said the people need to be aware of the risk of syphilis transmission through oral sex. People also need to understand the role of syphilis in making it easier to transmit HIV and its possible role in progression of HIV.

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Castro Suffers Fractures from a Fall

Cuban President Fidel Castro suffered a broken knee and a hairline fracture in his right arm as the result of a fall Wednesday night. The incident raises questions about the health of the 78-year-old leader.

Castro stumbled after he left the stage following a televised speech he made during a graduation ceremony. Shortly after the fall, Castro told state television that he was "all in one piece."

The Cuban government later released a statement that said Castro's general health is good and that his spirits are excellent, CBC News Online reported.

Castro has ruled Cuba for 45 years. His health is of keen interest to political enemies and members of Cuba's exile community, many of whom live in Florida.

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Troubled Flu Shot Maker May Not Produce Vaccine Next Year

U.S. health officials may well be scrambling to find another producer of flu vaccine after Chiron Corp. said it couldn't assure delivery to the United States next year, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Earlier this month, the British government suspended vaccine production at Chiron's Liverpool plant, citing contamination problems. That caused a widespread shortage of flu vaccine in the United States this season because the company was to have produced about 48 million of the 100 million doses ordered by the U.S. government.

In announcing Wednesday that it couldn't assure delivery next year, Chiron said it must still craft a plan to fix sterility problems at the British facility. Chiron would have to begin producing new vaccine by March to supply the United States for the 2005-2006 flu season, the Times reported.

Citing pending litigation by upset shareholders, Chiron CEO Howard Pien said the company might not comment on its progress in fixing the manufacturing flaws until January, when the British government's three-month suspension of Chiron's license is to end, the newspaper said.

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Birth Control Pill Lowers Heart Disease Risk

A new U.S. study says that women who use birth control pills have a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke and no increased risk of breast cancer. The findings contradict the results of many previous studies.

The study's results are based on data from nearly 162,000 women in the Women's Health Initiative, the largest-ever women's health study, the Associated Press reported.

Researchers concluded that women who had used birth control pills at some point in their lives had an 8 percent reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and a 7 percent reduced risk of developing any form of cancer.

Previous studies found that birth control pills increased the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study was presented Wednesday at a conference of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

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More Than 1 Cup of Coffee Raises Heart Risks: Study

That second cup of coffee in the morning could raise your risk of heart disease, Greek researchers say.

Drinking more than a single cup per day appears to increase a person's chances of cardiovascular inflammation, according to scientists at the University of Athens and Harokopio University.

The researchers studied 3,000 people and found that those who drank more than 200 milliliters of coffee per day had 30 percent higher levels of C-reactive protein and 3 percent higher white blood cell counts. Both of these factors indicate cardiovascular inflammation, which studies have shown is linked to an increased risk of heart attack.

The study, reported by the Herald of London, is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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Illnesses from Drinking Water at Near-Record Lows

A new report finds that illnesses tied to drinking water are steadily declining and are at or near the lowest point since the U.S. government began recording the outbreaks.

The report cites tougher water standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the main force behind the drop.

In 2001-02, the last year for which complete figures are available, 31 outbreaks sickened 1,030 Americans, killing seven, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the previous reporting period, there were 39 outbreaks, the CDC said in the Oct. 22 issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

According to the report, nearly four in five outbreaks were associated with a pathogen, and 20 percent were tied to chemical poisonings.

Last Updated: Oct-21-2004