Health roundup: Cranberry juice not much help for UTIs

Your Thursday morning health roundup:

Cranberries and bladders: Cranberry juice may be a popular way to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), but studies have failed to demonstrate a very impressive effect, says the latest research review. A woman with recurring infections might have to drink the juice twice a day for months to prevent even one infection. Pills made with concentrated cranberries have not proved very effective, either, but it's worth continuing to study them to see if an effective dose can be found, researchers say. (WebMD)

TB battle: A worldwide effort to someday eliminate tuberculosis is threatened by the rise of drug-resistant cases, says an annual report from the World Health Organization. Though cases and deaths are dropping, TB sickened 8.7 million people and kiilled 1.4 million last year. (CNN)

Antidepressants and stroke: People taking a popular type of anti-depressant medication have a slightly increased risk of brain-bleeding strokes, new research suggests. The medications involved are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft and the risk amounts to about one brain bleed for 10,000 people taking the drugs for a year. (Reuters)

Today's talker: You've probably heard the phrase 'Doctor, heal thyself.' But it may not be such good advice. A new study finds people who work in hospitals -- a group that includes doctors, nurses, aides, technicians and others -- are less healthy than the population at large. And researchers speculate that one reason may be that health workers are over-confident about their ability to handle their own problems -- or may be embarrassed to seek help from other staffers who know them. In any case, they end up using more health care dollars than the rest of us. (Time)