Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Prince Was to Meet With Doctor to Discuss Drug Addiction Treatment
Before Prince died, he was scheduled to meet with a doctor about how to kick an addiction to powerful prescription painkillers, according to a Minneapolis lawyer with knowledge of the investigation into the musician's death.
The appointment was with Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California-based expert on opioid painkiller addiction.
Kornfeld was called by Prince's representatives the night of April 20 because the musician "was dealing with a grave medical emergency," William Mauzy, a lawyer working with the Kornfeld family, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
However, Kornfeld could not clear his schedule to meet with Prince the next day, April 21, and planned to fly to Minnesota on April 22. Instead, Kornfeld sent his son and co-worker Andrew Kornfeld to meet Prince on April 21 and explain how the confidential treatment would work, according to Mauzy.
"The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," the lawyer explained.
But when Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Prince's home, the musician could not be found. His body was eventually discovered in an elevator by Kornfeld and two other people. Kornfeld called 911.
Mauzy's account was confirmed by several other people with direct knowledge of the investigation, the Star Tribune reported.
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Mislabeled Blue Bell Ice Cream a Threat to People With Wheat, Soy Allergies
Mislabeled ice cream that may pose a threat to people with wheat and soy allergies has been recalled by Blue Bell Ice Cream.
The recall is for specific lots of pints that are labeled as Rocky Road but may actually contain Cookies 'n Cream ice cream. People with wheat and soy allergies could suffer life-threatening reactions if they eat the ice cream.
No illnesses have been reported to date, according to the company.
The recalled ice cream has the code 022918576 on the bottom of the pints, which were distributed in Texas and Louisiana. Consumers can return the recalled pints to the place of purchase for a full refund.
For more information, call Blue Bell at 979-836-7977, Monday Friday 8 a.m. 5 p.m. CST.
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Listeria Threat Expands Recall of Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Possible listeria contamination has led to an expanded recall of frozen organic and traditional fruits and vegetables produced by CRF Frozen Foods.
The recall now covers about 358 products sold under 42 brands that were made/processed in CRF's facility in Pasco, Wash. since May 1, 2014. All the recalled products have best by or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018.
The products were sold across the U.S. and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Consumers with the recalled products should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. For more information, call CRF at 844-483-3866.
Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly or frail people, and those with weakened immune systems, and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
Several people in three states became ill after eating the recalled CRF products, and two of them later died, but listeria was not the cause of death in either case, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Sexual Abstinence/Fidelity Programs Don't Help Prevent HIV/AIDS: Study
U.S. government-funded overseas programs that promote abstaining from sex and being faithful in marriage do nothing to reduce HIV/AIDS rates, a new study finds.
The Stanford University findings in the journal Health Affairs suggest the tens of millions of dollars spent on those programs in 22 countries as part of the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief could be better used elsewhere, United Press International reported.
"Changing sexual behavior is not an easy thing," study author Dr. Eran Bendavid, an assistant professor of medicine, said in a university news release.
"These are very personal decisions. When individuals make decisions about sex, they are not typically thinking about the billboard they may have seen or the guy who came by the village and said they should wait until marriage. Behavioral change is much more complicated than that," Bendavid explained.
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New EU Rules for E-Cigarettes OK'd by Top Court
New legislation to regulate electronic cigarettes, ban menthol cigarettes and require plain packaging on cigarettes was approved Wednesday by the European Union's top court.
The EU legislation is in line with efforts to protect public health, according to the European Court of Justice, the Associated Press reported.
The legislation bans menthol and other tobacco flavorings and mandates standardized, plain labels that cover cigarette packs at least 65 percent with health warnings.
It also limits e-cigarette nicotine levels to 20 grams, requires them to carry warnings, and restricts advertising and sponsorship by their makers, the AP reported.
