Scientist: Cell Phone Use May Increase Cancer Risk

NPR - Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:41 p.m.

The head of a cancer research center in Pittsburgh is urging his faculty and staff to limit their use of cell phones. Another scientist, Daniel Wartenberg, a professor at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, says it may be better to be safe than sorry.

Booming business helps patients navigate medicine

AP - Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:45 p.m.

NORCROSS, Ga. (AP) -- After three surgeries, Judy Sherer still had chronic pain in her left shoulder. She\'d lost faith in her doctors, and in despair tried a new health benefit offered by her employer....

Need Some Botox With That Flu Shot?

NPR - Thursday, July 24, 2008 1 p.m.

Primary care doctors say they\'re having more and more trouble making ends meet; they\'re drowning in paperwork and making less than specialists. So, a growing number of general practitioners are adding cosmetic procedures to their offerings as a way to bring in more money.

US fentanyl deaths topped 1,000 over 2 years

AP - Thursday, July 24, 2008 12:47 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- More than 1,000 people died over two years from an illegal version of the painkiller fentanyl, the government reported Thursday in its first national tally of those deaths....

Officials: Search for HIV vaccine needs overhaul

AP - Thursday, July 24, 2008 11 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists will have to take "enormous intellectual leaps" to develop an AIDS vaccine in the coming years, say researchers clearly frustrated by the failure of a once-promising shot....

A hot (pepper) lead in hunt for salmonella source

AP - Thursday, July 24, 2008 5 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It was a hot lead for detectives on a cold case. People suddenly were getting salmonella at a Minnesota restaurant more than 1,000 miles from the center of the nation\'s outbreak....

Pittsburgh cancer center warns of cell phone risks

AP - Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:13 a.m.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer....

Statin study could lead to test for gene variant

AP - Wednesday, July 23, 2008 2:02 p.m.

Scientists may have found a way to test for and possibly avoid the most serious side effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, one of the top-selling medicines in the world....

ADHD increasingly common in older kids, CDC says

AP - Wednesday, July 23, 2008 1:18 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- More older children are being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder while the rate is holding steady for children under 12, according to a government report released Wednesday....

Study On Viagra For Depressed Women Scrutinized

NPR - Wednesday, July 23, 2008 11:12 a.m.

A new study suggests that Viagra may help women who experience sexual dysfunction as a side effect of drug treatment for depression. Some researchers doubt the study\'s findings and say more work needs to be done.

Foreign-born TB cases need better control, US says

AP - Tuesday, July 22, 2008 11:54 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Tuberculosis cases continue to fall in the United States, but some immigrants have disturbingly high rates of the disease, according to a study released Tuesday that called for more aggressive action....

Polygamist sect leader Jeffs, 5 others indicted

AP - Tuesday, July 22, 2008 4:43 p.m.

ELDORADO, Texas (AP) -- A grand jury has indicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs and five of his followers. Jeffs, who was indicted Tuesday, is accused of sexual assault. The charges and identities of the others were being withheld until authorities can arrest them, said Schleicher County clerk Peggy Williams....

Women on antidepressants may benefit from Viagra

AP - Tuesday, July 22, 2008 4:38 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Viagra\'s effect in women has been disappointing, but a new small study finds those on antidepressants may benefit from taking the little blue pills. The research involving 98 premenopausal women found Viagra helped with orgasm. But the benefits did not extend to other aspects of sex such as desire, researchers report in Wednesday\'s Journal of the American Medical Association....

FDA finds salmonella strain in jalapeno pepper

AP - Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1:28 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Government inspectors finally have a big clue in the nationwide salmonella outbreak: They found the same bacteria strain on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper handled in Texas - and issued a stronger warning for consumers to avoid fresh jalapenos....

Quest: Repairing more hearts with implanted pumps

AP - Monday, July 21, 2008 4:14 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- When it comes to hearts, Taneal Wilson won the lottery. A small pump implanted to keep the 31-year-old alive long enough for a heart transplant somehow helped Wilson\'s ravaged heart completely recover instead....

Health officials tout computer prescribing

AP - Monday, July 21, 2008 2:34 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Those hard-to-read scribbled prescriptions from doctors could soon become a rarity. Beginning Jan. 1, the federal government will boost Medicare\'s payments to doctors that send prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy rather than writing them out on paper and handing them to the patient....

Mass. woman diagnosed with rare brain disease

AP - Monday, July 21, 2008 2:22 p.m.

BOSTON (AP) -- An elderly woman has been diagnosed with a rare brain disorder, state health officials said Monday....

AP - Monday, July 21, 2008 12:48 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- FDA finds salmonella in a Mexican-grown jalapeno in a Texas plant, clue to outbreak\'s source....

Singapore says will study kidney donor payments

AP - Monday, July 21, 2008 8:52 a.m.

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore will study the possibility of paying some kidney donors to help meet demand for kidney transplants, the city-state\'s health minister said Monday....

Singapore to examine kidney trading

AP - Monday, July 21, 2008 2:56 a.m.

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore is considering legalizing kidney trading to help meet demand for kidney transplants, the city-state\'s health minister said Monday....

WHO says Asia should act against tuberculosis

AP - Sunday, July 20, 2008 10:47 p.m.

TOKYO (AP) -- The World Health Organization urged Asian countries on Monday to take action against the growing threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis, warning that even more virulent forms of the disease could spread if they fail to do so....

Tomato scare ending; fears linger for many people

AP - Sunday, July 20, 2008 1:34 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The tomato scare may be over, but it has taken a toll - it\'s cost the industry an estimated $100 million and left millions of people with a new wariness about the safety of everyday foods....

Military Psychologist Helps Troops Combat Fear

NPR - Sunday, July 20, 2008 12:01 a.m.

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a retired West Point psychology professor, teaches military and police officers how to manage the crippling mental and physical effects of extreme fear. He utilizes a technique called "stress inoculation."

A 540-calorie Big Mac? NY chains post calorie info

AP - Saturday, July 19, 2008 11:10 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Customers at big fast-food chains in New York City are finally facing the facts about their meal choices. And for some, the truth may be hard to swallow - like 1,130 calories for a Big Mac, medium fries and a medium soda....

Geriatric Care For Animals

NPR - Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:26 p.m.

As veterinary medicine improves, zoo animals are living far beyond their normal lifespans. Andrea Seabrook visits the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., to see how keepers there care for an elderly elephant.

Health officials: Don't eat lobster tomalley

AP - Friday, July 18, 2008 4:04 p.m.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Maine officials are advising consumers to avoid eating lobster tomalley after tests revealed high levels of toxins in some lobsters....

Mississippi remains most obese state, CDC reports

AP - Friday, July 18, 2008 1:24 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- The South tips the scales again as the nation\'s fattest region, according to a new government survey....

Record number of babies born last year

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:44 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More babies were born in the United States last year than ever before, according to preliminary data, but it\'s not another baby boom just yet....

Family sues co. for muscular dystrophy drug

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 6:13 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Minnesota family is trying to force a New Jersey drug company to give their son an experimental drug for a fatal form of muscular dystrophy, saying he\'ll die without it....

Salmonella Warning On Tomatoes Lifted

NPR - Thursday, July 17, 2008 4:21 p.m.

The U.S. government says it is safe to eat tomatoes again. It lifted its salmonella warning after its investigation of what caused the outbreak found no evidence of the bacteria. Investigators are now taking their search to a packing facility in Mexico.

Alzheimer's vaccine stopped plaque, not dementia

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 4:09 p.m.

LONDON (AP) -- Some doctors have long suspected that if the plaque that builds up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer\'s disease could be removed, they could be saved. But a new vaccine that did just that suggests the theory is wrong....

Donor kidneys removed with single bellybutton cut

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:18 p.m.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it....

Bill Clinton aims to stabilize malaria drug prices

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 1:51 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former President Clinton\'s foundation has signed pricing agreements with several suppliers involved in making a malaria-fighting drug in an effort to stabilize the medication\'s fluctuating costs and ensure more dependable availability....

Plans for large-scale AIDS vaccine trial dropped

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 1:49 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Plans for a large-scale trial of a potential AIDS vaccine are being dropped in favor of a smaller, more focused study, the National Institutes of Health said Thursday....

Singing for sex: Even toadfish do it

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 11:10 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It\'s not exactly Tony serenading Maria in "West Side Story," but for all their homeliness toadfish also sing to attract mates....

'Crop Doc' Fights For Iowa Farms

NPR - Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:16 a.m.

The price of corn is at an all-time high, but farmers in Iowa are having trouble growing it. Officials say flood-related crop losses could total $4 billion. Armed with a "master\'s in oats and a Ph.D. in weeds," Jim Fawcett is dedicated to preventing additional losses.

Polio resurfaces in region of Pakistan

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:13 a.m.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- An eight-month-old Pakistani girl has tested positive for polio in an area where militants campaigned against vaccination, a World Health Organization official said Thursday....

Report: Invest $10 a person for better health

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 7:24 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Investing just $10 per person - roughly the price of a six-pack of beer and some chips - could greatly fuel community programs that get couch potatoes moving, prevent smoking and improve nutrition, researchers say....

Study: Low-carb diet best for weight, cholesterol

AP - Thursday, July 17, 2008 4:23 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atkins diet may have proved itself after all: A low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style regimen helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet in one of the longest and largest studies to compare the dueling weight-loss techniques....

Researchers: Menthol used to attract young smokers

AP - Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:25 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tobacco companies deliberately changed the menthol levels in cigarettes depending upon whom they were marketing them to - lower levels for young smokers who preferred the milder brands and higher levels to "lock in lifelong adult smokers," researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded....

In The U.S. And Holland, Diabetes Looks Different

NPR - Wednesday, July 16, 2008 noon

The Netherlands\' health care system resembles a giant HMO in many ways. Unlike in the U.S., however, Dutch citizens are universally insured, and the system is organized around encouraging preventive care for patients with chronic illness.

Study: When kids become teens, they get sluggish

AP - Wednesday, July 16, 2008 4:39 a.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- One of the largest studies of its kind shows just how sluggish American children become once they hit the teen years: While 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do....

E. coli linked to beef now reported in 5 states

AP - Tuesday, July 15, 2008 3:58 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- An E. coli outbreak traced to recalled beef in Michigan and Ohio has spawned cases in three other states, U.S. health officials said Tuesday....

Teachers become nurses as schools get squeezed

AP - Tuesday, July 15, 2008 2:39 p.m.

During the past two school years, teacher Julia Keyse had to enforce an unusual rule in her kindergarten and first-grade classroom: No interrupting while she pricked Caylee\'s finger to check her blood sugar and adjusted her insulin pump....

S.D. Abortion Doctors Must Say: You're Ending A Life

NPR - Tuesday, July 15, 2008 1 p.m.

A new law in South Dakota requires doctors performing abortions to explain that the procedure would end the life of a human being. Slate.com\'s Will Saletan discusses the new law.

Physical fitness may slow Alzheimer brain atrophy

AP - Tuesday, July 15, 2008 4:44 a.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Getting a lot of exercise may help slow brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimer\'s disease, a preliminary study suggests. Analysis found that participants who were more physically fit had less brain shrinkage than less-fit participants. However, they didn\'t do significantly better on tests for mental performance....

Doctors hopeful easier blood thinners are nearing

AP - Monday, July 14, 2008 6:06 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A trio of experimental drugs has doctors hopeful that for the first time in decades, millions of people at risk of lethal blood clots may soon get easier treatment....

Group to demand US clear Mexican tomatoes

AP - Monday, July 14, 2008 2:42 p.m.

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexico\'s health secretary says a team of health and agriculture officials has traveled to the United States to demand that Mexican tomatoes be cleared of any suspicion in a recent salmonella outbreak....

Animal Disease Lab Plans Controversial Relocation

NPR - Sunday, July 13, 2008 8 a.m.

The Department of Homeland Security is considering relocating the nation\'s main animal disease lab. Now located on an isolated island off New York, the lab could be moved to North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, or Kansas. Local residents, farmers and ranchers are worried, while local officials anticipate the money and prestige the lab might bring.

Pioneering heart doctor Michael DeBakey dead at 99

AP - Saturday, July 12, 2008 4:26 p.m.

HOUSTON (AP) -- When Dr. Michael E. DeBakey pushed forward with his groundbreaking research and maverick approach to medicine a half century ago, heart surgery was a medical marvel....

Study: As gas prices go up, auto deaths drop

AP - Friday, July 11, 2008 10:33 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- High gas prices could turn out to be a lifesaver for some drivers. The authors of a new study say gas prices are causing driving declines that could result in a third fewer auto deaths annually, with the most dramatic drop likely to be among teen drivers....

Ag Dept to name retailers during recalls

AP - Friday, July 11, 2008 2:28 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumers may be told if their local grocery store got tainted meat during a recall under a new policy announced Friday by the Agriculture Department....

AMA apologizes to black doctors for past racism

AP - Thursday, July 10, 2008 1:27 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Transplant surgeon Clive Callender has hurtful memories of being the only black doctor at medical meetings in the 1970s, met with stark silence when he pleaded for better access to transplant organs for blacks....

Genes from Middle East families yield autism clues

AP - Thursday, July 10, 2008 11 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Harvard researchers have discovered half a dozen new genes involved in autism that suggest the disorder strikes in a brain that can\'t properly form new connections....

Fewer nonsmokers breathe cigarette fumes, CDC says

AP - Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:46 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- Nearly half of nonsmoking Americans are still breathing in cigarette fumes, but the percentage has declined dramatically since the early 1990s, according to a government study released Thursday....

Product recalls: smoked salmon

AP - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 4:34 p.m.

The following recall has been announced:...

School lunch programs hit hard by food prices

AP - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 12:47 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Add schools to the list of places hit hard by rising food prices....

Study finds addictive drugs easily ordered online

AP - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 12:25 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than three-quarters of Web sites that offer highly addictive medications do not require a prescription, according to a study released Wednesday....

Group calls for zero tolerance of doctor bullies

AP - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 12:08 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Bullying doctors can make nurses afraid to question their performance, resulting in medical errors, according to a hospital group that announced new requirements for cracking down on intimidating behavior....

Watch your waistline: Fat men have bad sperm

AP - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 9:14 a.m.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Too many fatty foods are dangerous not only to men\'s waistlines, but to their sperm production....

Fringe autism treatment could get federal study

AP - Wednesday, July 9, 2008 4:46 a.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Pressured by desperate parents, government researchers are pushing to test an unproven treatment on autistic children, a move some scientists see as an unethical experiment in voodoo medicine....

Dental industry gets an earful on mercury

AP - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 3:47 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- People trust dentists with their health. Some members of Congress are more skeptical....

FDA calls for urgent warning on tendon risks

AP - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 2:37 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Drug safety officials Tuesday imposed the government\'s most urgent safety warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics, citing evidence that they may lead to tendon ruptures, a serious injury that can leave patients incapacitated and needing extensive surgery....

Summary Box: US plans controversial autism study

AP - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 1:42 p.m.

QUACK RESEARCH? The government wants to test chelation, a treatment for lead poisoning, on children with autism - even though there\'s no evidence it leads to improvements....

Elderly may fare worse on prostate cancer drugs

AP - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 1:04 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- A prostate cancer study that could change how doctors treat some patients found that widely used hormone-blocking drugs did not improve survival chances for older men whose disease hadn\'t spread....

FDA issues warning on Cipro, similar antibiotics

AP - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 8:25 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal drug safety officials have imposed the government\'s most urgent warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics, citing risks that they can cause tendon ruptures, a serious injury that leaves some patients incapacitated....

Some accomplishments of athletes over 40

AP - Monday, July 7, 2008 5:21 p.m.

A look at a few of the major accomplishments over the past quarter-century by athletes who were past the age of 40:...

Torn ACLs, other big injuries hit little athletes

AP - Monday, July 7, 2008 5:18 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A 14-year-old gymnast with a stress fracture in her lower back. A 12-year-old who tore his ACL in a soccer game. A 16-year-old runner with a leg stress fracture. A 15-year-old who tore his meniscus playing basketball....

Aging swimmer shows there's hope for rest of us

AP - Monday, July 7, 2008 4:59 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Dara Torres jokes that she had trouble reading the scoreboard after winning the first of two events at the Olympic swimming trials....

Cholesterol drugs recommended for some 8-year-olds

AP - Monday, July 7, 2008 4:26 a.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems....

Magic Johnson's wife in public eye on HIV campaign

AP - Sunday, July 6, 2008 11:38 a.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Magic Johnson\'s normally publicity-shy wife Cookie is emerging as a spokeswoman in a campaign urging black women to get tested for HIV....

Farmers say salmonella scare has hurt tomato sales

AP - Friday, July 4, 2008 4:13 p.m.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Expect fewer slices of red, ripe tomatoes next to the grill this holiday weekend....

Scientists: Watermelon yields Viagra-like effects

AP - Thursday, July 3, 2008 2:48 p.m.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra - but don\'t necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks going all night long....

Haywire brain chemical linked to sudden baby death

AP - Thursday, July 3, 2008 2:09 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists have new evidence that the brain chemical best known for regulating mood also plays a role in the mystifying killer of seemingly healthy babies - sudden infant death syndrome....

Filipina with upside-down feet walks for 1st time

AP - Thursday, July 3, 2008 2:07 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Filipino teenager who came to New York so doctors could perform surgery to untwist her severely clubbed feet took her first unaided steps Wednesday in pink-and-white sneakers - the first shoes she\'s ever worn....

NJ officials warn of lamp oil poisonings

AP - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 4:12 p.m.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey officials have issued a health alert saying six people have been sickened by mistaking lamp oil for apple juice, including one person who died....

Kroger expands ground beef recall

AP - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 3:10 p.m.

CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Kroger Co. expanded its voluntary recall of some ground beef products beyond stores in Michigan and parts of Ohio to its stores in more than 20 states on Wednesday....

First floods, now pesky mosquitoes for Midwest

AP - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 2:52 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- First came the floods - now the mosquitoes. An explosion of pesky insects are pestering clean-up crews and just about anyone venturing outside in the waterlogged Midwest....

FDA panel urges more testing for diabetes drugs

AP - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 2:29 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Diabetes drugs should face tougher safety standards that could cost manufacturers millions but protect patients from unforeseen heart risks, a government panel has recommended....

Skeeter advice: Wear repellent, avoid perfumes

AP - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 12:56 p.m.

Flooding, heavy rains and summer heat have produced a bumper crop of pesky mosquitoes, particularly in the waterlogged Midwest. Here\'s how experts recommend avoiding the bugs and treating their bites:...

More than 4,000 Danes may have salmonella

AP - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:56 a.m.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Danish health officials fear more than 4,000 people may be infected with salmonella and are checking everything from refrigerators to credit card receipts to find the source of what may be the worst outbreak in 15 years....

3-D mammograms, cameras may improve breast exams

AP - Monday, June 30, 2008 6:18 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Remember peeking through a View-Master? Scientists are using the same concept behind the classic kids\' toy to try to see mammograms in 3-D....

WHO: New quick TB test rolled out in Africa

AP - Monday, June 30, 2008 10:59 a.m.

GENEVA (AP) -- A new test to quickly diagnose drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis will be rolled out in four African countries this year, the World Health Organization said Monday....

Cleveland Clinic hooks up with Weight Watchers

AP - Monday, June 30, 2008 4:32 a.m.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Clinic, highly regarded for its cardiac care, doesn\'t hire smokers or allow trans-fats on its menus, and now it\'s joining with a nationally known weight control program to help its employees shape up and slim down....

Fast food chains ditch trans fats to meet NYC ban

AP - Sunday, June 29, 2008 5:40 p.m.

Fast food restaurants have been changing their recipes to adapt to New York City\'s trans fat ban. Here are some of the menu overhauls at major chains:...

NYC keeps the cannoli but drops the trans fats

AP - Sunday, June 29, 2008 5:39 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Making cannoli is serious business in New York. It\'s a dessert so tempting that even a hit man in the "Godfather" couldn\'t leave a box behind....

US checks if tomatoes caused Salmonella outbreak

AP - Friday, June 27, 2008 10:05 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- As salmonella cases continue to climb, the government is checking if tainted tomatoes really are to blame for the record outbreak - or if the problem is with another ingredient, or a warehouse that is contaminating newly harvested tomatoes....

NYC urges docs to do routine HIV testing on adults

AP - Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:19 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Health officials are trying to persuade doctors to offer HIV tests to nearly every patient in a New York City community hit harder than most by AIDS....

US advisory panel OK's 2 new combination vaccines

AP - Thursday, June 26, 2008 1:58 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal advisory panel on Thursday endorsed two new combination vaccines designed to reduce the number of needle sticks that young children must endure to get the recommended immunizations....

Reserving Tamiflu for workers in case of pandemic

AP - Thursday, June 26, 2008 1:58 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fears of bird flu are receding and sales of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu have slumped. Now its maker is offering a deal to U.S. employers: Pay an annual fee and reserve enough to protect every worker if a new super-flu strikes....

US panel endorses 2nd vaccine for kids' virus

AP - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:10 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal advisory panel has endorsed a second vaccine to combat a common and potentially fatal virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting in children....

Scientists identify possible Alzheimer's gene

AP - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:08 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Scientists have identified a gene that may raise the risk of getting the most common kind of Alzheimer\'s disease by about 45 percent in people who inherit a certain form of it....

NYC: Many 9/11 injury plaintiffs not seriously ill

AP - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:06 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Many of the thousands of people who have gone to court claiming ground zero-related illnesses don\'t have serious health problems, lawyers for the city claim in court papers....

Health insurance lags most in Southwest, CDC says

AP - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:04 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Southwest has the lowest rate of health insurance coverage in the country, with 30 percent of non-elderly adults and 18 percent of children uninsured, according to a new government study....

CDC: About 8 percent of Americans have diabetes

AP - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:33 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- The number of Americans with diabetes has grown to about 24 million people, or roughly 8 percent of the U.S. population, the government said Tuesday....

Wireless hospitals systems can disrupt med devices

AP - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 2:49 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Wireless systems used by many hospitals to keep track of medical equipment can cause potentially deadly breakdowns in lifesaving devices such as breathing and dialysis machines, researchers reported Tuesday in a study that warned hospitals to conduct safety tests....

Brain injuries cause half of seniors' fall deaths

AP - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 4:32 a.m.

ATLANTA (AP) -- The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls....

Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds

AP - Monday, June 23, 2008 1 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) -- New research linking low vitamin D levels with deaths from heart disease and other causes bolsters mounting evidence about the "sunshine" vitamin\'s role in good health....

Salmonella can ride water into tomatoes

AP - Monday, June 23, 2008 12:14 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pick a tomato in the blazing sun and plunge it straight into cold water. If that happened on the way to market, it might be contaminated. Too big of a temperature difference can make a tomato literally suck water inside the fruit through the scar where its stem used to be. If salmonella happens to be lurking on the skin, that\'s one way it can penetrate and, if the tomato isn\'t eaten right away, have time to multiply....

Tomato consumer tips

AP - Monday, June 23, 2008 11:44 a.m.

With the outbreak from salmonella-tainted tomatoes in its fifth week, what\'s the latest consumer advice?...