Most Viewed Health News

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are considered to be at high risk of pregnancy appear more likely to continue with use of oral contraceptive pills than with a transdermal contraceptive patch, doctors have observed.

ATLANTA - Air travelers with medical conditions may suffer dehydration or other risks because of new air travel restrictions that prohibit people from bringing drinks onto the plane, some doctors say.

WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered molecular janitors that clear away a sticky gunk blamed for Alzheimer's disease — until they get old and quit sweeping up.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exercise keeps the body, and mind, in tiptop shape, according to a review of published studies on the topic. Taken together, the data suggest that exercise and physical activity may slow age-related declines in cognitive function, the reviewers conclude.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Vigorous physical activity following a diagnosis of colorectal cancer substantially reduces the risk of death due to cancer or other causes, two studies indicate. Neither stage of disease nor surgery appears to significantly alter these outcomes.

TRENTON, N.J. - In a July 30 story about reprocessing of medical devices designed for one-time use, The Associated Press reported incorrect data about difficulties with the devices. Based on erroneous information supplied by the Food and Drug Administration, the AP reported that since early 2004, the FDA had received 13 reports of patient deaths and 421 other trouble reports, including 130 involving serious patient harm.

ALBANY, N.Y. - Mom's dieting habits can have a bad influence on the children. Some research indicates youngsters learn attitudes about dieting through observation. For some youngsters, that might mean an unhealthy fixation on body image, experts warn.

BOSTON - Chubby cheeks and dimpled thighs have long been a mother's proof of a healthy, well-fed baby. But those roly-poly infants now may be a sign of something much different: America's growing problem with weight.

(HealthDay News) -- Taking care of your dentures will help reduce the bacteria in your mouth and will help prevent those false teeth from becoming stained.

(HealthDay News) -- A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot travels from another area of the body, often the leg, to the lung.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elderly diabetics with poor blood sugar control have a high prevalence of undiagnosed cognitive dysfunction, depression and functional disabilities, according to a study by researchers in Boston.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE came one step closer on Friday to approving a new class of breast cancer treatments known as aromatase inhibitors.

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of Thomson CenterWatch:

FRIDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The long-term brain health of patients in a coma or a prolonged vegetative state might be compromised by assisted-breathing protocols that deliver air significantly below normal body temperature, two researchers hypothesize.

ATLANTA - Imagine your body pocked by erupting sores. The sensation of little bugs crawling all over you. And worst of all, mysterious red and blue fibers sprouting from your skin.

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Only one in five people with HIV in poor and middle-income countries receives the drugs that treat the virus, said a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

Much to many parents' annoyance, the head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Although they may sound gross, lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, especially for kids ages 3 years to 12 years (girls more often than boys).

MONDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Do hormones affect men's risk for Alzheimer's disease?

CHICAGO - A review of safety data raises questions about the reliability of the heart zappers that hang on the walls of airports, shopping malls and health clubs.

BEIJING (AFP) - China has released a Chinese AIDS patient and activist detained for nearly a month -- four days ahead of the world's biggest-ever AIDS conference, a group said.

BEIJING (AFP) - China has reported a fresh outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, with 230 head of cattle affected in the northwestern province of Gansu.

FRIDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Social isolation in childhood could boost the risk for adult cardiovascular disease, a new study finds.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hip fracture patients who have a positive outlook on life may fare better after hospitalization than their more depressed counterparts, study findings show.

FRIDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A new study supports the combination of inhaled corticosteroids and antileukotriene drugs to treat asthma.