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May 27, 2007 · Breast cancer runs in families, but finding the genes responsible has proven difficult. Now scientists have found five more regions of DNA that may be tied to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Lybrel, a birth-control pill headed for market, eliminates the menstrual cycle if taken daily.
The recent case of tainted pet food is a natural but dangerous consequence of globalization.
by Leroy Sievers
"For better or worse, cancer and I know each other now. It can still hurt me, or at least try to But it's going to have to work a lot harder to scare me."
May 24, 2007 · Type 2 diabetes is no longer a disease of old age. Increasingly, the disease is hitting people in the prime of life. But research shows that for some people, diet and exercise can be just as effective as drugs in preventing the disease. Web Extra: Online Risk Calculator
May 23, 2007 · In Rethinking Thin, Gina Kolata, a science writer for The New York Times, examines trends in America's diet industry and some of the most basic assumptions about health, dieting and body weight. Web Extra: Read an Excerpt
May 22, 2007 · There are more demands to overhaul the Food and Drug Administration. Scientific analysis indicates the widely used diabetes drug, Avandia, raises the risk of heart attacks and possibly death. The agency is being criticized for the way the drug was initially approved, and for not reporting problems sooner.
May 18, 2007 · Prozac, often called the "happy drug," is the most widely used antidepressant in history with 54 million prescriptions. This week, Prozac turns 20. These days, the drug is prescribed for a lot of conditions, ranging from obsessive-compulsive disorder to a mild case of the teenage blues. Even veterinarians prescribe it to panicking parrots, pacing polar bears and destructive dogs.
May 17, 2007 · Baby turtles as pets may be ready for a comeback. Sales were banned in 1975 after the animals were linked to salmonella infections in children. But farmers say they've found a way to reduce the bacteria in the turtles. Web Extra: What Makes a Good Starter Pet?
May 16, 2007 · Unlike the French, U.S. workers don't have to take a medical checkup every year to prove they're healthy enough to come to the office. But some U.S. doctors have come up with their own solution to the obesity crisis: the walking desk.
May 16, 2007 · Affectionate and relatively indestructible – those historically have been key qualities of a good starter pet. Katherine Grier, author of Pets in America, talks about pets of choice over the decades, good and bad.
May 15, 2007 · New research shows that even small amounts of physical activity can improve fitness. The study compared four groups of women ages 50 and older. The women who exercised most were the most fit — but even women who began exercising just 70 minutes a week saw a boost in fitness.
May 15, 2007 · More women are having kids into their 40s, 50s and even 60s due to improvements in reproductive technology. The fastest-growing age group for new mothers is 40 to 44. Which raises the question, how old is too old to have a baby?
May 14, 2007 · Helena, Mont., joins a growing number of cities to ban smoking in publicly subsidized housing complexes, fueling debate over smokers' rights to privacy and other residents' rights to live in a smoke-free environment.
May 10, 2007 · The company that makes the painkilling drug OxyContin, and three of its executives, have pleaded guilty to misleading regulators and the public about how addictive the drug is. Drug maker Purdue Pharma LP agreed to pay more than $600 million in fines. Three executives will pay $34.5 million.
May 10, 2007 · Gluten is everywhere, from pizza, bread and ketchup to ice cream and prescription drugs. A small percentage of Americans can't tolerate the wheat protein, which has a gluey nature. But more people are dropping gluten from their diet to see if it cures what ails them. Web Extra: How to Read Food Labels
Pediatricians answer questions on what to do about big babies and how to make veggies fun.
Dr. Rex Hamilton and Dr. Jim Salz discuss Lasik's success rate and expectations for perfect vision.
Marathoners Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Danny Dreyer give tips on how to make running work for you.
Dr. Martin Abrahamson, director of the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard, answers your questions.
Johns Hopkins neurologist David Buchholz answers your questions on migraine and its symptoms.
University of Pittsburgh's Anthony Delitto fields your questions on physical therapy and back pain.
