Expert: Diabetes drug should be pulled
The widely used diabetes drug Avandia should be pulled from the market because of heart risks, a federal scientist said Monday.

DEA raids LA medical marijuana clinics
Federal agents raided 10 marijuana clinics Wednesday, the same day city leaders introduced a measure calling for an end to the crackdown on the dispensaries allowed under state law.

Study: HIV-infected babies can be saved
HIV-infected babies given antiretroviral drugs in the first weeks of life were four times more likely to survive than those left untreated, raising hopes that more young lives can be saved, new research suggests.

Doctors treating older anorexics
Kelli Smith was nervous as she walked into the Philadelphia treatment center, seeking help at last for her anorexia. Looking around at the other patients, she was struck by how young they seemed.

Bush threatens to veto insurance measure
President Bush on Wednesday reiterated his threat to veto Senate legislation that would substantially increase funds for children's health insurance by levying a 61-cent-a-pack increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes.

Overweight kids face widespread stigma
Overweight children are stigmatized by their peers as early as age 3 and even face bias from their parents and teachers, giving them a quality of life comparable to people with cancer, a new analysis concludes.

TB patient questions CDC isolation rules
The globe-trotting tuberculosis patient who sparked an international public health incident in May said Friday he was tricked into a federal quarantine.

Tiger Woods discusses fitness routine
Tiger Woods has talked about tailoring practice sessions around being a father. That also means finding time for workouts that can last up to three hours as many as six days a week, which he describes in the August issue of Men's Fitness magazine.

American kids shaping up with trainers
Nearly a million American youngsters, some as young as 6, rely on personal trainers to shape up, lose weight or improve in sports, according to figures from the nation's leading sports club association.

Bush to veto stem cell bill today
President Bush has chosen to use his veto pen three times — twice on the stem cell issue where politics, ethics and science collide. Pushing back against the Democratic-led Congress, Bush plans to veto a bill Wednesday that would have eased restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

Pentagon may drop mental health question
U.S. troops would no longer be asked to reveal previous mental health treatment when applying for security clearances under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon.

Kellogg to raise nutrition of kids' food
Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker, has agreed to raise the nutritional value of cereals and snacks it markets to children.

Better labels urged for sports creams
Arielle Newman was a high school track star who suffered from the typical aches and pains that result from a grueling training regimen. For relief, she covered her legs with large amounts of muscle cream.

Muscle cream caused NYC teen's death
A medical examiner blamed a 17-year-old track star's death on the use of too much anti-inflammatory muscle cream, the kind used to soothe aching legs after exercise.

Panda's pregnancy concerns zookeepers
Veterinarians at the Memphis Zoo said they are concerned about the pregnancy of giant panda Ya Ya after an ultrasound failed to detect a heartbeat.

Border worker disregarded TB warning
A globe-trotting Atlanta lawyer with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis was allowed back into the U.S. by a border inspector who disregarded a computer warning to stop him and don protective gear, officials said Thursday. The inspector has been removed from border duty.

Blood pressure rising around the globe
The numbers are a shock: Almost 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, and over half a billion more will harbor this silent killer by 2025. It's not just a problem for the ever-fattening Western world. Even in parts of Africa, high blood pressure is becoming common.

OxyContin maker, execs guilty of deceit
The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin and three of its current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to misleading the public about the drug's risk of addiction, a federal prosecutor and the company said.

Human food eyed in pet food recall probe
Government inspectors are checking food makers who use protein concentrates to make sure none of the contaminated products found in pet food have reached other products, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

New HIV drug recommended for approval
The federal government should approve a novel drug that targets the cells of HIV-infected patients and not the virus itself, health advisers recommended Tuesday.

Bush orders probe into the mentally ill
Responding to the Virginia Tech shootings, President Bush says he has directed federal officials to conduct a national inquiry into how to prevent violence by dangerously unstable people.

CDC says gonorrhea is drug-resistant
The sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea is now among the "superbugs" resistant to common antibiotics, leading U.S. health officials to recommend wider use of a different class of drugs to avert a public health crisis.

Bush would veto stem cell research bill
President Bush will again veto a bill to subsidize stem cell research using human embryos, but would sign an alternative that permits public funding for studies on embryos incapable of developing into fetuses, the White House said Tuesday.

N.M. governor to veto vaccine bill
The governor said Tuesday he will veto a bill that would have required girls entering sixth grade to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.

Eat a lot of beef? It may affect your son's sperm
U.S. women who eat a lot of beef while pregnant give birth to sons who grow up to have low sperm counts, researchers reported on Tuesday.

Few effects of poor day care last past age 11
Some effects of poor quality day care last until age 10 or 11, but very few, and good parenting is probably more important, U.S. government researchers reported on Monday.

Study casts doubt on duct tape wart cure
Duct tape's success at curing warts may have been overstated, according to a new study that raises doubts about the tape's effectiveness as a cheap, painless treatment. The tape supposedly works by irritating the skin and stimulating the body's immune system to attack the virus that causes warts. It earned a place in the medicine cabinet in 2002, when a small study showed it to be effective on children and young adults.

Report: Binge drinking rises at colleges
Substance abuse on college campuses is nothing new, but it is taking a more extreme and dangerous form, with higher rates of frequent binge drinking and prescription drug abuse, and more negative consequences for students such as arrests and risky sexual behavior.

New scans may speed chest pain diagnosis
Millions of people with chest pain enter emergency room limbo, spending up to 24 hours waiting for tests to tell if a heart attack really is brewing or if it's something less dire. A computerized heart scan may start easing the wait, giving doctors a faster picture of clogged arteries to help determine who can go home — within just four hours — and who needs more care. If these souped-up CT scans pan out — and major studies of several thousand chest-pain sufferers are to begin soon — they may do more than send the worried well home faster.

Girl Scouts cut trans fats from cookies
For much of the country, it's Girl Scout cookie time again. And this year, all those cookies, not just the Thin Mints and a few others, will come nearly free of harmful trans fats.

World's most premature baby is thriving, Miami hospital says
The world's most premature living baby, born at 21 weeks and six days, is headed home after spending four months in a neonatal intensive care unit, Baptist Children's Hospital in Miami announced.

Insecure relationships may drain immune system
Feeling insecure in close relationships with others may take a toll on the immune system, preliminary research suggests.

Autism affects more children in US than thought: study
Autism is more common in the United States than previously believed, affecting one child in 150, according to the results of a US government study on the developmental disorder.

British confronts outbreak of bird flu
Britain is confronting Europe's biggest outbreak of bird flu with a massive slaughter of turkeys — and worried consumers are asking whether the disease will hit humans next.

Alternative medicine rarely discussed with doctors
Most Americans age 50 and older use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as herbal products or acupuncture, often unbeknownst to their doctor, according to a survey conducted by AARP and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

AIDS group sues Pfizer over Viagra ads
An AIDS organization sued Pfizer Inc. on Monday over ads the group says encourage use of Viagra as a party drug. The nonprofit group said such recreational use furthers the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Embryo saved from flood is now a boy
Rescued from a great flood while he was just a frozen embryo in liquid nitrogen, a baby boy entered the world Tuesday and was named after the most famous flood survivor of them all, Noah.

Stem cells discovered in amniotic fluid
Stem cell researchers reacted with enthusiasm and reservations to a report that scientists have found stem cells in amniotic fluid, a discovery that would allow them to sidestep the controversy over destroying embryos for research.

FTC fines weight loss pill firms $25M
Now that you've indulged in all those holiday goodies and made that New Year's resolution to shed some pounds, the government says don't count on a diet pill to help.

Study: Many kids too fat by preschool
Far too many kids are fat by preschool, and Hispanic youngsters are most at risk, says new research that's among the first to focus on children growing up in poverty. The study couldn't explain the disparity: White, black and Hispanic youngsters alike watched a lot of TV, and researchers spotted no other huge differences between the families.

New chemical gives insight into Alzheimer's
A chemical designed by doctors in Los Angeles could give unprecedented insight into the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and provide a new way to test for treatments, a study showed on Wednesday.

Rerouting nerves may aid bladder control
Needing a wheelchair isn't always the biggest complaint of people left paralyzed by spinal cord injury — it's also the loss of bladder control. On Monday, Michigan doctors began a unique experiment to see if rerouting patients' nerves just might fix that problem.

New York bans trans fats at restaurants
New York on Tuesday became the first city in the nation to ban artery-clogging trans fats at restaurants, leading the charge to limit consumption of an ingredient linked to heart disease and used in everything from french fries to pizza dough to pancake mix.

Bosses push staff to eat right, exercise
Many companies are starting to sound like moms: They're pushing employees to eat their vegetables and go outside and play. And they're not being gentle about it.

American Red Cross fined for violations
The federal government has fined the American Red Cross $5.7 million for violating blood-safety laws and the terms of a 2003 consent decree.

Baby with heart outside body has surgery
Using a piece of Gore-Tex fabric to make their repairs, doctors performed corrective surgery on a baby born with his heart outside his chest, and said Wednesday that the youngster should be able to lead a close-to-normal life.

Research shows benefits of cranberries
Cranberries are among the top foods with proven health benefits, according to Amy Howell, a researcher at Rutgers University.

Heart valves grown from womb fluid cells
Scientists for the first time have grown human heart valves using stem cells from the fluid that cushions babies in the womb — offering a revolutionary approach that may be used to repair defective hearts in the future.

FDA: Tamiflu patients need monitoring
Patients who take Tamiflu should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior, health officials said Monday in announcing an updated label for the flu drug.

11M bottles of acetaminophen recalled
Check your medicine cabinet: Millions of bottles of the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen — some sold as long as three years ago — are being recalled because they may contain metal fragments.

Part cow, part human embryo bid by British scientists
Scientists in Britain applied for permission to create part cow, part human embryos to be used in research on treating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

KFC to use no-trans-fat oil in chicken
KFC Corp. said Monday it will start using zero trans fat soybean oil for its Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken, Potato Wedges and other menu items.

Study: Vegetables may keep brains young
New research on vegetables and aging gives mothers another reason to say "I told you so." It found that eating vegetables appears to help keep the brain young and may slow the mental decline sometimes associated with growing old.

Studies: College kids packing on pounds
The "Freshman 15" is more like 5 to 7, but it is followed by the "Sophomore 2 or 3," say researchers who led two of the largest and longest studies ever done of weight gain among college students. The research also showed that males piled on significantly more pounds than females.

Wal-Mart expands low-cost drug program
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expanding a program offering $4 prescriptions for some generic drugs to 14 more states, two weeks after rolling out the low-cost program in Florida, the world's largest retailer said Thursday.

Merck diabetes drug wins federal OK
Diabetics gained a new way of controlling their blood sugar levels Tuesday with federal approval of a novel pill for Type 2 diabetes, which affects about 20 million Americans.

Woman's work may impact breast cancer risk: study
A woman's career choice may impact her risk of developing breast cancer, a Canadian study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences found.

Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's: study
Good news for aging hippies: smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.

New hay fever vaccine shows promise
Could the sneezy, runny-eyed misery of hay fever one day be a thing of the past? Scientists are reporting encouraging results from early tests of a vaccine they hope will give long-lasting relief from this seasonal scourge.

Experts test drugs that fight neuroAIDS
It's an Achilles' heel of HIV therapy: The AIDS virus can sneak into the brain to cause dementia, despite today's best medicines.

Investigators zero in on tainted spinach
Test results linking two bags of Dole brand baby spinach to a deadly E. coli strain have helped health officials hone in on a specific batch from a San Juan Bautista processing plant that may be the source of a nationwide outbreak.

Acupuncture shows promise for hot flashes
Acupuncture may offer women an alternative for easing hot flashes during menopause, preliminary research suggests.

Penis transplant removed after two weeks
Chinese doctors say they successfully transplanted a penis on a man who lost his own in an accident, but had to remove it two weeks later because of psychological problems experienced by the man and his wife.

E. coli outbreak came after warning
WASHINGTON - Federal health officials told California farmers to improve produce safety in a pointed warning letter last November, nearly a year before the multistate E. coli outbreak linked to spinach.

New painkiller studies show new risks
Worried that your painkiller could trigger a heart attack or dangerous stomach bleeding? New reports on painkiller risks, based on reviews of dozens of studies including hundreds of thousands of patients, indicate most patients should try naproxen, an older anti-inflammatory drug.

Drug use falls, except among older adults
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Youngsters are using fewer illegal drugs but a spike in use has been seen among older adults, perhaps because a few aging baby boomers have clung to their rebellious ways, according a U.S. substance abuse report published on Thursday.

Lung problems rife among WTC responders
NEW YORK - Nearly 70 percent of the rescue and cleanup workers who toiled in the dust and fumes at ground zero have had trouble breathing, and many will probably be sick for the rest of their lives, doctors said Tuesday in releasing results of the biggest Sept. 11 health study yet.

Study raises questions on aging surgeons
CHICAGO - Most of Dr. Marshall Goldin's medical school classmates have retired or died, but at age 67, the heart surgeon believes he still has good working years ahead.

Scientists alter cells to fight melanoma
WASHINGTON - Government scientists turned regular blood cells into tumor attackers that wiped out all signs of cancer in two men with advanced melanoma. The striking finding, unveiled Thursday, marks an important step in the quest for gene therapy for cancer.

U.S. report: More nicotine in cigarettes
The level of nicotine found in U.S. cigarettes has risen about 10 percent in the past six years, making it harder to quit and easier to get hooked, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Department of Health.

Fewer allergic kids exposed to peanuts by mistake
Children with peanut allergies may be less likely to accidentally eat peanut-containing foods than in years past, but the problem still needs attention, a Canadian study suggests.

New method makes embryo-safe stem cells
In an innovative move, a biotech company has found a new way of making stem cells without destroying embryos, touting it as a way to defuse one of the country's fiercest political and ethical debates.

Blood clot fiber study may aid treatment
The fibers that make up blood clots are more elastic than rubber bands and stretchier than spider webs. They're even tougher than doctors suspected — a discovery that could lead to improved treatment of heart attacks and strokes.

Long-awaited sunscreen approved for sale
A sunscreen that blocks the type of ultraviolet radiation linked to some cancers, and which has been available only outside the United States, received federal approval.

Yoga trend catching on with soldiers
When Marine Lt. Alan Zarracina finally did the splits after months of struggling with the difficult pose in yoga class, the limber women around him applauded.

Imported tuna may have high mercury level
Many imports of canned tuna have mercury levels higher than the federal limit, according to analysis by an environmental group.

Court says stop case against rude doctor
CONCORD, N.H. - A judge has ordered the state Board of Medicine to stop disciplinary proceedings against a doctor accused of telling a patient she was so obese she might only be attractive to black men and advising another to shoot herself following brain surgery.

Poll: Overweight America does read labels
Oh, the irony. A nation full of overweight people is also full of label readers. Nearly 80 percent of Americans insist they check the labels on food at the grocery store.

Half-ton Mexican man loses 200 pounds
Health officials said Manuel Uribe weighed 1,235 pounds when he made a desperate plea for help on national television in January.

Tattoo customers in 3 states get infections
A worrisome superbug seen in prisoners and athletes is also showing up in people who get illegal tattoos, federal health officials said.

Condoms proven to protect against virus
For the first time, scientists have proof that condoms offer women impressive protection against the virus that causes cervical cancer.

Medical home concept catching on in U.S.
CONCORD, N.H. - The frustration used to start on the phone. Every time Donna Dunlop called her daughter's pediatrician, she started from scratch, describing the girl's complex history of seizures and other neurological problems to someone in a remote office who had never heard of her.

Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection
Think slathering on the highest-number sunscreen at the beach or pool will spare you skin cancer and premature wrinkles? Probably not, if you're in the sun a lot. That's because you don't need a sunburn to suffer the effects that can cause various types of skin cancer.

Beer ingredient may fight prostate cancer
A main ingredient in beer may help prevent prostate cancer and enlargement, according to a new study. But researchers say don't rush out to stock the refrigerator because the ingredient is present in such small amounts that a person would have to drink more than 17 beers to benefit.

Study says millions have 'rage' disorder
To you, that angry, horn-blasting tailgater is suffering from road rage. But doctors have another name for it — intermittent explosive disorder — and a new study suggests it is far more common than they realized, affecting up to 16 million Americans.

Researcher looks to PCs for medical cures
Researcher David Baker believes the key to an AIDS vaccine or a cure for cancer may be that old PC sitting under a layer of dust in your closet or the one on your desk doing little else but running a screen saver.

Doc interrupts surgery to donate his blood
A heart surgeon had to take a break from a mercy-mission operation in El Salvador so he could donate his own rare-type blood for his 8-year-old patient.

Japan's diet said healthier than American
Japanese researchers have found what many in the country have long believed — that its traditional fish-based, low-fat diet is much healthier than the average American menu and contributes to a longer life.

'Healthy' foods a pitfall for dieters
On a mission to whip herself into shape, Kate Kowalczyk tossed out the junk food and stocked up on her idea of good-for-you staples like yogurt and low-fat cookies. Despite her persistence, the 35 pounds she was trying to shake wouldn't budge.

Doctor: States unprepared for bird flu
Bird flu will hit the United States — it's only a matter of time — and not all states are ready to respond to the deadly virus, the Homeland Security Department's top doctor warns.

NIH panel split on vitamin benefits
Over half of U.S. adults use multivitamins, mostly the pretty healthy people who also eat nutrient-fortified foods. Yet there's little evidence that most of the pills do any good — and concern that some people may even get a risky vitamin overload, advisers to the government said Wednesday.

Multimedia Babies: good news, bad news
They're bombarded with electronics starting in infancy, from the new "Sesame Street" for 6-month-olds to game-playing laptops for toddlers. But when does being a multimedia youngster help — and when does it hurt — children's malleable brains?

Woman awarded $1.27M after leg amputated
A jury has awarded a West Palm Beach woman $1.27 million after part of her leg was amputated because it became infected with maggots following surgery at a hospital.

FDA rejects health claim for green tea
There is no credible scientific evidence that drinking green tea reduces the risk of heart disease, federal regulators said Tuesday in rejecting a petition that sought to allow tea labels to make that claim.

Supermarkets urge families to dinner table
For working parents and heavily scheduled school kids, family mealtime is as out of fashion as the scene in Norman Rockwell's iconic Thanksgiving supper painting. Supermarkets are trying to lure families back to the dinner table.

Frito-Lay cuts fat on some chips
Frito-Lay Inc. says it's cutting about half the saturated fat from its Lay's and Ruffles potato chips by switching to sunflower oil for cooking.

Online video brings the gym home
Tired of the commute to the gym? Embarrassed to be seen sweating in public? Bored with your workout video? Now there are alternatives to the gym — and to exercise videos and cable TV fitness shows. A handful of companies are offering streaming fitness video online.

Genetics researcher wins $500,000 award
A biologist whose pioneering research in genetics led to the exploration of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's has been awarded the nation's richest prize in medicine and biomedical research.

Vatican studying condoms and AIDS
The Vatican is studying whether condoms can be condoned to help stem the tide of AIDS, but it has given no indication that a pronouncement is expected. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who heads the Vatican office for health care, was quoted over the weekend in La Repubblica daily as saying his office was preparing a document on the question of condoms and AIDS, and that it would be released soon.

Fatal disease from flavoring raises flags
A potentially fatal lung disease linked to chemicals used in food flavorings poses a growing health risk, according to government scientists who are questioning the food industry's willingness to protect its workers.

Genetics may play role in Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome appears to result from something in people's genetic makeup that reduces their ability to deal with physical and psychological stress, researchers report.

Chinese diners lay off the exotic animals
Normally adventurous Chinese diners are eating fewer owls, civets and other wildlife due to fears of SARS and bird flu, according to a survey released Tuesday by U.S. and Chinese conservation groups.

Dogs dispatched to comfort ill children
Jane is scampering around the children's cancer center, nuzzling a toddler who had a brain tumor removed, when 14-year-old Alexia walks in. Girl and dog both flop on the hospital floor. Alexia scratches Jane's belly two-handed and gives a big smile. Jane licks Alexia's face.

Fast-food fries, chicken fattier in U.S.
Order french fries or hot wings at a McDonald's or a KFC in the United States and you're more likely to get a super-sized helping of artery-clogging trans fats than you would be at their restaurants in some other countries.

Doctors try balloon fix on Sinusitis
It's like an angioplasty to clear out clogged sinuses. A new procedure lets doctors snake a balloon up the noses of chronic sinusitis sufferers, stretching their sinus passages to help them breathe easier with less pain than the standard sinus surgery that 350,000 Americans undergo each year.

Drug company eyes OTC sale of fat-blocker
The fat-blocking drug in Xenical could become available without a prescription later this year, GlaxoSmithKline said Friday after federal health officials told the company the potential blockbuster pill was "approvable."

Benzene levels in soft drinks above limit
Cancer-causing benzene has been found in soft drinks at levels above the limit considered safe for drinking water, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged.

Lab grows bladders from cells of patients
BOSTON - At age 16, Kaitlyne McNamara is different beyond her defective spine, crutch, leg braces and 54 surgeries. She has one of the world's first re-engineered bladders.

Smart kids' brains may mature later
Very smart children may seem advanced in many ways, but a new study shows they actually lag behind other kids in development of the "thinking" part of the brain.

California city bans smoking in all public places - even the outdoors
No more smoking in the park. Lighting up on the sidewalk could bring a fine. Dining on the restaurant patio? Don't bother asking for matches.

Study: Pumping iron helps cancer survivors
Weightlifting appears to improve breast cancer survivors' outlook on life, suggests one of the first studies to scientifically measure the effects of such exercise.

Panel weighs new warnings on ADHD drugs
A month after advisers told the government some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs should bear stronger warnings of cardiovascular risks, officials are asking a second panel whether to add warnings about psychosis or mania.

Hormone offers promise of youth, risks
Injecting himself with human growth hormone six times a week and swallowing a handful of dietary supplements each day doesn't seem weird or excessive to 44-year-old Richard Weisman of Las Vegas.

Study links Atkins, possible health risk
The popular Atkins diet could be linked to a life-threatening complication which one woman who claimed to be following it developed, according to doctors who published a case report on it Friday in a British medical journal.

Study: Most get mediocre health care
Startling research from the biggest study ever of U.S. health care quality suggests that Americans — rich, poor, black, white — get roughly equal treatment, but it's woefully mediocre for all.

Study: tofu, oatmeal lower cholesterol
Maybe your doctor should write up a grocery list to help lower your cholesterol, suggests a small study that showed a rigid diet seemed as effective as cholesterol-lowering pills.

Alabama cow tests positive for Mad Cow
Government investigators are tracing the history of an Alabama cow that has become the nation's third case of mad cow disease.

N.C. probes flesh-eating bacteria death
North Carolina health officials are investigating the death of a woman who died last week of a flesh-eating bacteria three days after accidentally jamming her hand in a wheelchair while working at a nursing home.

Coffee may spell heart trouble for some
Here's a real caffeine jolt — heart attacks might be a risk for coffee drinkers with a common genetic trait that makes caffeine linger in their bodies, a study suggests.

Soda targeted in fight against obesity
Low-fat, low-cal, low-carb. Atkins, South Beach, The Zone. Food fads may be distracting attention from something more insidiously piling on pounds: beverages.

Study: Lifting weights attacks belly fat
By just lifting weights twice a week for an hour, women can battle the buildup of tummy fat that often takes hold with aging, a new study suggests. And they didn't even diet.

Ethicists blast study testing fake blood
Imagine being in a car crash, lying unconscious and bleeding in an ambulance. With no blood on board, paramedics give you an experimental substitute, but even at the hospital, you get fake blood for several hours before doctors try the real thing. Medical ethicists say a study that is doing just that on hundreds of trauma patients without their consent should be halted.

Dutch researchers find more reasons to eat chocolate
Leave it to the Dutch to help demonstrate the health benefits of chocolate.

Alternative Remedies Fail Government Tests
For years, millions of Americans have spent billions of dollars on alternative remedies with unproven effects. Now, rigorous science is starting to test those treatments and mostly finds them lacking.

Soup Giant Finds a New Way to Cut Sodium
Executives at the Campbell Soup Co. have heard the same thing almost since Andy Warhol was making art out of their cans in the 1960s: Lower the sodium in soup without sacrificing taste and people will eat even more of it.

Candy Makers Cater to the Health-Conscious
It's every chocolate lover's wish that their favorite indulgence could somehow be healthy for them. Now, chocolate makers claim they have granted that wish.

Birth-Control Patch Users Face Clot Risk
Women who use the Ortho Evra birth-control patch face twice the risk of developing blood clots than those who take the pill, the patch's manufacturer said late Thursday, citing recent company-funded research.

Calcium: Does a body good?
The biggest study ever of calcium and vitamin D supplements for older women showed they offered only limited protection against broken bones, raising questions over what has been an article of faith among doctors and nutritionists.

Long-term children's health study not included in Prez's budget
Medical researchers fear that the most ambitious study of children's health ever planned will be lost to federal budget cuts.

Study: Girls starting marijuana, alcohol use at higher rates than boys
In a reversal of past trends, teenage girls are trying marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes at higher rates than boys, the White House drug czar said Thursday.

President proposes expanding health savings accounts
President Bush promised to tackle soaring medical expenses in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, saying “we must confront the rising cost of care ... and help people afford the insurance coverage they need.”

Tread rightly
The treadmill offers a great workout for a great many people, but too many people are doing it all wrong, say experts in the field.

West Virginia Puts Video Game in Public Schools to Fight Childhood Obesity
“Everyone makes mistakes,” says Rick Morris, professional running coach and author of “Treadmill Training for Runners” (Shamrock Cove, 301 pages, $15.95). “I train other runners, and even I make mistakes on the treadmill.”