Reuters - Paradoxically, obesity may offer some protection against heart-related "events," like heart attack, in people who have a stent placed to prop open a clogged coronary artery, research shows.

Reuters - Morbidly obese adults who undergo a particular type of stomach bypass surgery called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) appear to be at increased risk of developing kidney stones earlier than previously thought. The increase in stone risk was evident just three months after the surgery.

HealthDay - MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing the high rate of obesity in the United States requires a comprehensive, population-based strategy, says a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement.

HealthDay - MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- More than 6 million children in the United States have a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can boost their odds for heart disease, researchers report.

Reuters - The test commonly used to screen men for prostate cancer may be more likely to miss tumors in obese men, a new study suggests.

Reuters - A new program developed by the U.S. government is tackling the obesity epidemic by helping "tween" girls and their parents make small but important changes to build a healthier lifestyle.

AFP - The German government on Wednesday unveiled a bundle of measures and incentives to whip millions of overweight adults and children into shape.

Reuters - Overweight and obese men may be less likely than their thinner counterparts to develop a hernia in the groin, a long-term study suggests.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent sexual intercourse may cut down on a man's chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Finnish researchers report.

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.

AFP - HIV infections among heterosexual Africans could be slashed by more than a third if safe-sex counselling was directed at married or cohabiting couples, a new study says.

Reuters - Too many people may consider themselves at low risk of sexually transmitted diseases simply because they trust their partner, a new study suggests.

AFP - The number of girls under the age of 14 having an abortion jumped by over 20 percent in 2007, new figures from the Department of Health show, leading to calls for more government-backed sexual health counselling and contraception services.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Due to problems with false-positive results, the use of an oral rapid HIV test was recently halted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which operates 10 sexually transmitted disease walk-in clinics.

Reuters - Men with type 2 diabetes or the metabolic syndrome, or both, are prone to have low testosterone levels. If so, testosterone replacement therapy with a gel applied to the skin may improve their response to insulin and their sexual function, according to the results of a new clinical trial.

AFP - Female chimpanzees are hungry for sex with as many males as possible, and keep their mouths shut about it to boost their chances of luring the top chimps, a Scottish university has found.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Taking prescription medications can help reduce violent behavior in some schizophrenia patients, Duke researchers report.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Flaws in the design and implementation of barcode systems designed to match hospital patients with the right dose of the right medication can increase the risk of certain medication errors, according to a study that looked at the use of the system in five U.S. hospitals.

AFP - A new kidney cancer vaccine failed in last-phase clinical trials to improve the odds of avoiding remission after tumour-removing surgery, according to a study released Friday.

Reuters - Some people with schizophrenia become less prone to violence when they take their antipsychotic medications as prescribed by a doctor, but those with a history of antisocial behavior in childhood continue to pose a higher risk even with treatment, research shows. In these individuals, other medications and interventions are likely to be needed.

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- As a caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's, administering their medication -- and preventing missed pills or the wrong dosages -- can be a daunting responsibility.

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

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- To help combat one of the most serious health issues facing Hispanics in the United States, a new Spanish language guide to type 2 diabetes has been released.

AFP - South African AIDS patients in Durban are under siege from drug addicts who rob them of their antiretroviral treatment to get high, the provincial health department said Wednesday.

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.

AP - When staffers at a Brooklyn hospital spotted a middle-aged woman lying face-down on a waiting room floor last month, it hardly seemed like cause for alarm.

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.

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.

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.

Reuters - Paradoxically, obesity may offer some protection against heart-related "events," like heart attack, in people who have a stent placed to prop open a clogged coronary artery, research shows.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent sexual intercourse may cut down on a man's chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Finnish researchers report.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Taking prescription medications can help reduce violent behavior in some schizophrenia patients, Duke researchers report.

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage can be fraught with a host of emotional and physical concerns.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- A series of tests that are the first to accurately assess children's ability to taste and smell have been developed by Australian researchers.

Reuters - Two rival flu drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, work equally well to fight the symptoms of influenza in children, Japanese researchers reported on Thursday.

Reuters - Babies born by Cesarean section may have a moderately increased risk of developing asthma compared with those born naturally, Norwegian researchers report after investigating this link in a population-wide study.

Reuters - Many children may be carrying the drug-resistant "superbug" MRSA in their nasal passages, unbeknownst to anyone, research suggests. Investigators at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, report that MRSA "is widespread among children in our community."

Reuters - They left as children and teenagers, crossing the border between dry southern Sudan and Ethiopia before being transported half a world away to the green strangeness of Cuba's Isla de la Juventud.

Reuters - Secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke is an asthma trigger in children and a new study shows that smoking by the primary caregiver and daycare provider are important sources of smoke exposure in children with asthma.

Reuters - Just four factors can predict with 70 percent accuracy whether a woman will become pregnant through "test-tube" baby technology known as in vitro fertilization, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

Reuters - The U.S. government proposed a 3 percent inflation increase in 2009 Medicare rates for outpatient services at about 4,000 U.S. hospitals, which will also impact medical imaging, diagnostic and other health care services.

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- As a caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's, administering their medication -- and preventing missed pills or the wrong dosages -- can be a daunting responsibility.

Reuters - Men are much less likely than women to live into their 90s, but those who do have a much lower chance of having Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

HealthDay - TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- A new questionnaire may help in both diagnosing older adults facing dementia and also in identifying individuals who need help with daily living.

Reuters - A red grape seed extract that packs the punch of red wine -- without the alcohol -- could help protect against memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease, research in mice suggests.

Reuters - Middle-aged people with low levels of so-called good cholesterol may be at higher risk for memory decline that could foreshadow Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, European researchers said on Monday.

Reuters - The U.S. government proposed payment changes in the Medicare health insurance program on Monday that could impact reimbursement of medical imaging, diagnostic testing and dialysis providers.

Reuters - Myriad Genetics Inc said it will stop developing its drug for Alzheimer's disease after a late-stage trial of the drug, Flurizan, failed to meet primary goals.

HealthDay - FRIDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- The new vaccine vitespen didn't increase recurrence-free survival among kidney cancer patients who'd had surgery, say U.S. researchers.

AFP - A new kidney cancer vaccine failed in last-phase clinical trials to improve the odds of avoiding remission after tumour-removing surgery, according to a study released Friday.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Taking prescription medications can help reduce violent behavior in some schizophrenia patients, Duke researchers report.

Reuters - Some people with schizophrenia become less prone to violence when they take their antipsychotic medications as prescribed by a doctor, but those with a history of antisocial behavior in childhood continue to pose a higher risk even with treatment, research shows. In these individuals, other medications and interventions are likely to be needed.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- In developing countries where breast-feeding is a necessity, and HIV is rampant, the risk of disease transmission through breast milk might be reduced if infants were first fed a freeze-dried formula full of good bacteria that could capture and potentially destroy the deadly virus.

HealthDay - TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Death rates for HIV-infected people lucky enough to get their hands on antiretroviral medications have decreased dramatically since the introduction of these drugs in 1996, new British research shows.

Reuters - Babies born by Cesarean section may have a moderately increased risk of developing asthma compared with those born naturally, Norwegian researchers report after investigating this link in a population-wide study.

Reuters - Secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke is an asthma trigger in children and a new study shows that smoking by the primary caregiver and daycare provider are important sources of smoke exposure in children with asthma.

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Creating a clean environment will help rid your home of dust mites, making breathing easier in people with allergies and asthma.

Reuters - Mark the surgical site. Ask about allergies. Count the sponges. Count the needles.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- In developing countries where breast-feeding is a necessity, and HIV is rampant, the risk of disease transmission through breast milk might be reduced if infants were first fed a freeze-dried formula full of good bacteria that could capture and potentially destroy the deadly virus.

HealthDay - TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Death rates for HIV-infected people lucky enough to get their hands on antiretroviral medications have decreased dramatically since the introduction of these drugs in 1996, new British research shows.

Reuters - People with HIV in the developed world are no more likely to die in the first five years following infection than men and women in the general population, British researchers said on Tuesday.

AP - President Bush said Saturday that religious charities, partly financed with federal money, have helped reduce homelessness, found jobs for former inmates and helped combat malaria and HIV/AIDS overseas.

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.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- The latest data on HIV infection across 33 states finds new diagnoses jumping by 12 percent annually between 2001 and 2006 among young gay and bisexual men.

AFP - The city of New York on Thursday launched an HIV-screening campaign that aims to test every adult in the Bronx, the city's borough most affected by AIDS, the health department said.

AFP - HIV infections among heterosexual Africans could be slashed by more than a third if safe-sex counselling was directed at married or cohabiting couples, a new study says.

AP - South Korea said Monday it has lifted all special restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of bird flu after a series of recent outbreaks.

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.

Reuters - Mexico will ban all imports of poultry and poultry products from Arkansas after a small flock in that U.S. state had been exposed to a mild form of bird flu, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday.

AFP - Pakistani authorities reported a new outbreak of avian flu at a commercial poultry farm in the country's northwest, killing thousands of birds, officials said.

Reuters - The world is far from being fully prepared for a flu pandemic, a leading U.S. infectious diseases expert said on Saturday, warning there were big gaps in surveillance and basic knowledge.

Reuters - Some cases of human bird flu in Indonesia have been variously misdiagnosed as dengue fever and typhoid, resulting in the late administration of drugs, a leading doctor in the country said on Friday.

Reuters - The Indonesian health ministry has reported two deaths from bird flu in recent weeks, easing concerns about whether Jakarta would share information about the disease, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

Reuters - World readiness for an influenza pandemic has improved after an "extraordinary global response" to the bird flu threat of recent years, the top U.N. official dealing with the disease said on Tuesday.

HealthDay - FRIDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- The new vaccine vitespen didn't increase recurrence-free survival among kidney cancer patients who'd had surgery, say U.S. researchers.

AFP - A new kidney cancer vaccine failed in last-phase clinical trials to improve the odds of avoiding remission after tumour-removing surgery, according to a study released Friday.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Smokeless tobacco products (STPs), which include products such as snuff and chew tobacco, do increase the user's risk of cancer -- just not as much as smoking does.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental drug that inhibits tumor blood vessel formation slows the progression of metastatic thyroid cancer in some patients, an international study finds.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- A new technique for finding and analyzing stray cancer cells in the blood of lung cancer patients may make it possible for doctors to one day not only determine the genetic "signature" of particular tumors but to monitor changes in those cells and adjust treatments accordingly.

Reuters - An experimental process that snags lung cancer cells from a blood sample could give doctors real-time feedback on the most effective therapy, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Reuters - Amgen's once-a-day pill to starve tumors can help many patients with hard-to-treat thyroid cancer, either by shrinking tumors or slowing their growth, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Reuters - Biological indicators, or "biomarkers" of exposure to secondhand smoke that can be analyzed in blood, tissue or other samples, or through imaging scans are needed to examine whether exposure to secondhand smoke may cause lung cancer.