Pediatrics recommends that all pediatricians should check each child’s body mass index (BMI) each year. By checking your child’s BMI, the pediatrician can help prevent your him or her from becoming obese. Learn what a BMI measures, as well as obesity prevention tips, in this week’s Health News.

•	Preventing Obesity: Pediatricians Urged to Check Children's Body Mass Index Each Year

 

A controversial treatment for advanced breast cancer has gotten mixed results. Although high-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation has prevented the breast cancer from returning, it does not prolong life. Learn more in this week’s Health News.

•	Research Into Controversial Breast Cancer Treatment Gets Mixed Results

 

About 4 million Americans have infections from hepatitis C. A recent study has found that drinking alcohol can cause the infections to spread more quickly and prevent drugs from killing the infection. Learn more about the relationship between alcohol and the hepatitis C virus - and how the virus can be prevented - in this week’s Health News.

•	Drinking Alcohol Worsens Hepatitis C Virus Infections and Interferes with Treatment

 

In January 2006, you’ll see some new information on the Nutrition Facts labels of most foods: the amount of trans fatty acids, or trans fats, in the product. Learn which foods have high amounts of trans fats--and how you can estimate the amount in trans fats in food before the labels come out-- in this week’s Health News.

•	New Labels That Include Trans Fat Content Can Help You Make Healthier Food Choices

 

Even though experts recommend that you be screened for colorectal cancer three years after testing negative, a recent study has shown that a followup screening three years later can help detect cancer sooner. Learn more about this study, and when you should be screened for colorectal cancer, in this week’s Health News.

Teens tend to eat more nutritious meals with their families, according to a recent study. By allowing your kids to go food shopping and help plan meals, you can help your teen develop healthy eating habits. Learn more in this week’s Health News.

•	Teens Eat Healthier Meals with Their Families

 

Swimming in an unsanitary pool can cause diarrhea and other recreational water illnesses. Learn why younger children are at risk for such illnesses--and how you can prevent them--in this week’s Health News.

•	Swimming Safely: Be Sure Your Public Pool Is Safe

 

A recent study shows that injected and oral doses of insulin do not prevent type 1 diabetes in people who are at risk for the disease, according to a new study. Learn more in this week’s Health News.

•	Study: Injected and Oral Doses of Insulin Do Not Prevent Type 1 Diabetes

 

A recent study showed that men and women with coronary endothelial dysfunction, a condition that blocks blood from reaching the heart, were at increased risk for stroke. About 500,00 people have a stroke each year, and it claims almost 167,000 lives. Find out how you can reduce your risk for stroke in this week’s Health News.

•	Study: Blood Vessel Condition That Prevents Blood From Reaching the Heart Increases Risk for Stroke

 

Although researchers have found that fewer people are getting sick from such bacteria as campylobacter, listeria, and yersinia, illness caused by salmonella and E. coli is on the rise. Find out how you can prevent foodborne illness in this week’s Health News.

•	Some Foodborne Illnesses Have Declined, While Others Have Risen

 

A new study has shown that observing the amounts of two chemicals, tau proteins and beta amyloid proteins, may help detect Alzheimer's disease. Learn more about the study, and about Alzheimer's disease, in this week's feature story.

•	Chemicals in Spinal Fluid May Help Detect Alzheimer’s Disease

 

Did you know that fewer than 20 percent of children ride in booster seats? This increases their risk for becoming seriously injured in a crash. Find out why so few children ride in booster seats - and when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you should have your child in a booster seat - in this week’s article.

•	Kids Age 4 to 8 Much Safer in Car Booster Seats, But Most Parents Don’t Use Them

 

Fuzeon is a new drug which blocks the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from entering healthy human immune cells. Read more about Fuzeon, and about living with HIV, in this article.

•	FDA Approves New Drug for People with Advanced AIDS

The NIOX Nitric Oxide Test System measures the extent to which certain medications reduce swelling and redness in a person’s lungs. Learn more about this test, and about asthma and its treatment in this article.

•	Noninvasive Test Helps Doctors Monitor Asthma

Have you ever talked to your doctor about a medication commercial that you viewed? Learn the reasons why such commercials are beneficial to you in this week's feature story.

Hydroxyurea is a drug that helps to prevent pain in people with sickle cell anemia. This drug may have the added benefit of prolong life in these patients. Learn more about this new study.

•	Study: Drug Can Help Prevent Death in People with Severe Sickle Cell Anemia

 

Did you know that just a 30 minute walk can help increase the body's sensitivity to insulin? Both diet and exercise reduced the risk for diabetes in the participants of this study by 58 percent. Learn more in this week's feature story.

•	Exercise and Diet Can Help Reduce Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

 

The results of this study demonstrate the need for early and adequate screening in all women to increase survival rates in breast and cervical cancer . Learn more about risk factors and screening in this week's feature story.

•	Study: Hispanic Women in the Southwest Receive Inadequate Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening

 

Over five million adolescents in the U.S. have an eating disorder. If you're concerned about your child's eating habits, read this week's feature to learn more about eating disorders in general, and the connection between single-parent homes and eating disorders.

•	Study: Girls from Single-Parent Homes May Be More Likely to Develop Eating Disorders

 

A new blood test, called albumin cobalt binding (ACB), is now being used in conjunction with two other tests to help diagnose heart attack in emergency rooms. This test helps to distinguish a heart attack from other similar symptoms. To learn more about the ACB test, heart attack symptoms and heart attack risk, read this week's feature story.

•	New Blood Test Helps Physicians Accurately Diagnose Chest Pains in the ER

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has sickened more than 2,700 people worldwide and caused more than 100 deaths. A severe form of pneumonia, it was reported first in China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam . Learn about prevention, treatment, travel safety and more regarding SARS in this week's feature story.

•	Understanding SARS: Contagious Disease Can Be Deadly

Researchers have long hoped that by learning how various forms of the bacterium that cause strep throat interact with the immune system that they may be able to prevent the infections. A recent study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases may have opened the door to the prevention of strep.

•	Researchers Discover How Strep Overcomes the Body’s Immune System

 

Great news for parents and children, about half of all children 5 and under have less exposure to lead and secondhand smoke than in years past. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report children are still at risk for secondhand smoke and lead exposure. Learn more about this report and its findings.

•	CDC: Fewer Children Exposed to Lead and Tobacco Smoke

A recent study has shown that MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) were more sensitive than ECGs and blood tests in diagnosing heart attacks. This could mean that a patient could recieve a diagnoses of a heart attack in about forty minutes, as opposed to forty-eight hours for blood test results. Learn more about heart disease, symptoms, and prevention in this week's feature story.

•	Study: MRI Can Improve Heart Attack Diagnosis in the ER

Did you know that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer overall? Screening for this type of cancer is important, because there are no noticeable symptoms of colorectal cancer. New guideliness suggest that all individuals undergo a colonoscopy at age 50. To learn more, read this week's feature article.

•	New Guidelines Step Up Screening for Colorectal Cancer

A recent report from the CDC states that women's average age for first children has moved up from 24.6 years to 27.2 years over the past thirty years. Find out why American women are waiting in this week's feature story.

•	Most Women Starting Families Later, Reports CDC

Both diuretics and ACE inhibitors are shown to be effective in the treatment of high blood pressure. But, which one is best? Researchers say that a combination of both is the best treatment. Learn more about high blood pressure, prevention and treatment in this article.

•	Conflicting Studies: What’s the Best Treatment for High Blood Pressure?

Did you know that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) to treat children between ages 7 and 17 for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? Learn more about OCD and Prozac in children, in this week's feature story.

•	Prozac Offers New Treatment Options for Children with Depression and OCD

 

A recent study shows that half as many adolescents smoke cigarettes as in 1996, and that levels of drug use among teens are also down. Help to keep the numbers down! Learn how to encourage your teen to not use drugs or cigarettes, and learn the warning signs of use, in this article.

•	Survey: Fewer Teens Are Smoking, Using Drugs

Did you know that a recent study shows that relationships in which one person is overly competitive can lead to conflict and possibly abuse? Learn about the rules for healthy relationships, and the warning signs for unhealthy ones in this week's feature story.

•	Healthy Romantic Relationships Thrive on Compassion, Not Competition

Did you know that eating a handful of nuts at least five times a week can reduce your chances of Type 2 Diabetes? The unsaturated fats found in nuts may improve the body’s ability to use insulin properly, recent studies show. To learn more about Type 2 Diabetes, and to find out if you are at risk, read this weeks' feature story.

•	Nuts Can Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes in Women

Did you know that about 1 in 3 adults suffer from arthritis and other chronic joint symptoms? Arthritis is made up of over 100 different types of rheumatic conditions which cause pain, inflammation and stiffness in the joints.

•	Sharp Increase in Pain: Arthritis and Chronic Joint Symptoms Affect Nearly 70 Million Americans

Did you know that children with parents who smoke are 50 percent more likely to have blood vessel damage than children of nonsmoking parents? Secondhand smoke destroys antioxidants in artery walls, and also leaves children vulnerable to other conditions, such as asthma. Read this article to learn more about the dangers of secondhand smoke, and how to protect your child from it.

•	Parents’ Secondhand Smoke Can Lead to Vascular Disease in Children

Did you know that ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women? A new study suggests that a recently developed blood test could effectively diagnose early-stage ovarian cancer.With 14,000 women's deaths resulting from the disease in the United States alone, this blood test could be good news towards a reduction in those numbers. To learn more about ovarian cancer, read this feature article.

•	Researchers Develop Potential First Diagnostic Blood Test for “Silent Killer,” Ovarian Cancer

Did you know that moderate exercise helps prevent cholesterol from clogging arteries? A new study shows that the amount of exercise you get, not the intensity level, helps to change the structure of the lipoproteins which cause clogged arteries. To learn more about reducing your cholesterol, read this feature story.

•	Taking it Easy: Moderate Exercise Can Prevent Cholesterol from Damaging Your Heart