Most Emailed Health News

WASHINGTON - French scientists mixed gene therapy and bone marrow transplants in two boys to seemingly halt a brain disease that can kill by adolescence. The surprise ingredient: They disabled the HIV virus so it couldn't cause AIDS, and then used it to carry in the healthy new gene.

LONDON - In Britain, there are no long lines of people seeking swine flu vaccine. Doctor's offices aren't swamped with desperate calls. And there are no cries of injustice that the vaccine is going to wealthy corporations or healthy people who don't really need it.

LONDON - Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality, drawing criticism from scientists and provoking outrage from rights groups.

NEW YORK - Some of New York's biggest companies, including Wall Street giants Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, received doses of swine flu vaccine for at-risk employees, drawing criticism that the hard-to-find vaccine is going first to the privileged.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obesity causes more than 100,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year -- and the number will likely rise as Americans get fatter, researchers said on Thursday.

ATLANTA - Only about a third of adults who have tried to get a swine flu vaccine have been able to get it, according to a new national poll released Friday.

MONDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Surfing the Internet just might be a way to preserve your mental skills as you age.

Iowa public health officials reported on Wednesday the first confirmed case of H1N1 flu in a house pet: a cat

LONDON - The World Health Organization's flu chief said the swine flu virus has now become the predominant flu strain worldwide.

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The reported success of gene therapy in treating two children with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) brings hope to patients with the potentially crippling and fatal brain disorder and their families, says a nonprofit group that supports ALD research.

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- New research sheds light on the possible link between the genes you inherit and the size of your belly.

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Reports about possible kidney problems, including renal failure, in people taking the diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta) have prompted changes to the drug's prescribing information, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who eat a lot of red meat and processed meats may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer than those who limit such foods, a large study of U.S. men suggests.

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A new study appears to add to growing evidence that green tea might help protect against cancer.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US food and drug safety watchdog warned Thursday that an over-the-counter men's sex aid, labeled as all-natural, contains a chemical similar to the active ingredient in Viagra and could be dangerous.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents may be setting their daughters up for weight problems simply by allowing them to drink two or more sweetened drinks daily while young, study findings hint.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a close vote looming, the U.S. House of Representatives was expected to open debate on Saturday on a sweeping reform bill that would spark the biggest healthcare changes in four decades.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Do you have an unchallenging job with little control over what you do? You may be more likely to be a couch potato in your leisure time, a new study shows.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exclusive breast feeding for up to 6 months, though beneficial for an infants' immunity and mothers' weight, may not alter children's health risks over the long term, study findings hint.

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Depressed people tend to report more physical symptoms than they actually experience, a new study finds.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Obesity causes more than 100,000 incidents of cancer in the US every year, the American Institute for Cancer Research said in estimates published Friday.

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A potentially deadly intestinal infection is on the rise outside of hospital settings, especially among the elderly, researchers warn.

FRIDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Early morning colonoscopies detect more polyps than colon cancer screenings done later in the day, and the number of polyps found decreases by the hour as the day progresses, a new study has found.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Americans are more likely than people in 10 other countries to have trouble getting medical treatment because of insurance restrictions or cost, an international survey of primary care doctors released on Wednesday found.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Want to be a happy married couple? Consider having kids.

PARIS (AFP) - A breakthrough mix of stem cell and gene therapy halted a lethal brain-wasting illness in two young boys, and could prove effective against other genetic disorders, researchers reported Thursday.

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Low folate levels during pregnancy are associated with higher odds for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring aged 7 to 9, new research has found.

FRIDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Hormonal fluctuations make it harder for women to sing during pregnancy, a new study finds.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who regularly get moderate exercise may have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer -- including aggressive, fast-growing tumors, a new study finds.

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have managed to halt a rare and fatal brain disease with an experimental gene therapy technique using a deactivated version of the AIDS virus, a study published on Thursday showed.