Health

Health FDA delays rules meant to ease sunscreen confusion

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 15, 2012 at 8:51 AM PDT

Sunscreen confusion won't be over before summer after all. The government is bowing to industry requests for more time to make clear how much protection their lotions really offer.

Health 1 in 3 autistic young adults lack jobs, education

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer Published: May 14, 2012 at 10:46 AM PDT

One in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical schooling nearly seven years after high school graduation, a study finds. That's a poorer showing than those with other disabilities including those who are mentally disabled, the researchers said.

National & World FDA panel backs first pill to block HIV infection

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer Published: May 11, 2012 at 7:44 AM PDT

The first drug shown to prevent HIV infection won the endorsement of a panel of federal advisers Thursday, clearing the way for a landmark approval in the 30-year fight against the virus that causes AIDS.

Health Scientists hunt ways to stall Alzheimer's earlier

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 10:01 AM PDT

Look for a fundamental shift in how scientists hunt ways to ward off the devastation of Alzheimer's disease - by testing possible therapies in people who don't yet show many symptoms, before too much of the brain is destroyed.

Health FDA panel backs first rapid, take home HIV test

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 9:25 AM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 11:41 AM PDT

American consumers may soon be able to test themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privacy of their own homes, after a panel of experts on Tuesday recommended approval of the first rapid, over-the-counter HIV test.

Health Clock ticking with new plan to fight Alzheimer's

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 15, 2012 at 8:41 AM PDT

The Obama administration declared Alzheimer's one of the country's biggest health challenges on Tuesday, adopting a national strategy that sets the clock ticking toward better treatments by 2025 — along with help for suffering families today.

Health Report: Many pregnant women having unnecessary C-Sections (Video)

By Consumer Reports Published: May 10, 2012 at 6:00 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2012 at 6:36 PM PDT

Consumer Reports says all too often, pregnant women having C-Sections don't actually need the surgery.

Health CDC: Half of young adults get sunburned (Video)

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer Published: May 10, 2012 at 9:19 AM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2012 at 11:16 AM PDT

Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they have had a sunburn at least once in the past year, a government survey found - a sign young people aren't heeding the warnings about skin cancer.

Health FDA: Kids' medical tests need child-size radiation

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 9, 2012 at 11:17 AM PDT

The government is taking steps to help ensure that children who need CT scans and other X-ray-based tests don't get an adult-sized dose of radiation.

Health FDA favors first drug for HIV prevention

By Associated Press Published: May 8, 2012 at 9:50 AM PDT Last Updated: May 8, 2012 at 10:54 AM PDT

Federal drug regulators on Tuesday affirmed landmark study results showing that a popular HIV-fighting pill can also help healthy people avoid contracting the virus that causes AIDS in the first place. While the pill appears safe and effective for prevention, scientists stressed that it only works when taken on a daily basis.

Health No end to obesity epidemic, 20-year forecast shows

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 7, 2012 at 3:27 PM PDT

Today, just over a third of U.S. adults are obese. By 2030, 42 percent will be, says a forecast released Monday.

Health Living alone with Alzheimer's tough choice for all

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 7, 2012 at 8:47 AM PDT

Elaine Vlieger is making some concessions to Alzheimer's. She's cut back on her driving, frozen dinners replace once elaborate cooking, and a son monitors her finances. But the Colorado woman lives alone and isn't ready to give up her house or her independence.

Health Study ties fertility treatment, birth defect risk

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer Published: May 7, 2012 at 8:39 AM PDT

Test-tube babies have higher rates of birth defects, and doctors have long wondered: Is it because of certain fertility treatments or infertility itself? A large new study from Australia suggests both may play a role.

Health Study ties fertility treatment, birth defect risk

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer Published: May 6, 2012 at 2:54 PM PDT Last Updated: May 7, 2012 at 11:04 AM PDT

Health 15 million of world's babies are born prematurely

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Published: May 2, 2012 at 9:35 AM PDT

A new report finds some 15 million premature babies are born every year — more than 1 in 10 of the world's births and a bigger problem than previously estimated.