Health Headlines - April 6

Kids Follow Parents in Using Alternative Therapies

Children and teens are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine if their parents also use the therapies, according to new research.

Certain Diet Drugs Can Help Boost Weight Loss

Prescription weight-loss drugs can help consumers shed a moderate amount of weight when combined with a dieting regimen, a new study finds.

Brain Can Bounce Back After Meth Users Quit

Brain changes caused by long-term methamphetamine use may not be permanent, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

Exercise, Stress Management Boost Heart Health

Cutting down on stress and boosting aerobic fitness fights both heart disease and depression, a new study finds.

Diuretics Best for High Blood Pressure

Diuretics work better than other drugs at lowering high blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease, so they should be a first-line treatment for hypertension, new research suggests.

Worker's Comp Can Keep Injuries Lingering

It's a familiar story: An employee throws his back out at work, files for worker's compensation, receives a medical diagnosis, and then stays at home with self-reported symptoms that linger for months, or even years.

A New Blood Test for Heart Risk?

A test that measures blood levels of a molecule produced by heart muscle appears to be a strong indicator of future cardiac problems among healthy older people, Dutch researchers report.

Monthly Shot Helps Control Alcoholism

A monthly injection could help problem drinkers cut back or stop drinking alcohol altogether.

'Miracle' Boy Fights Rare Genetic Disorder

Doctors didn't give Clanton Crumbley much chance of surviving. One suggested an abortion when a serious problem with the fetus was detected. Others suggested his parents leave the newborn baby at the hospital until he passed away.

Study: Obesity Costs Calif. $21.7B Yearly

California, the land of body worshippers and vegetarians, is getting alarmingly fat, with more than half of all adults overweight, according to a study released Tuesday.

Hospitals Scrambling to Meet Nurse Ratio

California hospitals are struggling to meet a new, first-in-the-nation requirement that they have one nurse on duty for every five patients at all times, and officials say most institutions are falling short.

Breast Cancer, Hormone Type May Be Linked

A new report adds weight to the idea that recurring breast cancer may be related to which hormones are used in therapy for women after menopause.

Firms Say They'll Help Poor Get Medicines

Drug manufacturers, under fire from consumer advocacy groups for opposing legislation to reduce prescription costs, announced Tuesday they would spend about $30 million through June to develop and promote a program that would help poor Americans gain access to the medicines they need.

U.S. Study Backs Injectable Drug for Alcoholism

A drug that helps alcoholics stop craving drink is effective as a monthly injection, reducing the chances of missed or skipped treatment when the same drug is given as a daily pill, a study said on Tuesday.