NY seeks 'fat tax' on sodas to fight rising US obesity (AFP)

AFP - New York leaders are pressing for a so-called fat tax on the soft drinks industry, saying that sweet beverages are responsible for an upsurge of obesity across the United States.

Asthma Rates Rising Across the U.S. (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Asthma rates are increasing across the United States, a new government study shows, but certain states have significantly lower rates of the respiratory disease.

Increasing Soda Consumption Fuels Rise in Diabetes, Heart Disease (HealthDay)

HealthDay - FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) --Increasing consumption of sugary soft drinks contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of heart disease and 50,000 more life-years burdened with heart disease in the last decade, a new U.S. study finds.

HIV Hides Out in Bone Marrow Cells (HealthDay)
HealthDay - SUNDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Medications can reduce the level of the AIDS virus in the blood to zero, but HIV doesn't disappear and often roars back when patients stop taking their pills. Now, research is giving scientists new insight into how the virus manages to hide and avoid the killing powers of medicine.

Canadian vaccination study proves 'herd immunity' (Reuters)
Reuters - Inoculating children against flu protects more people of all ages in the larger community, probably because young people tend to spread viruses through physical play, Canadian researchers said on Tuesday.

Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya (AFP)

AFP - Researchers said Tuesday that papaya leaf extract and its tea have dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumors, backing a belief held in a number of folk traditions.

Obesity and Depression: A Vicious Circle? (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- There appears to be a back-and-forth link between depression and obesity, say researchers who reviewed the findings of 15 studies that included nearly 59,000 people.

Alzheimer's 'Epidemic' Hitting Minorities Hardest (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and blacks and Hispanics are at highest risk of developing the disease, a new report finds.

Kids Who Get Flu Shots Protect the Unvaccinated (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Children who get a flu shot help prevent flu from spreading in their communities, Canadian researchers say.

Clinical Trials Update: March 9, 2010 (HealthDay)
HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Better health translates into better sex lives, with healthy people more likely to engage in sex (and good sex at that) and to express an interest in sex, new research finds.

Obese Colon Cancer Survivors Face Poorer Prognosis (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Colon cancer survivors who are moderately or severely obese face tougher survival odds following treatment compared with their normal-weight peers, a new study reveals.

Senators: Lift ban on gays donating blood (AP)
AP - The time has come to change a policy that imposes a lifetime ban on donating blood for any man who has had gay sex since 1977, 18 senators said Thursday.

Appetite may be partly linked to germs in the gut (AP)
AP - Germs in the gut may help drive appetite, says new research into the link between obesity and bacteria.

Gene test claims to show what diet works best (AP)
AP - Diet not working? Blame your genes. That's the pitch behind a new test that claims to show whether people will do better on a low-fat or a low-carb weight loss plan.

WHO: over 85M African kids get polio vaccination (AP)

AP - The World Health Organization says more than 85 million children under 5 in west and central Africa will be vaccinated against polio.

Researchers: AIDS virus can hide in bone marrow (AP)
AP - The virus that causes AIDS can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness, according to new research that could point the way toward better treatments for the disease.

Hoped-for drop in childbirth deaths not happening (AP)

AP - Eleven days after her son Benjamin's birth by C-section, Linda Coale awoke in the middle of the night in pain, one leg badly swollen. Just as her doctor returned her phone call asking what to do, she dropped dead from a blood clot.

Thought urged on prostate screening
Most men 50 and older should seriously consider the potential risks of treatment before deciding whether to be screened for prostate cancer, the American Cancer Society said Wednesday in revised guidelines.

Dems: No health bill sked promises
Despite a call from the White House for health care legislation to pass this month, key Democrats are avoiding any promises about how soon the next steps may come.

'Speed-dating' doctors woo patients
A pioneering Texas program invites prospective patients to casually meet and size up a lot of doctors in a short amount of time.

Supreme Court takes vaccine appeal
Parents who say that a range of preventive vaccines given their young children can cause serious health problems will have their appeal heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

'You just don't look disabled'
People come up to Aimee Mullins all the time and say, "you know, I have to tell you, you just don't look disabled."

Women drinkers less likely to gain
Some women avoid drinking calorie-filled cocktails, wine, and beer because they're worried about packing on the pounds. Now, a new study suggests that women who are moderate drinkers actually tend to gain less weight over time than teetotalers.

Eat, pray sleep: Survey uncovers our habits
Your racial and ethnic background can shape many aspects of your life: the type of food you eat, where you live, and your political views.

Haitian couple await baby's return
In the chaos following January's earthquake, a baby was separated from her parents and brought to Miami. Now a couple await a DNA test to prove the baby is theirs.

Minorities' higher Alzheimer's risk
Francisca Terrazas and other Latinas are about 1.5 times more likely than Anglos to develop Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, a new report says. Read how her family copes.

Healthier men want more sex for more years
Healthier men, no matter their age, are going to have better sex more frequently and desire it more often than healthier women.

Pregnancy timeline
From fertilisation to birth, an outline guide to a typical pregnancy and how the baby develops inside the womb.

Heart disease and stroke

Cancer: The facts
Information and statistics on common types of cancer

From BBC Health
What happens to your body under anaesthetic?

'Bigger brains'
Did cooking our food make us human?

Working mums
Is it harming or helping their children's health?

Surgery on joints
Patient benefits from rare ankle replacement

Dying breed
Azeris in Talysh Mountains are no longer so long-lived

Three-way swap
UK's first pooled kidney transplant hailed a success

Women who drink wine in moderation stay slim, says study
Women can enjoy a tipple and stay slim, according to a study showing moderate drinkers gain less weight than teetotallers.

Flu symptoms are 'of the brain rather than body', say experts
Research by the University of Sussex suggests feeling lousy while ill may be down to reactions in the brain rather than physical symptoms.

EU adds month to parental leave
The EU extends minimum parental leave from three to four months, but the specifics will vary across the 27-nation bloc.