
CHICAGO -- Milk does a bowel good -- or at least as good as a pricey commercial contrast agent that produces only marginally better results for abdominal CT scans.

CHICAGO -- Milk does a bowel good -- or at least as good as a pricey commercial contrast agent that produces only marginally better results for abdominal CT scans.

BOSTON -- The biologic agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are no better or worse for the heart than methotrexate, according to a case-control study.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Poor nutrition may lead to increased disability among older community-dwelling women, researchers here said.

CHICAGO -- A way to use ultrasound to measure the elasticity of tissue surrounding suspicious breast lesions demonstrated 100% diagnostic sensitivity and 99% specificity in a small study.

CHICAGO -- Six weeks of intensive rote memorization exercises led to improved verbal and episodic memory skills for older patients, an improvement that corresponded with metabolic changes in brain, researchers here reported.

CHICAGO -- Neither slouching in a chair nor sitting up straight is good for the back, according to researchers from Scotland.

CHIBA, Japan -- Confusion and fuzzy thinking associated with cancer chemotherapy appear to be related to a temporary shrinkage of the brain, Japanese researchers proposed.

NEW YORK -- The thrombin-specific anticoagulant Angiomax (bivalirudin) as monotherapy in patients acute coronary syndromes reduced the risk of major bleeding by 47% compared with rates for heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, researchers reported.

NEW ORLEANS -- These days a psychiatrist may see an email from a patient that says, "I'm feeling suicidal."

NEW ORLEANS -- The newer atypical antipsychotic drugs may not always outperform the old ones in managing schizophrenia, investigators said here.

BOSTON -- Only two types of master cells are needed to build the heart, research teams here have found, apparently simplifying the challenge of using tissue engineering to repair congenital or acquired cardiac damage.

HANOVER, N.H -- Patients with a herniated lumbar disk did about the same in reducing pain and disability over two years with surgery or usual care, according to two studies.

HYATSVILLE, Md. -- The CDC reported today that the birth rate among U.S. teens fell to an all-time low in 2005.

TORONTO -- While stem cells have been widely heralded as holding the keys to the cures of chronic diseases, evidence is mounting that mutated stem cells are at the root of cancer.

BALTIMORE -- A single altruistic kidney donor offering an organ to anyone who needed it stimulated five simultaneous transplants in domino fashion to unrelated HLA-compatible recipients here.

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- After a 14-year ban, silicone-gel breast implants will be allowed back on the market for breast reconstruction or augmentation, the FDA announced.

GRAZ, Austria -- Training for the marathon puts runners at risk for malignant melanoma and other skin cancers, according to researchers here.

ATLANTA -- Accidental falls account for an estimated 1.8 million annual emergency department visits for older Americans, and falls are the leading cause of trauma deaths in this age group, according to CDC investigators.

KIEL, Germany -- For postmenopausal early-stage breast cancer, switching to an aromatase inhibitor from tamoxifen after two or three years improved recurrence-free and overall survival, according to a meta-analysis.

DALLAS -- Regular physical exercise can help once-sedentary elderly patients improve their physical functioning and decrease the risk of future disability, according to a multicenter study.