Nancy Shute
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An analysis of research on the cholesterol-lowering drugs shows that most side effects are no more common with them than with placebo drugs. But statins can raise the risk of diabetes.
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Researchers say a small number of people appear to lack the brain circuitry to get pleasure from music.
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Division I athletes may be at the top of their game in college, but by their 40s they often have more health problems than people who never played sports, researchers say.
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One-third of people who have strokes when they're young struggle with disability and loss of independence nine years later, a study finds. About 10 percent of strokes hit people under 50.
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The annual well-child visit should be about a lot more than getting shots, doctors say. New guidelines for checkups include screening tools for depression and substance abuse starting at age 11.
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Women's reduced ability to recover physically after a stroke may have big effects on their quality of life. Researchers don't know why women don't fare as well as men after strokes, but they say it's a topic in need of attention.
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Frostbite isn't on most people's health worry lists. But this week it's a concern for millions of people who live in places that don't usually contend with serious risk of cold injuries. Extremities can be affected by frostbite even when bundled up.
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Who wouldn't want something better than mammograms for breast cancer screening? But machines that extract breast fluid to look for abnormal cells aren't it, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Still, some doctors have been offering the test to patients.
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A test for a virus linked to cervical cancer has been around for 10 years. But a lot of doctors still don't recommended it routinely for women. Female doctors are more likely to prescribe it than their males colleagues.
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Spices get dirty because of the way they're grown, stored and harvested, according to the head spice buyer for McCormick & Company. Because there are so many small farmers and shippers worldwide, that end of the supply chain is hard to control. So spices need to be sterilized before they hit supermarket shelves.