, according to a new report in the journal
. The child had a rare, deadly brain disease called ataxia telangiectasia, or A-T. The disease can lead to degeneration of a region of the brain; most people with A-T die by their teens or early 20s. The boy had traveled to Russia at age 9, when he was injected with fetal neural stem cells in his brain and spinal cord, the Associated Press reports. He received two additional sets of injections at ages 10 Read the rest of this entry »

Going to a doctor who is out of your insurance company’s network typically carries extra cost, but a recent investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found that beneficiaries of UnitedHealth Group have seen especially hefty charges. The result of a newly announced settlement with the insurance giant: B
, reports
U.S. News
’s Michelle Andrews. Unfortunately, excessive past charges will not be refunded.
UnitedHealth Group’s medical Read the rest of this entry »

With the first-ever human test of a medical treatment based on embryonic stem cells gaining federal approval, researchers are optimistic that President Obama will soon lift a controversial Bush administration ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and speed work to
. The newly approved human trial involves an attempt to repair severed spinal cords in paraplegics.
can replicate over and over, thanks to an enzyme that slows their Read the rest of this entry »

that have been recalled in the nationwide salmonella outbreak, which has made at least 600 people ill and is tied to nine deaths, the Associated Press reports. With the poor economy and millions of families depending on food pantries for help, it’s a particularly bad time to have to toss thousands of pounds of food. The Houston Food Bank, for example, has already thrown out 3,000 recalled peanut products, and the Cleveland Food Clinic has discarded Read the rest of this entry »

that have been recalled in the nationwide salmonella outbreak, which has made at least 600 people ill and is tied to nine deaths, the Associated Press reports. With the poor economy and millions of families depending on food pantries for help, it’s a particularly bad time to have to toss thousands of pounds of food. The Houston Food Bank, for example, has already thrown out 3,000 recalled peanut products, and the Cleveland Food Clinic has discarded Read the rest of this entry »

A Link Between Sleep and Heart Disease?
each night have less risk of having artery-clogging calcifications that can lead to heart disease, according to a study published in the December 24–31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. That doesn’t mean that people should pop sleeping pills in order to get more rest, experts say. “We don’t know why there is an association,” Diane Lauderdale, the study’s author and an associate Read the rest of this entry »

received fertility treatments in order to conceive the babies, infertility specialists told the
that they question whether enough was done to prevent such a risky pregnancy. Chances are very small that the babies were conceived naturally, experts said, and reproductive-medicine specialists have the expertise to avoid high-risk pregnancies such as this one. The octuplets—two girls and six boys—were born via cesarean section about 9 weeks Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin Water Making Deceptive Health Claims?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has slapped a lawsuit on Coca-Cola, maker of VitaminWater drinks, calling its marketing claims unsubstantiated and deceptive. Coca-Cola’s retort called the suit “ridiculous.” As further finger-pointing plays out, how should consumers decipher punchy buzzwords like “triple antioxidants” and “definitely au natural” on some of the bottles’ labels? Katherine Read the rest of this entry »

If getting in shape is one of your New Year’s resolutions, here’s good news—some gyms are
. Among the deals: a free guest pass for two weeks at Bally Total Fitness, a free month followed by 50 percent off the monthly membership fee at Curves, free enrollment at Gold’s Gym, and a 30-day money-back guarantee at L.A. Boxing, according to the
Los Angeles Times.
Independent gyms are also offering deals, so consider asking the manager for savings, Read the rest of this entry »

that has sickened at least 399 people in 42 states. King Nut Cos., which distributes but does not manufacture the peanut butter, sold to institutions like schools and hospitals, said it would recall all King Nut and Parnell’s Pride brand peanut butter. The company, based in Ohio, also said it would work with the manufacturer of the peanut butter, Peanut Corp. of America, to “inform others of this problem.”
This particular outbreak of salmonella Read the rest of this entry »