WOMEN'S HEALTH

Experts criticize new advice on mammograms

Some experts dismissed new guidelines by a government task force that urged women to wait for age 50 to get a regular mammogram and downplayed the importance of self-exams.

Quick Study | Exercise may reduce chemo-related fatigue

The question: Fatigue is a frequent complaint of people getting chemotherapy for cancer. Might exercise change that?

Many fear shot more than swine flu

Marcela Astralaga's 7-year-old daughter, Daniella, just got over swine flu. But she still doesn't intend to get the H1N1 flu vaccine for her 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Andrea, or for herself.

Paging Dr. Mom: Some home remedies may ease colds and flu

You're sick. Your head is squeezed, your nose locked up and your stomach uneasy. The bad news: There's no quick cure for the common cold and flu.

DIABETES

Weight-loss surgery has a dramatic effect

The discovery came about by accident more than a decade ago: Weight-loss surgery often led to dramatic improvement in the control of Type 2 diabetes, often before patients left the hospital.

HEALTH Q&A

Lowering cholesterol with statins and lessening heart disease

You can hardly watch television these days without seeing commercials for statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor. They lower cholesterol, which in turn keeps plaque from forming in the arteries, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

HEALTH WEBSITES

Waiting room chatter goes online

During her 12th week of pregnancy, Garance Genicot and her husband, Shub Debgupta, received worrisome news from the doctor: A preliminary test showed there was a strong possibility that she would deliver a baby with Down syndrome.

HEALTH

Study: 10 years of diet, exercise can keep diabetes at bay

A national study on diabetes, to be published online Thursday, concludes that people who stuck to a 10-year diet and exercise plan cut their risk of developing the disease by 34 percent.

CELEBRITIES

Suzanne Somers targets conventional cancer treatment

When stars use their fame to dispense medical advice, should the public listen?

HEALTH Q&A

Breast cancer: The latest in research

In October, we are surrounded by reminders of breast cancer. The often cited statistic is that one in eight women will get breast cancer at some point in their lives, but that actually is a misunderstanding.

QUICK STUDY

Obstructive sleep apnea; carpal tunnel syndrome

Might losing weight improve the disturbed breathing known as obstructive sleep apnea?

Depression can be a major problem for expectant moms

Moms-to-be expect to be filled with happiness and excitement, not hopelessness and despair. But the fact is, pregnancy does not make women immune to depression.

HEALTH TIPS

Obesity and pregnancy; driver safety

Women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant could be putting themselves or their babies at risk for certain health complications, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One particularly serious potential problem: Infant heart defects, such as obstruction on the right side of the heart or defects in the tissue that separates the two upper chambers of the heart.

FORWARD LOOK

Getting the shot: the latest on swine flu vaccinations

Swine flu vaccinations begin locally this week, but it might be a while before everyone who wants to be vaccinated can get the shot (or mist). Here are some common questions and answers about vaccinations.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH | MEDICAL SCIENCE

Breast cancer treatments have dramatically increased survival rates

Overall, chances of surviving breast cancer are much better now because of increased awareness, earlier detection and improved treatments.

HEALTHCARE

South Florida clinics running short of regular seasonal flu vaccine

South Florida healthcare providers say there are spot shortages of regular seasonal flu vaccine, but healthcare officials say the supplies will be replenished before the flu season hits its peak.

YOUR HEALTH

Breast cancer checklist: 20 ways to protect yourself

While you can't control your genes, there are powerful steps you can take to protect yourself. But experts say there's a lot of confusion about what really matters.

HEALTH TIPS

Pets bring health benefits; kids and surgery

You know your dog or cat can almost always cheer you up after a bad day. But did you know that pets may bring other health benefits to their owners as well? Research into human-animal bonds is still in its infancy, and many of its conclusions are based on anecdotal evidence, says the National Institutes of Health. But a growing number of studies are discovering the ways pets can help us lead healthier lives.

NEUROSCIENCE

Scientists seek to manage dopamine effects

Scientists are trying to find ways to manage the good and bad sides of the brain chemical dopamine -- such as a cocaine addiction vaccine.

SCIENCE

Nanotechnology: sci-fi fears vs. a world of innovation

Nanotechnology has surprising applications in mundane materials like sunscreen and esoteric items like high-tech body armor for soldiers. But some fear scarier scenarios worthy of a science fiction novel.

Tiny technology may yield major finds -- and possible perils

A new field being shaped partly at the University of Miami holds huge potential for major medical discoveries -- and possible perils.

Defeating diabetes: UM researcher uses powerful tool

At UM's Diabetes Research Institute, Cherie Stabler, a Ph.D biomedical engineer, is using nanotechnology to try to reproduce the insulin no longer made by the pancreas in people with diabetes.

Targeting chemo's effects

At the University of Central Florida, Dr. J. Manuel Perez is working on a ``nano-medic,'' a super-tiny entity that would circulate in the body to find a tumor, treat it and report back the results.

UM scientists developing a new test to catch cancer in blood early

At the University of Miami School of Medicine, Drs. Richard Cote and Ram Datar are pursuing a nano-scale test to detect cancer in the blood before it spreads.

SCHOOLS

Swine flu vaccine for students available soon

South Florida health departments will start offering the swine flu vaccines, initially in the form of a nasal spray, at public schools on Oct. 19.

Health tips | Counting calories; coping with tension; backpack suggestions

Ever wonder how many calories you really burn during your morning jog? The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) has an online calculator that can give you the answer.

GET SMART

Daily dose of aspirin not safe for everyone

The humble aspirin -- already celebrated for helping prevent the recurrence of heart attacks and strokes in some people -- is now being touted as a possible aid in preventing colon cancer. Is the cheap drugstore painkiller the new wonder drug? Don't pop one daily before reading this.

FATIGUE

Pinpoint the cause, then take steps to eliminate it

This time of year always makes me feel exhausted. I find my visits to Starbucks increasing every September as the month signals the beginning of so many things starting up again.

RESEARCH

Can stress be good for you?

Stress doesn't just motivate us to get things done. Short bouts of it may actually boost the immune system and protect against one type of cancer, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who were able to show the effects using stressed-out laboratory mice.