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How low should you go?
New findings on cholesterol level have patients wondering what to do.
 
Heart attack survival improves with low cholesterol
Lowering heart attack victims' cholesterol to levels dramatically below current standards appears to be an important strategy for saving lives and preventing new heart problems, a major study shows.
 
Like 'Drano for coronary arteries'
A synthetic component of "good" cholesterol that reduced artery disease has startlingly big implications for treating the nation's No. 1 killer.
 
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Supersized meals = super weight gain for filmmaker
Morgan Spurlock got the idea for "Super Size Me," a documentary about what happens when you eat only at McDonald's for a month, after hearing about two obese teenagers who sued the fast food company. They contended McDonald's hid the health risks of its foods.
 
The big diet question: To count or not to count
What are you counting? Calories? Points? Carbs? Fat grams? A small but growing number of voices in the obesity debate are beginning to question the usefulness of precise counting. POLL
 
Battle vs. fat goes back to the basics
The number of calories you eat, not carbs, not fat grams, matters most when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, the government says.
 
Advertising linked to childhood obesity
Turning off the TV and eating a home-cooked meal may be among the best ways to keep kids from packing on the pounds, according to studies.
 
More meat eaters let tastes roam
Metro Atlantans are increasingly getting the chance to fork over food dollars for once-exotic meats -- bison and ostrich -- now marketed as healthier alternatives to traditional entrees.
 
'Risky' ephedra banned
The government said it would ban the sale of the diet supplement ephedra, which has been linked to 155 deaths and 16,000 adverse reactions.
 
Grilled Mexican food gets mixed health review
Grilled Mexican food can be healthier than regular fast food, a nutrition watchdog group says.
 

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Combined techniques offer hope in treating spinal cord injury
Two techniques that had been previously developed to treat spinal cord injury in animals work effectively when combined, allowing deliberately injured rats to regain a certain amount of mobility, researchers say.
 
Emory, Tech study spinal-cord injuries
Instead of electronically stimulating the muscles of people with nerve damage, researcher looks at using patients' remaining healthy cells.
 

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Inflammation a killer clue to disease, treatment
Doctors hope the link between chronic inflammation and heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and asthma can better prevent, diagnose, treat and possibly heal.
Take precautions now to limit West Nile virus danger
Although disease-carrying mosquitoes need water to breed,they don't mind dry weather when it comes to proliferation.
 
Black colleges get lesson on HIV threat
North Carolina students come together for a weekend of discussion on disease prevention, sex health after a study found a disproportionate incidence of HIV among black college students.
 
What shoppers need to know about mad cow
Frequently asked questions about beef and its safety.
 
Shortages in meningitis vaccine possible next year
Production difficulties with drug Prevnar may cause shipment delays, CDC said.
 

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Video game fans dance off extra pounds
Forget the image of paunchy video gamers holed up in a dark room, surrounded by sticky Twinkie wrappers and empty soda cans. Dance Dance Revolution players burn extra pounds along with their quarters.
 
ACL: Movement seen as culprit in women's injuries
Georgia Tech women's basketball player Nina Barlin bears the scars of two knee surgeries in a year. Researchers find that female athletes are more likely than males to suffer damage to a key knee ligament.
 
Boost fitness through housework
All that dusting, scrubbing, gardening and lugging in the groceries has to be worth something when it comes to exercise, right? Well, it can if you increase the intensity and add some cardiovascular activity.
• Get a workout without fancy machinery
 
The gentle power of tai chi
Tai chi can reduce falls in the elderly by up to 40 percent, Emory researchers say.
 
Do body building supplements work?
While the world of professional and elite sports comes to terms with illegal steroid useage, many everyday athletes wrestle with whether legal supplements can build muscles.
 

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Lewis: Comedian found relief for back problem
For 37 years, comedian Jerry Lewis lived in pain. Now, he's working with Emory doctors to offer hope and healing through laughter to others.
 
Too much to do
Multitaskers can literally drive themselves so much that they become sick.
 
Freedom through forgiveness
When Linda Marra forgave her father's killer, she learned that forgiveness is healing -- literally and figuratively.
 
Study: Appendix removal by laparoscopy means faster recovery
Patients who have minimally invasive surgery fare far better than those who have traditional operations.
 
Painkiller addiction difficult to beat
More than 4 million Americans are addicted to painkillers. Among those who seek treatment, only about half are successful.
 
Particle smog: Health risks move to fore
Now, smog forecasters will monitor metro Atlanta's air for a particle smog year-round.
 
Take ankle injuries seriously
Many have found out, painfully, that it is important to respect the ligament damage that results from an ankle sprain.
 
Clearing the air: Do home purifiers help?
Physicians, scientists and health groups say studies show many air purifiers pull allergens from the air. But they stop short of recommending them.
 

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Study: Atlanta surgeon's heart bypass technique promising
Bypass surgery in which the heart keeps beating is as good as or better than the old message, says a new study by an Emory University surgeon.
 
Help for heart patients not always given
Study: One-third of heart patients miss key remedy that could save lives.
 
Heart attack symptoms in women
Unusual fatigue and sleeplessness might be early warning signs of a heart attack in women, a study suggests.
 

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Hostility, anger, may be bad for male heart
Both displays of emotions Ñ anger and hostility Ñ may put men at risk of a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, a recent study suggests.
 
Rise in male breast cancer may hint at obesity link
The nation's growing obesity problem may have contributed to an increase in breast cancer among American men over the past 25 years.
 
Depression exacts toll on men
Three successful, high-profile men talk about treatment of depression, its stigma and what it feels like to come out of the mental health closet will help those with depression seek treatment.
 

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Depression exacts toll on men
Three successful, high-profile men talk about treatment of depression, its stigma and what it feels like to come out of the mental health closet will help those with depression seek treatment.
 
Patients worry about FDA anti-depressant warning
The recent call for a warning on anti-depressants has created anxiety among depressed patients who already may feel hopeless, helpless and stressed. But doctors caution patients not to suddenly stop taking them.
 
Freedom through forgiveness
When Linda Marra forgave her father's killer, she learned that forgiveness is healing -- literally and figuratively.
 
Treating teen depression
Some experts contend that deep feelings are part of growing up and that, in any case, drugging kids isn't the sole answer

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Philly hospital offers quick test results on Down Syndrome
A Philadelphia hospital says it is the first in the nation to offer pregnant women a two-test combination that tells them within an hour after its completion whether their baby has Down syndrome.
 
More birth control choices raise questions
Couples are evaluating a wave of burgeoning birth control options that includes everything from flesh-colored weekly skin patches to a revamped plastic intrauterine device that is effective for up to five years.
 
Doctors caution against sex selection kits
Internet sellers of sex-selection kits would have you believe you can choose the gender of your baby in the privacy of your own home. But some experts call it "snake oil."
 

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Holiday ZZZZZs in short supply
Americans, already among the most sleep-deprived cultures south of the North Pole, lose even more sleep during the holidays. And the consequences can be dangerous.
 
Curse you, snooze button!
Life today means waking, sleeping, then waking again. We can't imagine sleep that doesn't end in multiple snoozes.
 
Sleepless see health go astray
Loss of sleep, researchers say, can lead to memory problems, depression, obesity, hypertension, heart problems and an increased risk of falling.
 

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Experimental device offers promise against devastating strokes
The MERCI Retriever seems to restore blood flow in almost half of patients -- people who couldn't be helped by today's only stroke-busting medication.