Blood pressure readings done in the doctor's office may have little value at predicting which patients who continue to have high blood pressure despite treatment will have a stroke, heart attack or heart failure, Brazilian researchers said Monday. Read more »

U.S. health officials asked doctors Thursday to be alert for possible cases of meningitis and other illnesses in children caused by Hib bacteria amid an ongoing vaccine shortage. Read more »

The lung cancer pill Iressa has shown surprising results for patients with advanced disease where it has been at least as effective as a standard chemotherapy treatment, researchers reported on Thursday. Read more »

Banning fast-food advertising on television in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 percent, researchers said Wednesday. Read more »

An experimental Merck & Co Inc drug that raises levels of a natural growth hormone failed to improve memory skills in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said Monday. Read more »

A report released Monday concluded that "Gulf War Syndrome" is a legitimate condition suffered by more than 175,000 U.S. war veterans who were exposed to chemical toxins in the 1991 Gulf War. Read more »

A dangerous, drug-resistant bacterium normally found in soil and water is on the increase in hospitals worldwide, an infectious disease expert warned on Tuesday. Read more »

The number of U.S. adults who smoke has dropped below 20 percent for the first time on record but cigarettes still kill almost half a million people a year, health officials said Thursday. Read more »

While men still fare better, fewer younger women are dying in the hospital after an acute heart attack than in the recent past, U.S. researchers said Wednesday. Read more »

For people keeping track of their blood fats, triglycerides may be the new lipid to watch, researchers said Tuesday. Read more »