Health News

This Week's Top Stories

Oct. 6, 2006 -- Help for hay fever, an old-fashioned way to relieve stress, and a new use for aspirin -- and marijuana. Get a snapshot of the week that was.

Aspirin May Be Newest Cancer Drug

Aspirin already is considered a powerful painkiller, and it may one day do a whole lot more than fight headaches. In test-tube studies, researchers found that aspirin does what some of the most cutting-edge new anticancer drugs do. It seems to keep newborn cancers from growing the blood vessels they need to become full-blown tumors. Read more.

Breastfeeding Doesn't Boost IQ

Breastfeeding is good for the health and development of babies, but it may not make them smarter, a new research shows. What was the most important variable for intelligence? Read more.

A Cure for Seasonal Allergies?

A six-shot ragweed vaccine may one day offer relief for millions of hay fever sufferers. The vaccine is years away from being available, but, if approved, it could greatly simplify severe allergy treatment, which can require years of allergy shots. Definitely not something to sneeze at. Read more.

Mom's Voice a Better Smoke Alarm

A parent's voice may beat the buzzer when it comes to waking children to warn them of fire. A new study shows personalized smoke alarms featuring the voice of a parent telling the child to wake up and leave the bedroom were nearly twice as good at waking children from a deep sleep as a conventional-tone smoke alarm. Read more.

Macular Degeneration Drug Adds Vision

Lucentis, a newly approved drug for age-related macular degeneration, not only prevents blindness but actually improves many patients' vision. The high cost of the drug, however, could be a deterrent. Read more.

Exercise Not Tied to Preschool Obesity

Organized efforts to get preschoolers moving appear to have little influence on whether or not they become overweight, a new study suggests. But several experts don't necessarily agree. Read more.

Black Tea Stress Relief

Under stress? Brew a pot of black tea and you just might feel more relaxed. Researchers in tea-loving London found people who drank black tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who drank a fake tea substitute. Read more.

Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's

THC, the key compound in marijuana, may one day be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, early studies show. That's because the marijuana compound blocks the formation of brain-clogging Alzheimer's plaques better than current Alzheimer's drugs. Read more.

Cola Bad for Bones

Women worried about getting osteoporosis may want to give up cola -- especially if they drink a lot of it. Researchers found that regular cola consumption was associated with lower bone mineral density, which increases a woman's risk for osteoporosis. Other types of carbonated beverages did not have the same effect. Read more.