Health Tip: Listeriosis Prevention if You're Pregnant

(HealthDay News) -- Listeriosis is an infection with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, commonly acquired by eating contaminated food. It's particularly dangerous for pregnant women and their fetuses.

Health Tip: Don't Ignore Symptoms of Measles

(HealthDay News) -- Measles is a very contagious viral illness that can lead to serious complications, including inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), and respiratory or ear infections.

Study Suggests Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked to Heart Attack Risk

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- One year after a person is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis they are at a 60 percent increased risk of heart attack compared to people without the disease, a new study suggests.

Estrogen-Only Hormone Therapy May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk for Some

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In a finding that seems to counter the prevailing wisdom that any form of hormone replacement therapy raises the risk of breast cancer, a new look at some old data suggests that estrogen-only hormone therapy might protect a small subset of postmenopausal women against the disease.

Grades in High School Might Influence Adult Health

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Good grades in high school might not just help the mind, they might help the body, too.

Both High, Low Levels of Vitamin D in Older Women May Be Problematic

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) Both low and high levels of vitamin D are associated with increased risk of frailty in older women, a new study finds.

Shortened Jump Training Course May Save Women Basketball Players' Knees

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A shorter jump-training program may help reduce women basketball players' risk of knee injuries by improving their landing technique, a new study suggests.

Mental Imagery a New Weight-Loss Tool?

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that they may have hit on a new trick for weight loss: To eat less of a certain food, they suggest you envision yourself gobbling it up beforehand.

40 Million in U.S. Driving Drunk or Drugged

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Despite massive efforts to curb drunk driving, some 30 million Americans are driving drunk and another 10 million are driving drugged each year, federal officials report.

Weight-Lifting After Breast Cancer Won't Cause Lymphedema, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to conventional wisdom, lifting weights doesn't cause breast cancer survivors to develop the painful, arm-swelling condition known as lymphedema, new research suggests.

Gene Tied to Inherited Form of Lou Gehrig's Disease

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A genetic mutation associated with an inherited form of Lou Gehrig's disease -- known in the medical world as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- has been identified by an international team of researchers.

U.S. Failing to Meet Goals for Women's Health: Report

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The United States has failed to reach almost every goal set for women's health, a new report says.

U.S. Life Expectancy Drops Slightly

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Life expectancy dipped slightly in the United States from 2007 to 2008, according to a new federal report.

Health Highlights: Dec. 9, 2010

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Only Half of Women Over 40 Get Annual Mammograms

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Only 50 percent of women over age 40 in the United States get an annual mammogram to screen for breast cancer, even if they have insurance to cover the procedure, a new study finds.

Even One Cigarette Can Prove Lethal, U.S. Surgeon General Says

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- As little as one cigarette a day, or even just inhaling smoke from someone else's cigarette, could be enough to cause a heart attack and even death, warns a report released Thursday by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin.

Clinical Trials Update: Dec. 9, 2010

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

No Scientific Proof Backing Stricter Tests of Ground Beef in School Lunches

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- There's no scientific evidence that stricter testing of ground beef used in school lunches and other federal food and nutrition programs would improve the safety of the meat, according to a U.S. National Research Council report released Thursday.

Bone Drug Zometa Flops Overall as Breast Cancer Treatment

THURSDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The bone drug zoledronic acid (Zometa), considered a potentially promising weapon against breast cancer recurrence, has flopped in a new study involving more than 3,360 patients.