Health Tip: Avoid Distractions Behind the Wheel

(HealthDay News) -- To stay safe and alert behind the wheel, it's important to avoid distractions while you drive.

Health Tip: Before You Take a Decongestant

(HealthDay News) -- Though decongestant medications can offer much-needed relief when mucus plugs your nose, the drugs could be harmful to some people.

Shingles Returns More Often Than Thought

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Repeat cases of shingles may be more common than suspected, contends a new study that challenges the long-held belief that people only get shingles once in a lifetime.

Daily Pill Dispensers an Asset in Homes for Elderly: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Medication errors in homes for the elderly are much less likely to occur if residents are given pills or capsules dispensed from a monitored dosage system, finds a new British study.

Hospitals Often Fail to Follow Up on Tests, Study Says

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- As many as 75 percent of hospital tests are not followed up and this failure can have serious consequences for patients, including delayed or missed diagnoses and even death, according to a new study.

Bullying May Accompany Drive to Be Popular

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who are already popular but trying to become even more so are the most likely to bully other kids, new research suggests.

Mom's HIV May Lower Baby's Immunity to Other Diseases

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Babies who are exposed to HIV at birth but don't become infected with the virus have lower levels of antibodies to diseases such as whooping cough, tetanus and pneumococcus, a new study finds.

Lead Exposure May Raise Blood Pressure in Pregnancy

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In pregnant women, even small amounts of lead in the blood may cause significantly higher blood pressure, new research suggests.

Study Links Brain Molecule to Risk of Major Depression

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- People whose genetic make-up produces lower levels of a brain molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY) may be at increased risk for major depression, says a new study.

Heavy Drinking in Teen Years May Continue Into Adulthood

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy drinking in the late teen years often continues into adulthood and is associated with long-term alcohol-related problems, researchers warn.

Processed, Fatty Foods May Dumb Down Your Kids: Study

MONDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Feeding children lots of fatty, sugary and processed foods may lower their IQ, while a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients appears to boost it, British researchers say.

Health Highlights: Feb. 8, 2011

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

Removing Many Lymph Nodes in Early Breast Cancer Not Always Needed: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Removing many lymph nodes may not be necessary in women with early breast cancer who also undergo a lumpectomy to remove the mass, followed by radiation.

'Universal' Flu Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Trial

TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A small group of 22 British volunteers is testing out a new "universal" influenza vaccine: one that might be effective against all strains of flu and wouldn't have to be reformulated each year, as now happens.

Heart Enzymes May Predict Outcome After Bypass Surgery

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- High levels of certain blood enzymes following coronary-artery bypass surgery can signal an increased risk of death, a new study suggests.

Birth Defect Risk Slightly Higher for Kids of Male Cancer Survivors

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Men who have had cancer are at a slightly higher risk of bearing children with congenital problems such as a cleft palate compared to their peers with no history of cancer, according to new research.

Clinical Trials Update: Feb. 8, 2011

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

Warming Injections May Take Out the Sting

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- An injection of local anesthetic can be made much less painful if it is warmed beforehand, Canadian researchers report.

MRI-Friendly Pacemaker Approved

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The first heart pacemaker designed to be used safely during certain MRI exams has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

FDA Approves First Pacemaker Deemed Safe During MRIs

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) --The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first heart pacemaker designed to be safe during some MRI scans.

First Lady Says President Obama Has Quit Smoking

TUESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- President Barack Obama has kicked the smoking habit for almost one full year, First Lady Michelle Obama told the press on Tuesday.