Politics May Trump Looks, Personality in Matters of the Heart

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Voter registration cards may offer more insight into who people promise to love and cherish than personality or appearance, new research suggests.

Health Tip: Protect Feet From Fungus

(HealthDay News) -- Fungal toenail infections can linger for years without causing pain or another reason to seek treatment. But infected nails can turn thick, discolored or brittle, which could be embarrassing.

Health Tip: Is My Memory Loss Normal?

(HealthDay News) -- Everyone forgets things now and then, and remembering everything naturally becomes more difficult as you get older.

Massachusetts Study Shows Sharp Rise in Early Autism Diagnoses

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- More children aged 3 and younger are now being treated for autism in Massachusetts, a new study finds.

Early Adversity May Shorten Child's Life

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Deprivation and neglect can cause premature aging of children's chromosomes, a new study suggests.

Alzheimer's Risk Gene May Damage Brain Decades Before Symptoms Show

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- A gene allele that increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease starts to damage the brain 50 years before symptoms of the disease appear, a new study suggests.

When Pregnant Mom Smokes, Baby's DNA May Change

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Women who smoke during pregnancy may be putting their unborn children at increased risk for a DNA change, a new study suggests.

Standard Heart Drugs Won't Ease Pulmonary Hypertension

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Although commonly used to treat heart disease, aspirin and simvastatin offer no benefit to patients suffering from pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, a progressive disease characterized by increased blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, according to new research.

End-of-Life Care Differs Between U.S., Canada, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- End-of-life care for older people with advanced lung cancer differs in the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario, a new study says.

Smoking Raises Odds for Cancer in Women Already at High Risk

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term smoking significantly increases the risk of invasive breast, lung and colon cancers in women with a high risk of breast cancer, a new study finds.

Earlier PSA Test Best Predicts Risk of Dying From Prostate Cancer: Study

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- The results of a first prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for males between the ages of 44 and 50 can predict the risk of dying of prostate cancer within the next 25 to 30 years, according to a new study.

Can Platelet Transfusions Trigger Severe Reaction in Those With Peanut Allergies?

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- A boy with a peanut allergy had a severe reaction after receiving a blood platelet transfusion that may have contained bits of undigested peanut protein, according to a new case report published in a major medical journal.

FDA Advisers Urge Infant Doses for Kids' OTC Fever Relievers

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health advisers recommended Wednesday that dosing instructions should be added to the labels of medicines containing the widely used pain reliever and fever reducer acetaminophen to better protect children under the age of 2.

Selenium Might Help Treat Symptoms in Graves' Eye Disease

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- The trace mineral selenium improves quality of life and slows the progression of eye problems in people with the autoimmune disorder known as Graves' disease, a new study says.

Are Affluent Women More Apt to Choose C-Section?

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Richer women are more likely to choose to deliver their babies by cesarean section than poorer women, a switch from the past when the reverse was the case, a new Scottish study has found.

Health Highlights: May 18, 2011

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

Potentially Toxic Flame Retardants Found in Baby Products

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- A flame retardant banned years ago in many parts of the world appears to remain in use and is among a number of potentially toxic flame retardants found in baby products such as nursing pillows, bassinet mattresses, strollers and high chairs, a new study reports.

Rep. Giffords to Get Skull Patch in Latest Step in Recovery

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the head four months ago by a would-be assassin, will undergo surgery Wednesday in Houston to replace the piece of skull that was removed immediately after the shooting, according to the Associated Press.

Many Women Can Have Cervical Cancer Test Every 3 Years: Study

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Women 30 and older who have good results from each of the two cervical cancer tests available today can safely wait three years for their next screening instead of just one year, according to new research.

Study Finds Ovarian Screening Tests Don't Improve Survival

WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- New research finds that the only two tests available to screen for ovarian cancer don't reduce the average woman's risk of dying from this "silent killer."