Too Many Meds May Be More Problem Than Cure

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Barely a week goes by, it seems, without some company announcing a new pill designed to help you live a longer, healthier life.

Health Tip: Perform a Breast Self-Exam

(HealthDay News) -- A monthly breast self-exam can help you identify any changes or abnormalities early, which could lead to a better chance of successful breast cancer treatment.

College Students Still Vulnerable to Bullying

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Bullying and cyberbullying don't end when students go from high school to college, a new study finds.

Health Tip: Traveling With Prescription Medications

(HealthDay News) -- When you're flying with prescription drugs, be sure to prepare them carefully before you head out for the airport.

Improved Allergy Shots Might Be on Horizon

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Allergy shots are time-tested treatments that reduce health care costs and can now provide relief to allergy sufferers within weeks instead of months, according to experts.

Kidney Donation Doesn't Put Older Adults at Risk

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People older than 70 can donate a kidney without risking their lives but their donated kidneys don't last as long as those from younger living donors, a new study shows.

Skin Reacts to UV Light Faster Than Thought, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- An ultraviolet receptor in the skin immediately senses and responds to UV light in order to protect against UV damage, researchers have found.

Some Smokers More Likely to Quit After Stroke Than Others

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Smokers are more likely to kick the habit after a stroke if the area of their brain that processes emotions was damaged by the stroke, researchers say.

Earthquakes Put Millions of Lives, Major Cities at Risk

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- When an earthquake hits, up to 8 percent of a city's population can suffer fatal injuries, a new report suggests.

Brain Stimulation May Help Kill Cigarette Cravings, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- In smokers, stimulating the brain in certain ways can manipulate their cravings for cigarettes, researchers have found.

Radiation Plus Hormone Therapy Extends Life in High-Risk Prostate Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A combination of radiation and hormone therapy prolongs survival among men whose cancer has spread beyond the prostate, Canadian and U.K. researchers report.

Home-Based Test Can Detect Cervical Cancer Virus: Study

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Home-based tests using self-collected vaginal samples could serve as an alternative to the traditional Pap smear tests designed to detect the virus that causes cervical cancer, new study findings show.

More People Landing in the ER After Abusing Muscle Relaxant: Report

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The number of people winding up in the emergency room because of the misuse or abuse of the prescription muscle relaxant carisoprodol has more than doubled, a new federal report warns.

Death Toll From Listeria Outbreak Hits 29

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The death toll in the listeria outbreak traced to cantaloupes produced at a Colorado farm has reached 29, with another 139 people sickened in 28 states, U.S. officials said late Wednesday.

Health Highlights: Nov. 3, 2011

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

FDA OKs Heart Valve That Does Not Require Open-Heart Surgery

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The first artificial heart valve that can be implanted without open-heart surgery has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Artificial Heart Valve Doesn't Require Open-Heart Surgery

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The first artificial heart valve that can replace a diseased aortic valve without requiring open-heart surgery has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Weighing Weight-Loss Programs

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A new British study finds that commercial weight-loss programs are more effective and less costly than primary care-based programs led by specially trained staff.

Rx for Heart Patients: Healthier Living, Medication

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A healthy lifestyle and appropriate medications can help people with heart disease live longer and avoid a heart attack or stroke, according to new guidelines from the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association.

Study Finds No Link Between Dyslexia and IQ

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A new study that found no association between dyslexia and IQ calls into question the widespread practice of classifying children as dyslexic based on differences between their reading abilities and their IQ scores, researchers report.

More Targeted Treatments Key to Progress in War on Cancer: Report

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- More targeted treatments and streamlining clinical trials are among the keys to speeding the pace of progress in finding more effective cancer treatments, a new report says.