Health Tip: Help Prevent a Pulled Muscle

(HealthDay News) -- A pulled muscle, especially involving the thigh, is a common injury among runners and people who play basketball, hockey or football. And while the injury can't always be prevented, there are factors that increase your risk.

Health Tip: Eat Less

(HealthDay News) -- Your parents may have appreciated when you took a lot of food and left a clean plate, but experts say that's no way to maintain a healthy weight.

Stress May Be Tougher on Women's Hearts Than Men's: Study

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Heart blood flow increases in men when they experience mental stress, but does not change in women, a small new study suggests.

Study Explores Fish Oil's Healthy Effect on Heart

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- A small new study may rule out one possible mechanism behind omega-3 fatty acids' healthy effects on the heart.

Dark Chocolate May Lower Risk of Heart Disease

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Dark chocolate may lower your risk of heart disease by lowering levels of blood glucose and bad cholesterol while boosting levels of good cholesterol, a small new study suggests.

Could the Childhood Obesity 'Epidemic' Be Ebbing?

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- After two decades of steadily increasing rates of childhood obesity, at least one state may finally be turning things around.

Texting May Help More Kids Get Flu Shots

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Sending text message reminders to parents improves the rate of flu vaccination among low-income children and teens in cities, researchers have found.

Quality Nursing May Protect Very Low Birth Weight Babies

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Infants with very low birth weights -- less than 3.3 pounds -- do better if they're born at hospitals that have been officially recognized for nursing excellence, a new study finds.

Bullying, Violence Linked to Faster Aging in Kids

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are victims of bullying and violence have DNA wear-and-tear that is normally associated with aging, a new study shows.

'Watch-and-Wait' Approach Best When Water Breaks Before Labor: Study

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Rather than induce labor, pregnant women whose water breaks early may fare just as well if they are closely monitored by medical staff, a new study indicates.

Cocaine Habit Might Speed Brain Aging

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic cocaine use may speed up brain aging, a new study suggests.

New Clues to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- The brains of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome -- an often misunderstood condition marked by unexplained, incapacitating exhaustion -- don't respond to rewards in the same way as the brains of healthy people do, a new study suggests.

Measles Deaths Falling Worldwide

MONDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) -- Deaths from measles fell 74 percent worldwide between 2000 and 2010, but progress is still short of the World Health Organization's target, health officials reported Monday.

Impulsive Tots at Risk for Gambling Problems Later: Study

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Preschoolers who are impulsive, restless, moody and inattentive are twice as likely as other kids to have a gambling problem in adulthood, according to a new study.

Botox Offers Little Relief for Migraine, Study Finds

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Botox is considered a preventive medication for debilitating migraine headaches, but a new review finds that it may only help people with chronic migraines or chronic daily headaches. And, even then, the effect appears to only be "small to modest."

Health Highlights: April 24, 2012

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

Many First-Graders Shun Overweight, Obese Kids

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Even first-graders might be shunned by their peers if they are overweight or obese, new research suggests.

Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines Often Not Followed: Study

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- In 2008, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against testing for prostate cancer in men aged 75 and older, but new research finds that almost 44 percent of these men are still being screened.

Hospital Charges Show Huge Variance in Study

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Acute appendicitis is a common medical condition, but the cost of treating it varies enormously -- from about $1,500 to $180,000 -- researchers report.

Pacemakers, Defibrillators Sources of Deadly Infections: Study

TUESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Life-saving implantable pacemakers or defibrillators pose a risk for developing deadly infections, a new study suggests.