Stronger Statins Don't Up Kidney Injury Risk, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- A higher dose of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs did not increase the risk of kidney injury in heart attack survivors, according to preliminary study findings.

New Clues to Cancer Resistance From Long-Lived Rodents

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers interested in learning how certain rodents manage to live long, cancer-free lives have stumbled upon a potentially valuable clue: a substance outside their cells seems to help stop malignancies from spreading.

HPV Vaccine Lowering Infection Rates Among Girls: CDC

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccination against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) is proving highly effective in reducing the spread of the sexually transmitted virus among young women, new research shows.

Gene-Based Blood Test for Colon Cancer Shows Promise

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Could screening for colon cancer someday be as easy as having a blood test? Researchers say just such a test is showing early promise in trials.

Character Counts When It Comes to Organ, Blood Donations

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Some people say they would refuse an organ or blood donation that came from a murderer or thief, a new study shows.

U.S. Doctors' Group Labels Obesity a Disease

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- In an effort to focus greater attention on the weight-gain epidemic plaguing the United States, the American Medical Association has now classified obesity as a disease.

Health Highlights: June 19, 2013

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

Many U.S. Adults Under-Vaccinated Against Whooping Cough, Survey Finds

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Whooping cough cases are escalating in the United States, and many American adults are unknowingly exposing vulnerable babies to the potentially deadly disease because their vaccinations are not up to date, a new survey finds.

A Deadly Form of Diabetes That Doctors Sometimes Miss

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Addie Parker was a happy 4-year-old who appeared to have the flu. But within hours she was in a coma.

Health Tip: Create an Escape Plan at Home

(HealthDay News) -- It's important to create and practice a fire escape plan at home, and to teach it to every member of the family.

Health Tip: Surviving With Cancer

(HealthDay News) -- After you've finished cancer treatment, you may be anxious for life to return to "normal." But "normal" may be far different than it was before cancer.

Health-Care Shoppers Still in the Dark, Study Says

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- State websites that report the costs of health care services aren't much use to patients who want to compare prices, according to a new U.S. study.

Fewer Young Americans Lack Health Care Coverage

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- The number of young adults without health care coverage in the United States has declined significantly over the past few years, according to a new government report released Tuesday.

Every Minute Counts for Stroke Victims, Study Confirms

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- For stroke victims, 15 minutes can mean the difference between life and death, a new study finds.

Common Childhood Vaccine Won't Worsen Juvenile Arthritis: Study

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) booster vaccinations do not appear to worsen disease activity in children with juvenile arthritis, according to a new Dutch study.

MRIs Spot 'Hidden' Fungal Infections From Tainted Steroid Shots

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Armed with MRI imaging tests, Michigan doctors have detected spinal infections in patients who received tainted steroid injections for back pain but were showing no signs of illness.

Blood Test Might Predict Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Study Finds

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes often seems to come out of the blue. But German researchers say they can predict who will likely develop the chronic disease.