New Weight Loss Aid? (HealthDay)
HealthDay - THURSDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- An amino acid called isoleucine may play an important role in weight loss, a new study suggests.

Fewer Childhood Deaths From Rheumatic Disease (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Death rates for U.S. children with rheumatic diseases are much lower than previously reported, a new study has found.

Approval Expanded for Breast Cancer Drug Tykerb (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded approval for Tykerb (lapatinib) to include postmenopausal women with hormone- and HER2-positive advanced breast cancer who require hormone therapy.

Clinical Trials Update: Feb. 1, 2010 (HealthDay)
HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Haiti health chief calls for shelter ahead of rain (AFP)
AFP - Haitian Health Minister Alex Larsen said the government is "moving as fast as possible" to shelter quake-hit refugees ahead of heavy rains due as soon as next month that could trigger a public health disaster.

Study weighs benefits of transplants for leukemia (Reuters)
Reuters - Leukemia patients who have blood stem cell transplants survive just as long on average as those who undergo the more invasive procedure of having a bone marrow transplant, scientists said on Monday.

Federal Panel Urges Obesity Screening for Kids Ages 6 and Up (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A federal panel of health experts has issued new recommendations encouraging U.S. doctors to screen children aged 6 and older for obesity, and to offer them a referral to intensive weight management programs when necessary.

Cellular Tweak Helps Mice Burn More Fat (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A molecular mechanism that controls energy expenditure in muscles and helps determine body weight has been identified by U.S. researchers, who said their finding could lead to a new way to treat obesity.

Young, Overweight Fall Prey to Weight-Loss Spam (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Many computer users lunge for the delete key when they get unsolicited e-mails about weight-loss products. But some respond, and new research suggests that almost one in five young, overweight people have fallen prey to the hard sell that shows up in their spam.

Might Surgical Weight Loss Put Bones at Risk? (HealthDay)
HealthDay - FRIDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDay News) -- When diet and exercise attempts haven't worked, increasing numbers of overweight people have turned to bariatric, or weight-loss, surgery to shed pounds.