Cost of Medical Malpractice Tops $55 Billion a Year in U.S.
TUESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The cost of medical malpractice in the United States is $55.6 billion a year, which is 2.4 percent of annual health-care spending, a new study shows.

Chemicals in Rugs, Cookware May Be Linked to Raised Cholesterol in Teens
MONDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Common chemicals found in everything from non-stick cookware to grease-resistant food packaging appear to be associated with increases in cholesterol levels in adolescents, a new study suggests.

Autistic Toddlers Prefer to Gaze at Geometric Patterns: Study
MONDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- When given the choice to gaze at geometric patterns or children dancing and playing, toddlers with autism spent more time looking at the patterns while typically developing toddlers preferred to look at other...

Picking right blood pressure medicine challenging
It's hard to predict which pills will best lower which patient's high blood pressure, but researchers are hunting ways to better personalize therapy — perhaps even using a blood test.

Magic mushrooms may ease anxiety of cancer: study
The hallucinogen psilocybin -- known by the street name magic mushrooms -- may help ease the anxiety that often accompanies late-stage cancer, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Long-term weight loss may be harmful to health
Long-term weight loss may release into the blood industrial pollutants linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers said on Tuesday.

Japan confirms its first case of new superbug gene
Japan has confirmed the nation's first case of a new gene in bacteria that allows the microorganisms to become drug-resistant superbugs, detected in a man who had medical treatment in India, a Health Ministry official said Tuesday.

Health Highlights: Sept. 7, 2010
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

FDA cites claims on 2 green tea beverages
Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

Four million child deaths avoidable in past decade: report
Four million children have died in the past decade because governments have not spread major medical advances to the poor, a leading aid group said Tuesday.