RSS FeedsSenior citizens in Medicare have reported being sold coverage they don't want or need. Some people aren't sure if the federal government can enforce the proposed rules.
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Report says most diners are left in the dark by the existing health inspection results and recommends copying L.A. County's letter-grade method. >>
The Martinez congressman says the mine operator may have 'willfully misled' the Mine Safety and Health Administration. He has referred the matter to the Justice Department. >>
Ash drifts across the Andes to coat Esquel, and residents complain of irritated eyes and throats. The situation could last for months. >>
An agency official tells a Senate committee that it's possible there will be no standard set for the amount of perchlorate allowed in drinking water. >>
UCLA, USC and UC Irvine are among a dozen research centers getting the money. >>
They're twice as likely as nonadopted peers to have ADHD or oppositional defiant disorder, according to a study of adolescents adopted as babies. >>
Children whose mothers took part in a program that encouraged the practice had higher verbal scores than children in a control group, a large study finds. >>
In her new book, 'Death Benefits,' therapist Jeanne Safer explores what happens when adults lose their parents. In some ways, life can get better. >>
As the sport grows in popularity, researchers are studying the physiology. Doctors worry that extreme eaters may be endangering their health. >>
THE M.D.
Doctors aiming to be more 'safe than sorry' with unwarranted tests and treatments can increase costs and worry. >>
THE HEALTHY SKEPTIC
But, doctors say, fish oil has no documented benefits for people without a cardiac problem. >>
IN PRACTICE
The doctor's job is to minister to the sick -- and the wounded. One day, he gets his first call about a policeman shot in the line of duty. >>
GEAR
Reviewed: Workout 180, the Woggler, Bosu 3D Body Sculpting, TP Stability Pods. >>
As disease rates rise, some health experts urge preconception counseling to reduce the risks. >>
THE UNREAL WORLD
The character's condition would have kept her from thinking as well as she does on the TV show. Such victims don't radically change personalities, either. >>
The son of frugal immigrants discovers a way to ease the pain through rhythm therapy and learns to revel in the occasional splurge. >>
LETTERS
Re [“Safely Clean?,” April 28]: Kermit was wrong! It's easy being green if your motivation is pure profit. What's hard? Identifying what's safe. I think some manufacturers are just making more dirty laundry. >>
MY TURN
A hospital stay in England illustrates the gaps in the American healthcare system. >>
BODY MATTERS
Kids should always lift weights with adult supervision. They also need to go slowly and avoid maximum lift and competition with others. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
I've had chronic pain in my lower back, pelvis, hips and legs for nearly four years. Lying flat was agony, so I slept propped up in a love seat. >>
THE M.D.
Doctors looking for advice on treating patients can go to such sites as those offered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Guideline Clearinghouse. >>
CAPSULE
A study tracks runners and walkers and finds that over-the-counter orthotics can place more force on knee joints, contributing to osteoarthritis in that area. >>
GOOD FORM
Perform this yoga pose to help your body find a balance between effort and ease. It will strengthen your lower body and provide a deep stretch in your back muscles. Move into it slowly to allow time for you to find your center and feel a sense of strength and stability while holding the posture. >>
More than twice as many cases, including 12 in San Diego, have been reported nationwide so far this year than in all of 2007. >>
President Bush is expected to sign what would be the first federal law on DNA-based medical care. Rep. Ron Paul is Congress' lone dissenter. >>
Region has been 'bested' by Pittsburgh But a new lung association report shows that the area still has much room for improvement. >>
Their overuse in the meat and poultry industries may help spawn superbugs. >>
The federal government has acknowledged it was negligent in the death of an immigrant whose cancer went undiagnosed for nearly a year while he was in custody. >>
THE REVIEW
Akasha proves that a green restaurant can offer healthful comfort food and an appealing urban vibe. >>
Lawanda Jackson, who has since resigned after admitting to peeking at the hospital records of stars, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of obtaining identifiable health data for profit. >>
A congressional panel grills officials and hears from relatives of those who died after using tainted heparin. >>
A report that pools data from 16 studies concludes that the FDA should have halted research years earlier because of increased incidence of heart attacks and deaths. >>
Seven percent of Americans say they or someone in their household decided to tie the knot in the last year so they could receive healthcare benefits, a poll finds. >>
Higher rates of diabetes, obesity occur in areas where fast-food restaurants and convenience stores greatly outnumber grocery stores, researchers say. >>
Anyone can buy hallucinogenic salvia online or at a local head shop. The DEA and others want to limit its use, but scientists say making it a controlled substance would hinder research. >>
The controversial technique could eventually help people with blindness caused by such vision disorders as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. >>
Trainer Bruce Gilbert leads an hour fitness session every Sunday in Runyon Canyon. >>
IN THE LAB
Scientists are starting to understand what makes one mole healthy while another turns cancerous. >>
The complexity of these new medicines means copying them is risky. >>
WHAT WE EAT
Get ready for less fruit juice and cheese: Soon, WIC coupons will cover produce and other healthful foods. >>
ESOTERICA MEDICA
Is it heredity, mental illness, missing nutrients? The list of things people with pica may crave includes starch, clay, chalk, wood, burned matches, raw potatoes, laundry detergent, hair, feces and to >>
Is one different than the others? Has a new one appeared? Some tips to help you decide when to see a dermatologist. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
I am a registered nurse and am constantly on my feet. I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis two years ago and had steroid injections in both heels several times, without much relief. >>
Like most cancers, melanoma becomes far more dangerous when it moves from its site of origin to other locations in the body. This movement, called metastasis, occurs when cancer cells enter the bloodstream and invade new organs. >>
GOOD FORM
Get more out of your workouts, whether at home or at the gym, by practicing moves that challenge you. For example, if you're familiar with this basic yoga posture, called triangle pose, kick it up a notch and progress to the more advanced version. Doing so will boost your strength and flexibility while improving your focus and balance. >>
CAPSULE
SLEEP apnea can put surgical patients at high risk for respiratory complications during and after surgery. But of the 2% to 26% of Americans who have the condition, some 80% of men and 93% of women don't know it. Now anesthesiology researchers have developed a scoring system, published in the May journal Anesthesiology, to quickly identify obstructive sleep apnea sufferers before surgery. The disorder, characterized by loud snoring, puts people at risk of heart attack, irregular heart rhythm, diabetes and even traffic accidents. >>
Consumers seeking a greener clean can start by looking for labels that list all ingredients (not just active ingredients). A few certifying organizations put their stamp of approval on products that meet their own eco-friendly criteria. The organizations -- and the standards for products bearing their logo: >>
For the record >>
The report, prepared by a youth group with help from Loyola Marymount, says that the conditions of their schools is contributing to a loss of hope and drive. >>
SANDY BANKS
The advertising flier left no doubt about its pitch: a giant marijuana leaf with a phone number that ended GOT KUSH. A friend's teenage daughter brought it home from last weekend's Earth Day celebration on the Santa Monica Pier. >>
The Senate's recently passed ban on genetic discrimination is laudable, but it doesn't go far enough. >>
The agency will launch a national study to determine whether the small percentage of complications -- some of them serious -- could be avoided. >>
The experimental device, which utilizes living cells, may reduce deaths from acute kidney failure by 50%, Michigan researchers report. >>
SCIENCE IN BRIEF
Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests. >>
Many are unwilling to work nights and weekends or to care for uninsured patients. Photo Gallery >>
The legislation, which the House is expected to approve quickly and President Bush has promised to sign, would prevent information gleaned from genetic testing to be used against people. >>
Court rules that women who say their eggs were stolen may pursue their cases against the University of California. The decision reverses a 2006 ruling that said too much time had passed. >>
Uranus J. "Bob" Appel, a bacteriologist and entrepreneur who founded the first publicly owned hospital management company and in the process changed medical care in the United States, has died. He was 91. >>
MAN OF THE HOUSE BY CHRIS ERSKINE
Classics, biographies and Parade magazine are his drugs of choice. And the kids are the enablers. >>
L.A. County officials says the increasingly popular practice known as 'co-sleeping' can have tragic consequences. >>
An independent authority could oversee the system more effectively than the Board of Supervisors. >>
At House panel meeting, most witnesses push instead for a comprehensive approach at public schools. >>
Supporters of the bill says the administration's changes would reduce access to healthcare for the neediest Americans. >>
The drop causes the state to fall to 36th in a nationwide ranking released by a consumer group. >>
Federal regulators ban shipments from the Chinese plant that made the drug, blamed for as many as 81 deaths. They announce a breakthrough in understanding how it sickened patients. >>
Maulana Sufi Mohammed is reportedly in poor health. His release may indicate the new government's conciliatory approach toward Islamic militants. >>
A study sees declines in nearly 1,000 counties, reversing a trend going back to the 1800s. >>
Authorities say Ryan Schallenberger was taken to a hospital after slamming his head into a wall three days before his arrest. >>
The procedure, once standard, often must be arranged today. Families do so for answers -- and peace of mind. >>
Autopsy decisions are usually made at a time when family members are already feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed. Here are some tips to help you decide whether to seek an autopsy and what to expect if you decide to go ahead. >>
Skin creams tout stem cells' restorative powers. But the science isn't there yet. >>
THE HEALTHY SKEPTIC
The devices really don't improve air quality, and they can release ozone. >>
The mosquito-borne fever has killed nearly 90, hitting children and the poor the hardest, and prompted outrage at city officials. >>
THE UNREAL WORLD
The Lifetime movie conveys mostly accurate information about a girl with a mild form of the condition. >>
GEAR
Do Lowa Jannu Mid, Scarpa Zen, Five Ten Camp 4 and Oboz Yellowstone stand up to the hiker's challenge? >>
A study of Minnesota and Iowa children finds that less than 20% met daily guidelines for taking a minimum number of steps and limiting screen time. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
When I was a kid, I would get very bad nosebleeds. If nothing else worked, my mother would get out her keys and drop them down the back of my neck. I wish I knew why it worked it so well. >>
CAPSULE
Expensive vacuum cleaners and supplies may reduce mites but leave behind allergens, which still irritate asthma sufferers. >>
When Sharon Waldorf's mother died, the Los Angeles County coroner suggested she call 1-800-AUTOPSY. >>
GOOD FORM
Here's a dynamic way to strengthen your abs, shoulders, arms and legs. The most important part of this move is to contract your abs fully before you start to lower your hips. Move slowly and think of using your abs to "scoop out" (make concave) the front of your torso. >>
Outrage over a recent spate of incidents spurs fresh efforts to overturn the Feres doctrine, a 1950 Supreme Court decision denying active-duty service members the right to sue over medical errors. >>
Re "Dollars to doughnuts diagnosis," April 16 >>
Supervisors must reach out to the healthcare community for advice on how to reopen the South L.A. hospital. >>
She leaves her Willowbrook post under unclear circumstances a week after the L.A. County healthcare director resigned. >>
The Bush administration wants to keep limits on healthcare records that could be used to rate doctors. >>
Ancestral ingredients are necessary for authentic cuisine, and a longer life. >>
The medical school breaks ground for a $43-million building that represents a number of firsts. >>
The site is believed to be emitting carcinogenic hexavalent chromium. >>
A state review will give many whose insurance was canceled during treatment a chance to get it back. >>
A study finds a high rate of depression and stress disorders, and many are not getting proper treatment. >>
The Chino mistreatment that triggered a huge beef recall was 'isolated,' and new workers and technology aren't necessary, he says. >>
They emerge in Asia and eventually disappear in South America. The findings should help improve vaccines. >>
The Hubbard Act is named for an Army veteran from Central California. His brothers were killed in Iraq, leading to his mandatory discharge -- and a loss of his benefits. >>
Because the Legislature wouldn't fix the inmate medical system, the state is facing a $7-billion bill. >>
Each group wants to represent Ohio healthcare workers. >>
Riverside-area cement plant's neighbors react to news about toxic carcinogen in the air. >>
A federal report finds 'some concern' that fetuses, babies and children are at risk from bisphenol A. But plastics industry officials see no serious risk. >>
The federal report predicts shortages in medical workers, particularly those certified in geriatrics. California's situation is particularly dire. >>
California legislators fear being rushed into a decision on the $7-billion plan during a difficult budget year. >>
Complications can be serious. The last case here was in 2006. >>
Dad's cholesterol? Grandma's hypertension? Extensive genetic scans can tell us who we really are inside. However, there is such a thing as TMI. >>
HEALTH
Federal regulators warn that an array of drugs could play a role in spurring thoughts of suicide or other psychiatric symptoms. >>
IN PRACTICE
A young woman seeks treatment for one condition but won't accept help for a different diagnosis. >>
Colleges reach out more to troubled students, but concerns linger. >>
THE M.D.
There's consolation in the decline of certain types. But a growing -- and aging -- population means the numbers will grow too. >>
BODY MATTERS
Preferences, workout schedule, fees. There's a lot to consider before signing up. >>
ESOTERICA MEDICA
Bad breath is no modern dilemma. The Talmud warned against it in priests, Muhammad allegedly dismissed a follower from a mosque because of it, and the ancient Romans employed slaves to clean their mouths to prevent it. >>
TAKE FIVE
The author says twice weekly sessions of slow cadence lifting and static muscle contraction can help burn calories. >>
LETTERS
Thank you for the articles on individuals with developmental disabilities [“Rising Stars,”“Honing Their Craft, Making Their Mark” and “Out in the World, and Working,” April 7]. >>
Will genome scan services improve people's health -- or not? So far, the limited evidence on behaviors after genetic testing has yielded mixed results. >>
Mumps, once a common disease of childhood, was on track to be eliminated in the United States by the year 2010, thanks to widespread use of two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in early childhood. Then, inexplicably, the largest U.S. mumps epidemic in two decades occurred in 2006. >>
The last two years have seen an exponential increase in the rate of gene discovery, thanks in large part to the advancements in so-called genotyping chip technology. These small glass or silicon platforms have made quick and easy work of simultaneously analyzing hundreds of thousands of genetic variations that exist in the human genome. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
I have a much higher sex drive than my partner. He is in his late 30s; I am in my mid-20s. I would prefer to have sex every couple of days; he is fine with having it once every week and a half. >>
GOOD FORM
Exercise the muscles in front to correct an imbalance in flexibility. >>
CAPSULE
WOMEN age 65 and older can improve their fitness through yoga classes, according to a small, preliminary study. Researchers from Temple University in Philadelphia studied 24 older women to see if a nine-week modified Iyengar program would produce benefits. Presenting at a recent meeting, they reported a variety of gains. Participants' average gait speed went from 1.04 to 1.09 meters per second, and stride lengths went from 1.11 meters to 1.16 meters on the left foot and from 1.12 to 1.16 meters on the right. >>
The state funded the procedures for two young illegal migrants. But when they hit 21, coverage passed to L.A. County, which doesn't have the resources to implant the new organs they both needed again. >>
Non-physicians were disciplined more severely for looking at the medical records of pop star Britney Spears. >>
The Schwarzenegger administration says the plan is aimed at bringing care up to constitutional standards. The amount is nearly triple what had been previously proposed. >>
L.A. County health officials urge anyone who may have touched the animal to contact a doctor for possible treatment. >>
CHAPTER 14
Hans awoke to an incessant beeping sound and took a moment to get his bearings. As his vision cleared, he saw that he was in a hospital bed surrounded by machines. He could feel a large bandage on his neck, which hurt like hell. >>
The Orange County man pretended to be giving women personal hygiene care while they recovered from surgery. >>
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