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California eateries will have to stop cooking with trans fats by 2010.
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Taxpayers pay up to 30% more for prescriptions under the privately administered program than under Medicaid, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform finds. >>
The doctor linked diseases to specific genes, established one of the nation's first departments of medical genetics and was one of the first to propose sequencing the human genome. He was 86. >>
The board instructs auditor-controller's office to identify those responsible for not properly monitoring workers who had county discipline records or criminal histories, and to recommend reform. >>
FOOD SAFETY
Markets act after Salmonella Saintpaul is found in a pepper at a Texas facility. >>
Internet entrepreneurs are teaming with medical professionals to build the comprehensive clearinghouse. >>
Legislation focuses on bonuses for canceling or limiting a patient's coverage. >>
The survival rate more than doubles among most of the men with aggressive cancers. A second, wider test shows similar results. 'Spectacularly effective,' a researcher says. >>
In a small study, 72% of those on SSRIs -- which can have debilitating sexual side effects -- reported improvement when taking the male impotence drug. >>
The strain blamed for an outbreak that has sickened thousands shows up in a Mexican-grown pepper in Texas. Officials warn against eating fresh jalapenos. >>
A study of 203 pregnant women finds a connection, but experts caution that the group is too small to draw definitive results. Still, they say they aren't surprised. >>
A customer believes her boyfriend is having an affair after her account mistakenly shows the purchase of a pack of condoms. >>
HEALTH
As mental health professionals debate the problematic behavior, clinics spring up. >>
THE MATING GAME
Eager to connect with that elusive (some say mythical) 'erotogenic zone'? Years after the hype began, finding it remains easier said than done. But that's not stopping researchers from looking. >>
Adopting compulsive shopping as a diagnosis would require most insurers to cover its treatment, among other implications. >>
The procedure may make subsequent surgeries more feasible than total hip replacement. Some doctors think it's the best option for young, active patients. Others caution against it. >>
More high school athletes are replacing elbow ligaments, raising concerns about overtraining. >>
BODY MATTERS
I have heard that the push-up is the best overall exercise for toning and strengthening the upper body. Is this true? >>
GOOD FORM
It's very easy to cheat when performing some of the more popular stretches. But without proper form, we can end up wasting our time or worse -- creating undue stress on our joints. When done correctly, this is an excellent way to stretch the muscles in the front of the thigh. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
My husband took Lipitor and had a bad reaction with muscle weakness. Now my doctor is recommending that I take it, but I am reluctant. My total cholesterol is 284, my LDL 156, my HDL 114. >>
CAPSULE
But men can be taught to protect their relationship, a study found. >>
IN PRACTICE
Linda Reid Chassiakos recalls a lesson learned as a medical student. >>
EXPLAIN THIS
Children born to mothers who ate nuts or nut products daily were 50% more likely to have asthma than those whose moms avoided the foods, a Dutch study shows. >>
WHAT WE EAT
A protein in the Florida-grown fruit tricks the tongue's sweet receptors into being stimulated by acids. >>
Understanding why you shop may break the addiction to it and lead to solvency, an expert says. >>
* Debtors Anonymous: With about 400 meetings across the nation, this self-help group is modeled on the 12-step processes of Alcoholics Anonymous and others. www.debtorsanonymous.org. >>
LETTERS
I loved Karen Ravn's piece on obesity [“We’re Fat Because . . . ,” July 14]. There is one additional theory which many non-scientists (and some scientists) believe that would have been worth exploring: Hormones such as growth hormone and other anabolic hormones are given to dairy cows and cattle to improve their meat and milk production. >>
MY TURN
At 80, she was told she no longer needed periodic colonoscopies. Why? >>
A diet supplemented with folic acid, vitamin B-12 and other additives appears to block a gene and prevent successive generations of mice from getting fatter, researchers report. >>
A man and woman are hospitalized with the disease, authorities say. Blood donations reveal two others with infections but no symptoms. >>
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield also agree to restore coverage to patients whose coverage was canceled after they became ill. >>
A congressional committee will investigate health insurers' practice of canceling coverage when policyholders get sick, its chairman said Thursday. >>
A new report contrasts with the agency's recent move not to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. >>
All varieties can be consumed without worry, the FDA says. Warnings against hot peppers are still in effect. >>
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Irvine police are called to his home after acquaintances say they were concerned for the popular MMA fighter's well-being. >>
INSURANCE
L.A. city attorney's suit contends Blue Shield of California has illegally rescinded the coverage of more than 850 policyholders since 2002. >>
Items reviewed: SRAM Power Link, Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boot, Topeak Hexus 16, Park Tool spoke wrench. >>
The discovery offers a partial explanation for the disproportionate spread of the virus among Africans and African Americans, researchers say. >>
Subjects on the low-carb Atkins regimen shed the most pounds and saw the greatest cholesterol benefits, with the Mediterranean program a close second, according to an Atkins Foundation-aided study. >>
HEALTHCARE
The measure now goes to Gov. Schwarzenegger, who is under pressure by HMOs to veto it. >>
But according to guidelines recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, statins may be needed to prevent harmful plaque buildup. >>
THE HEALTHY SKEPTIC
5-Hour Energy, Red Bull and Cranergy pack in the vitamins, but they don't enhance the power of the already caffeine-laden beverages. >>
A critical look at the virus theory, the corn syrup conjecture and other (wishful?) thinking. >>
CAPSULE
A study reveals emergency room visitors are bombarded with information and terminology. >>
A CLOSER LOOK: GENE TESTS
The state has ordered 13 gene testing companies to 'cease and desist' while leaving other such firms alone. What does this mean to consumers? Read on for answers. >>
THE UNREAL WORLD
But minor aspects of the pilot episode are misleading, including information about pregnancy tests. >>
A CLOSER LOOK: GENE TESTS
Valid or void?Everyone agrees that the science of gene testing is imperfect, but the companies offering tests directly to consumers, along with their supporters, say the information they give is valid and valuable, noting that clients can get updates as more is learned. >>Studies show the specialized equipment can reduce athletes' core temperature, helping to minimize heat-related illnesses. >>
Active patients whose replacement tissue came from a cadaver often required a second reconstruction. >>
GOOD FORM
For most people, lower back pain is a cumulative process, creeping up on us through poor posture and bad habits when lifting and bending. Here is an easy exercise you can do throughout the day to help strengthen your back muscles while sitting for long periods of time. >>
For 20 years, statins have been shown to be largely safe and effective, with no cumulative side effects, for adults. "What we don't know is, over decades, how safe they are for children," says Dr. Alan Lewis of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. "We're all cautious about extrapolating data from adults to children, but that's all we have available." >>
LETTERS
The problem with sick pay is that someone has to pay for it ["Buck Up, Sicko," July 7]. The self-employed are acutely aware that if you miss a day's work, you forfeit a day's income. Those who work for a large organization, where the connection between work and income is obscure, can shift the cost to others. >>
ASK US
I noticed that when I am working out my feet tend to turn outward. Is this due to not wearing the proper fitness shoes, or is it a foot problem that I need to correct, and how can I correct it? >>
Few things annoy a doctor as much as a patient making a decision to stop a medication without consulting the physician. That's just what happened, repeatedly, to Dr. David Becker, cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. "I saw dozens of people in my practice. I'd run the cholesterol panels, and I'd say, 'Good job. You're staying on the Lipitor or Zocor,' " he says. But it turns out their good results weren't because of the cholesterol-lowering statins he had prescribed. >>
OUT THERE
Funded largely by West Hollywood, the racy Web show promotes safe sex at a time when diagnoses of AIDS and HIV are rising. The target is men too young to recall the disease's early devastation. >>
The incidence of the deadly skin cancer increased by 50% between 1980 and 2004, a study finds. Use of tanning salons is cited as one possible reason. >>
The legislation, passed this week in the Senate, would avert fee cuts to doctors who treat patients under the federal program. >>
The changes, which involve buffer zones, monitoring and emergency training, come after nearly four years of study on a group of highly toxic pesticides. >>
Emergency room visits for respiratory syndrome also rose. The data help officials tailor health warnings to conditions. >>
DRUGS
Adverse reactions to the popular wrinkle-erasing drug have been rare, its Irvine-based manufacturer says. >>
Health officials issue new warnings. Toll in outbreak reaches 1,017. >>
A recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics that those as young as 8 be aggressively treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs is creating controversy. >>
Medical castration to treat such tumors doesn't extend survival, and its side effects outweigh any potential benefit, a study finds. >>
An attorney in the federal class-action lawsuit says up to 40% of the 171,000 inmates in state prisons may be infected by hepatitis C. >>
Groups are finding culturally sensitive ways to give healthcare advice to clients with different values and traditions. >>
Facilities sought payment, they say, for providing care to patients whose policies were later terminated. >>
Officials are testing Mexican imports in search of the culprit. >>
Diagnosed with celiac disease, or self-diagnosed. Sensitive to foods, or related to those who are. The gluten-free diet trend is getting a warm embrace. >>
Sick days
U.S. employees are making do with fewer days or none at all as companies reduce the benefit. Lawmakers are stepping in. >>
Review: Paddle craft that let you sit down, stand up or pedal your way to fitness. We test Hobie Mirage Revolution, C4 Holoholo SUP, Ocean Kayak Peekaboo and ULI inflatable stand-up paddle board. >>
FITNESS
Poor air quality can trip up even the healthiest person. Pay attention to daily reports and your body's reactions. >>
GOOD FORM
Even everyday activities require upper body strength, especially in the biceps (which help bend the arms), the triceps (which straighten the arms) and the deltoids (which lift the arms). The traditional push-up is an excellent way to strengthen all these muscles at once. And for an extra challenge, try doing it with a yoga block. >>
CAPSULE
THOSE BIG 10-pound newborns that look like future Hall of Famers may be at an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. In a study of 84,077 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study from 1976 to 1992, Dr. Lisa Mandl at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and colleagues found that people who weighed more than 10 pounds at birth were twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis as those who were of normal weight -- 7.1 to 8.5 pounds -- at birth. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
Longtime sufferer of acne reports good results with the topical treatment, which is said to help reduce inflammation and redness. >>
THE MD
Genetic disorders and lifestyle behaviors can affect the quality and quantity of sperm. But male infertility often goes undiagnosed and untreated. >>
EXPLAIN THIS
Researchers unravel a mystery about why this type of mourning triggers a part of the brain linked to feelings of reward. >>
MY TURN
Workouts become a habit when you look forward to the conversations. >>
ASK US
Which fruits should diabetics avoid? >>
YOUR LETTERS
Re: [“Is It a Safer Call?” June 30], you cite scientists who claim that drivers' attention and processing capacities are "often stretched beyond safe limits when someone juggles the complex tasks of negotiating traffic and conversing with another remotely." >>
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