More Young Women Driving Drunk

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although men make up the vast majority of drunken drivers in the United States, more young women are driving drunk and getting into fatal car accidents than ever before, a new study reports.

Happiness Protects Your Heart

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- People who are enthusiastic and content are less likely to develop heart disease than less happy people, researchers from Columbia University report.

Low-Dose Platelet Transfusions Deemed Safe

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A lower dose of platelets than is commonly used is safe for people who require transfusions of the clot-forming blood cells, a new study shows.

Simple Concussion Test Measures Reaction Time

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A simple test that measures reaction time can help assess whether athletes have suffered a concussion and when they're able to resume playing, say U.S. researchers.

Bilberry Seems to Act Against Blood Sugar

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Bilberry extract helps control blood sugar levels in mice, researchers have found.

Ibuprofen May Help Stave Off Parkinson's

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Regular use of ibuprofen, a common anti-inflammatory drug, significantly lowers the risk for developing Parkinson's disease, Harvard researchers report.

Tinnitus Not Usually an Inherited Condition

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) isn't a highly inherited disorder, Norwegian researchers conclude.

Bilingualism Might Begin in the Womb

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The sound of two languages spoken regularly during pregnancy might encourage babies to tune in to both tongues soon after birth, a new study finds.

In San Diego, Hispanics Now Dominate HIV/TB Cases

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Hispanics account for 80 percent of the cases of tuberculosis/HIV co-infection in San Diego, which represents a significant change in the racial profile of the disease, a new study shows.

Clinical Trials Update: Feb. 17, 2010

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Health Highlights: Feb. 17, 2010

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

Rising Use of Medical Technologies Extending Americans' Lives

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Surging use of improved medical technology, including new drugs, is driving up life expectancy for Americans and driving down rates of major killers such as heart disease and cancer, a new national health report finds.

Brain Scan Shows What Beauty is Worth

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- New brain-scan research is providing insight into how you decide what things are worth.

Flat Head Syndrome Linked to Developmental Delays

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) Infants who develop flat head syndrome may be more apt to experience delays in physical and mental development, a new study has found.

County-By-County Report Sizes Up Americans' Health

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Want to know how healthy your county is?

True Signs of Autism May Not Appear Until 1st Birthday

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that signs of autism don't appear in infants before they're 6 months old but do start emerging by the time they reach the age of 1 year.

Garden-Grown Rhubarb May Have Anti-Cancer Properties

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Good news for those looking for tasty ways to potentially improve their odds of staying healthy: baked rhubarb may help fight cancer.

Health Tip: Things That May Cause Hiccups

(HealthDay News) -- A hiccup occurs when the diaphragm, a muscle below the lungs, moves involuntarily. This spasm causes the vocal cords to close rapidly, triggering the hiccup sound. Generally, hiccups go away after a few minutes.

Health Tip: Getting a Fetal Ultrasound

(HealthDay News) -- Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of the body's internal tissues and organs. The diagnostic may be prescribed for a pregnant woman to examine the growing fetus inside her womb.