A Little Alcohol May Stave Off Alzheimer's

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking light to moderate amounts of alcohol may actually lower the risk for developing both Alzheimer's and some forms of age-related dementia, new German research suggests.

Health Tip: Check Baby's Toys for Safety Issues

(HealthDay News) -- Play time for babies and toddlers should be fun for both the young ones and their parents.

Health Tip: Changing Your Diet May Help Manage IBD

(HealthDay News) -- Though no single eating plan works for everyone, changing your diet can help you better manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Follow-Up Deemed Lacking for People Taking Opioids

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Though opioid painkillers, such as oxycodone, can lead to addiction and overdose, people who take them are frequently not tracked by the primary care doctors who prescribed the drugs, a new study has found.

Classroom Environment May Affect Kids' Mental Health

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- First-grade classrooms with poor environments -- not enough resources, teachers who feel disrespected by colleagues -- have been linked to a higher number of mental health problems in students, according to a new study.

Lost DNA May Have Made Us More Human

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- What difference does it make if homo sapiens lost a snippet of DNA over the millennia? A lot, as it turns out.

Family Involvement Helps Stroke Patients With Rehab

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke survivors recover their physical abilities more quickly if family members are involved in their exercise therapy, a new European study suggests.

Hospital Safety Varies Widely Nationwide: Report

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Certain types of medical errors are 46 percent less likely to occur at top-rated U.S. hospitals than bottom-ranked hospitals, according to a new study.

Spider Research May Lead to New Therapies for Humans

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- A newly identified toxin in spider venom may help lead to new ways to treat pain and disease in humans, scientists report.

Risk-Glorifying Media Linked to Reckless Behavior

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- People exposed to video games, television, movies, music and advertising that glorify risky behavior are more likely to take real-life risks, new research suggests.

Women Feel More Guilt, Distress About Work Intrusions at Home, Study Says

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- The eroding boundary between work and family life, fueled by constant availability via cell phone or e-mail, takes a greater emotional toll on women, a new study finds.

Americans Have Worse Health Than English Peers, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- From birth through old age, Americans have poorer health than their British counterparts, a new study finds.

New Drug May Trim Insulin Injections to Just 3 a Week

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- A preliminary study reports that people with diabetes were able to get injections of a new insulin drug just three times a week without major ill effects.

Home Genetic Tests May Need Doctor's Involvement: FDA

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Some genetic tests sold directly to consumers that might help to predict health risks may need to be supplied through doctors, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported.

As Peer Pressure Increases, So Does Brain's Ability to Resist It

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Even as peer pressure mounts in early adolescence, kids' brains are developing an ability to help fight the temptations of risky behavior, novel new research reports.

Blood Pressure Drug Does Not Help Those With Atrial Fibrillation

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- The blood pressure-lowering drug Avapro doesn't seem to prevent heart disease and stroke in patients suffering from the irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, a new Canadian study finds.

Clinical Trials Update: March 9, 2011

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

Health Highlights: March 9, 2011

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

Blood Pressure Drug Delays Kidney Disease in Diabetics

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- A drug normally used to lower blood pressure may also help protect the kidneys of people with type 2 diabetes, researchers are reporting with a caveat.

Lesser Known Lung Diseases Can Strike Smokers, Ex-Smokers

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- A sizable minority of smokers and former-smokers develop lung conditions that reduce lung capacity, but leave them less likely to have either emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new research shows.

FDA Approves 1st New Lupus Drug in More Than 5 Decades

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday gave lupus patients their first new treatment option in more than 50 years when it approved Benlysta as a way to ease the painful symptoms of this debilitating autoimmune disorder.