Seeking Alzheimer's Answers Among Fruit Flies

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Medical research often involves a great deal of creativity, finding unique ways to solve challenging problems. But scientists can face skepticism when using creative methods to research human diseases, particularly when those methods involve animals or insects.

Special Assistants Making Inroads in Dentistry

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Many people have grown accustomed to seeing a physician assistant for minor ailments when their family doctor can't fit them in.

Family Dog Might Make Teens More Active

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Teenagers who live in homes with dogs get a bit more daily exercise than teens without pooches, new research finds.

Health Tip: Take Control of Your Health

(HealthDay News) -- If you have a chronic illness -- such as diabetes, arthritis or heart disease -- you can take an active role in managing your health.

Health Tip: If Your Child Has Cystic Fibrosis

(HealthDay News) -- Children with cystic fibrosis may have different dietary needs than other children.

Virus Unlikely to Advance Deadly Lung Disease: Study

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Most patients struggling with a progressive and fatal form of lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis do not risk a worsening of their condition as a result of exposure to a viral infection, new research indicates.

Newer Drug May Help Prevent Fracture in Men With Prostate Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A new drug called denosumab (Xgeva) performed somewhat better than the current standard treatment of zoledronic acid (Zometa) for preventing fractures and other bone problems in men with hormone-resistant prostate cancer, a new study suggests.

Breast-Feeding May Cut Obesity Risk in Kids of Diabetic Moms

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Infants whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk for childhood obesity, but breast-feeding lowers that risk, a new study suggests.

Depression May Worsen Over Time in Addiction-Prone Women

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Depression symptoms increase over time for women in their 30s and 40s who are prone to addiction problems and antisocial behavior, researchers report.

Endurance Exercise Thwarts Premature Aging in Mice

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Endurance exercise may be "the fountain of youth" -- or so a new study of mice suggests.

Study Finds Drop in Online Sales of Cigarettes

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A 2005 voluntary federal ban on the use of credit cards to buy cigarettes online, coupled with a ban on all commercial shipping of such purchases within the United States, has effectively curtailed the popularity of Web sites that sell cigarettes, new research reveals.

19th Century Polygamy Meant Fewer Kids Per Wife, Data Shows

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A fresh look at 19th century Mormon marriage has found that the more wives to a family, the fewer offspring any one wife produced.

College Kids Often Feel Guilty About Texting in Class: Survey

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Guilt might be a common side effect of texting while you're in class, but that doesn't stop students from doing it, researchers have found.

Stress Seems to Have No Effect on Fertility Treatments

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Stress and tension don't decrease the success of a woman's fertility treatment, a new study suggests.

Herceptin May Boost Long-Term Survival After Aggressive Breast Cancer

THURSDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The cancer drug Herceptin produces significantly longer disease-free survival in women with an aggressive type of early-stage breast cancer who take the drug for a year after standard chemotherapy, a new study suggests.

Health Highlights: Feb. 25, 2011

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

Early Symptoms in Menopause Might Protect Heart

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Women who begin to experience hot flashes and night sweats early in menopause appear to be at lower risk for heart disease, stroke and death, a new study suggests.

Clinical Trials Update: Feb. 25, 2011

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

Standard Exams Might Not Catch Full Potential of Brain Damaged Patients

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Current methods of assessing higher-level functioning in severely brain-injured patients may be inadequate, researchers report.