Health Tip: Make Eating a Family Affair

(HealthDay News) -- It's easier to eat healthy when everybody in the family is practicing the same nutritional habits.

Health Tip: House Cleaning With Arthritis

(HealthDay News) -- Arthritis pain and stiffness can make it difficult to take care of household chores and cleaning.

Resolve to Take Colon Cancer Test, Experts Say

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- If you're 50 or older, consider making it a new year goal to get screened for colorectal cancer, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy suggests.

Mice Exposed to Smoke Helped by Blood Pressure Drug: Study

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The blood pressure medicine losartan [Cozaar] helped prevent lung damage in mice that were exposed to cigarette smoke for two months, researchers say.

Diabetes Care Thwarted by Unstable Health Insurance: Study

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes patients require continuous health coverage to ensure they receive recommended care, a new study concludes.

Global Study Finds Drug Abuse Highest in Richer Nations

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- About 200 million people worldwide use illicit drugs each year, and use is highest in wealthier nations, a new study shows.

Researchers Identify Liver Cancer Risk Factors

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies from the Mayo Clinic find that hepatitis C infection and obesity could be to blame for a surge in liver cancer cases, which have tripled over the last 30 years.

ADHD Drug Shortage Pushes Parents to Seek Substitutes

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- If the current shortage of some drugs used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has left you searching for something else for your child to take, experts suggest you choose a substitute carefully because the effects of these medications can vary widely.

Weight Loss Surgery May Help Diabetes

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Weight loss surgery isn't likely to cure type 2 diabetes, but it can improve blood sugar control, a new study suggests.

As Nations Develop, So May Bowel Disease

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming more common around the world, according to a new study.

Mental Decline Can Start at 45, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Sorry, Boomers, but a new study suggests that memory, reasoning and comprehension can start to slip as early as age 45.

Paranoid or Placid? Scans Show Pot's Effect on Brain

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking marijuana can mean different things to different people -- for some, anxiety and paranoia can set in, while others mellow out.

Study Offers Clues to Why Some Don't Benefit From Asthma Drugs

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of patients with mild or moderate asthma may have a different type of disease than those with more severe symptoms, perhaps explaining why common treatments don't work well for them, new research suggests.

Health Highlights: Jan. 6, 2012

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

PSA Test for Prostate Cancer Doesn't Save Lives: Study

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Annual screening for prostate cancer doesn't save lives, finds a new study that is unlikely to quell the controversy surrounding routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening.

Smog Tied to Raised Risk of Chronic Illness in Black Women

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in black American women, a new study suggests.