Health Tip: Diabetics, Avoid Too Much Salt

(HealthDay News) -- High-sodium foods can contribute to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack. The issue is compounded for people with diabetes, who are already at greater risk of heart attack and stroke.

Health Tip: Warning Signs of Gum Disease

(HealthDay News) -- Periodontal disease affects the thin crevice between the gums and teeth called the sulcus. This causes the attachment of the tooth and nearby tissue to disintegrate, causing a pocket that becomes deeper as the disease worsens.

Chocolate a Sweet Remedy for Many Ills?

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- International researchers have uncovered even more healthy properties of flavanols -- the antioxidants found in cocoa beans.

Immersion Beats Classroom for Mastering a Foreign Tongue: Study

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- For adults, learning a new language is like learning how to play a musical instrument -- over time, the brain "consolidates" the new information it has learned, researchers have found.

The Human Brain: Not a Tangle, But a Grid

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Far from being a haphazard tangle of circuitry, the human brain is organized in a logical, simple 3D grid structure, scientists report.

Stigma, Shame Can Worsen Depression in Lung Cancer Patients

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Feelings of shame, social isolation and rejection can heighten depression in lung cancer patients, a new study finds.

Inadequate Bowel Prep May Invalidate Colonoscopy

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors may fail to detect precancerous growths if patients' colons aren't adequately cleansed before having a colonoscopy, a new study warns.

Depression Often Follows Stroke, But Treatment Lacking

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- While depression is common among people who've survived a stroke, it too often goes undiagnosed and untreated, research shows.

911 Dispatchers May Suffer From Post-Traumatic Stress

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Answering 911 calls for help may cause emergency dispatchers to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a new study has found.

Wireless Skin Patch Developed to Transmit Medical Info

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they're designing patch-like devices to wirelessly transmit information about a person's vital health statistics, potentially freeing patients from the wires and sticky electrodes of electroencephalograms (EEGs) and electrocardiogram (EKGs).

Even a Little Drinking May Raise Breast Cancer Risk: Study

WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Just one alcoholic drink a day can boost a woman's risk of breast cancer by about 5 percent, according to a new review of existing research.

'Superinfected' Patients Give Clues to Fighting HIV

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- A stronger immune response occurs in women who have been infected with two different strains of HIV by two different sexual partners than in women infected with one strain of HIV, a new study finds.

Heavier Baby Girls at Higher Risk for Diabetes, Heart Woes as Adults

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight female babies are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adulthood, a new study suggests.

First Bedside Gene Test Shows Promise

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time, a genetic test done at a patient's bedside helped doctors choose the right medicine, Canadian researchers report.

Health Highlights: March 29, 2012

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

States' Efforts to Boost Cigarette Taxes Slows: CDC

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Although eight states boosted their sales taxes on cigarettes over the past two years, that's a decline in the number of such increases by states compared to 2009, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

Legal Experts Offer Predictions on Fate of Health-Reform Legislation

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Now comes the hard part.

People Stir Up Millions of Bacteria When Entering a Room: Study

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Simply by entering a room, you can add up to 37 million bacteria to the air every hour, according to a new study.

Dating Violence Common by 7th Grade: Survey

THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Psychological and physical abuse is a common facet of dating for America's adolescents, a new survey reveals.