Health Tip: How Did I Contract Hepatitis?

(HealthDay News) -- Hepatitis usually is caused by a viral infection, resulting in inflammation of the liver.

Health Tip: Signs of Corneal Damage

(HealthDay News) -- The cornea is the transparent film that covers the front of the eye, helping to focus on the retina what you see.

Obesity Not Tied to Breast Cancer Risk in Mexican Americans

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity isn't linked with breast cancer risk in Mexican-American women, a new study has found.

Common Foot Disorders Can Be Inherited, Research Shows

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A new study confirms that two common and often painful foot disorders can be inherited.

Spending Months in Space May Cause Long-Term Bone Loss

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Because weightlessness during space flight can cause people to experience rapid bone loss, long missions may take a toll on crew members' bones, according to researchers.

Silicone Implants Preferred by Mastectomy Patients: Survey

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy seem to prefer silicone breast implants over saline (salt water) implants, researchers have found.

Solar Blood-Pressure Device Shows Promise for Use in Poor Nations

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A solar-powered blood-pressure measuring device that's reliable and affordable could help reduce rapidly rising rates of cardiovascular disease in low-income nations, according to a new study.

Smoking May Raise Risk of Death in Women With Breast Cancer

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer patients who smoke or previously smoked have a higher risk of dying than nonsmokers with breast cancer, new research finds.

Teens Waiting Longer for Sex, But Still Taking Risks: Analysis

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Teenage girls in the United States are more likely than boys to have unprotected sex during their first sexual experience, new research indicates.

Rheumatoid Arthritis May Raise Risk of Blood Vessel Plaque

SUNDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis may damage more than the joints, new research suggests.

Kids of Deployed Soldiers May Face More Mental Health Woes

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Mental and behavioral problems cause children of U.S. soldiers deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones to need considerably more outpatient medical visits than those with non-deployed parents, a new study suggests.

Painful Gout on the Rise in U.S.

SUNDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- More and more Americans are struggling with gout as rates of the painful and sometimes disabling arthritic condition continue a decades-long upswing, a new study shows.

Breast-Feeding Won't Rob Mom of Sleep: Study

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- It's commonly believed that one of the sacrifices new moms must make in order to breast-feed is their sleep. But new research suggests that's just not the case.

Fewer U.S. Docs Accepting Perks From Industry: Survey

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. physicians' links with drug makers, medical device manufacturers and other health-related companies have decreased since 2004, but many doctors still have ties to these businesses, new research shows.

Vitamin D No Magic Bullet for Osteoarthritis

SUNDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee appear to receive no relief from taking vitamin D supplements, U.S. researchers report.

Cheaper, Older Treatment for Vasculitis Beats Out New Drug

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that a newer drug works no better than an older, cheaper medication for patients who need long-term treatment for a type of vasculitis, a rare blood vessel disorder.

Health Highlights: Nov. 8, 2010

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

New Drug, Pradaxa, May Prevent Second Stroke in Certain Heart Patients

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Among certain patients with a history of stroke or mini-stroke, a new anticlotting medication called Pradaxa (dabigatran) appears to be as effective as the anticoagulant drug warfarin at preventing a second stroke, new German research reveals.

Study Warns of Risks for Early Dialysis

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Putting people on dialysis early, while their kidneys still have adequate function, may increase the chances that they'll die in the year after the procedure is started, a new study suggests.

Many Patients With Heart Attack Delay Hospital Care

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The time it takes for a patient to get to an emergency room when experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack have remained stubbornly high for the past decade, despite efforts to fix that, researchers report.

Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 8, 2010

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

Statins Don't Reduce Colon Cancer Risk, Study Finds

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A large-scale new study found that postmenopausal women who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins do not reduce their risk for colorectal cancer.

Lung Cancer in Smokers, Nonsmokers May Be a Different Disease

MONDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that lung cancer in people who have never smoked may be a different disease than it is in smokers.