Health Tip: When Gardening Triggers Back Pain

(HealthDay News) -- Gardening is a great form of exercise, but it can also leave you with a painful backache.

Health Tip: What's Causing My Muscle Cramps?

(HealthDay News) -- A muscle cramp occurs when a muscle involuntarily tightens and does not release, often leading to intense pain.

Friends' Parents Can Sway Teens' Odds for Drinking, Smoking

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Everyone knows teen behavior is highly influenced by their friends, but a new study finds even a friend's parents can influence whether or not a teen drinks alcohol or uses drugs.

T-Shirt, Gift Card Giveaways Raise Blood Drives' Success

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Incentives such as gift cards, T-shirts and coupons encourage more people to donate blood, a new study finds.

IUD Use Tied to Modest Weight Loss

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women who use an intrauterine device (IUD) as birth control may not have to worry about gaining weight after the device is implanted, new research suggests.

Half of U.S. Counties Have No Ob-Gyn: Study

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly half of the counties in the United States lack a single obstetrician-gynecologist, a situation that may worsen as medical school graduates gravitate toward metropolitan areas, a new study indicates.

Cancer Cells in Bloodstream Show Great Diversity: Study

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- There is a great deal of genetic diversity in cells shed by cancerous tumors into the bloodstream, a new study has found.

Probiotic Products May Prevent Antibiotic-Linked Diarrhea

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Consuming probiotic-rich foods may decrease the risk of diarrhea for patients who are taking antibiotics, a new study suggests.

Sperm Collide Along Liquid Maze on Way to Fertilize Egg

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Sperm cells navigate the complex fluid-filled channels of the female reproductive tract by crawling along walls and swimming around corners, a new study reveals.

Eye Color May Help Predict Vitiligo Risk

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Eye color may help predict risk for vitiligo, an autoimmune disease in which the skin loses its pigment, a new study finds.

U.S. Report Outlines Strategies to Prevent Obesity

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- The United States' progress against the battle of the bulge has been slow, but certain strategies could speed obesity prevention efforts, a new report concludes.

Could Eating Fast Increase Diabetes Risk?

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Eating too quickly may raise your risk of diabetes, a small, preliminary study suggests.

That Long Commute May Be Harming Your Health

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Now there's another reason to hate your commute.

Screening Women for Domestic Violence Could Help Prevent Abuse

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Routine screening of women for domestic violence could reduce cases of abuse and injuries, a new analysis indicates.

Home Birth Poses Danger for Higher-Risk Pregnancies: Study

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- A five-year study of home births in Oregon found an elevated rate of deaths among babies that had to be transferred to the hospital because something went wrong during the delivery.

Health Highlights: May 8, 2012

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

Irregular Heartbeat Poses Greater Stroke Risk for Women Than Men

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Older women with the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation face a 14 percent greater risk of stroke than men with the same condition, Canadian researchers report.

Exercise May Boost Survival in Breast, Colon Cancer Patients

TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Being physically active might lengthen the lives of people with breast and colon cancer, a new study suggests.