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Wednesday

West Virginia Tackles Obesity Problem

West Virginia's residents are consistently ranked among the most overweight in the country, and the state budget is feeling the pinch. Now, Medicaid recipients in West Virginia have a new treatment option: Weight Watchers.

West Virginia Tackles Obesity Problem

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Is the Use of Rehab Being Trivialized?

Rehab used to be the linoleum-floored stop of last resort, the rock-bottom from which addiction was fought. Guests examine whether, at least for some celebrities, rehab is now just penance for a public gaffe.

Is the Use of Rehab Being Trivialized?

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Tuesday

Monday

Garlic Takes a Hit but Backers Are Unfazed

A new study concludes that garlic does not help lower cholesterol after all. The heart-healthy claim has bolstered sales of garlic supplements since the 1990s. For six months, researchers fed garlic to 200 people with elevated cholesterol, but saw no change in their levels at the end of the study.

Garlic Takes a Hit but Backers Are Unfazed

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Environment

DNA Detectives Track Elephant Poachers

Faced with a record upsurge in ivory poaching, conservationists are scrambling for new ways to protect elephants and prosecute poachers. One new approach uses tracks the DNA of seized ivory back to their sources in Africa.

DNA Detectives Track Elephant Poachers

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Friday

A Doctor's Guide to the 'Art of Aging'

Dr. Sherwin Nuland, the surgeon who wrote How We Die, calls his latest book a project he has been working on for more than 76 years. Called The Art of Aging, the book's topics range from the adjustments everyone faces with age to stories of people who retain grace and vigor.

A Doctor's Guide to the 'Art of Aging'

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Researchers Look for Genetic Clues in Autism

Researchers scan the genomes of the largest collection of families with multiple cases of autism ever assembled, looking for common factors. Researchers in the journal Nature Genetics reports on the initial stages of a project that is hunting for genetic factors in autism The analysis found a region on chromosome 11 that appears to be shared by many of the individuals studied.

Researchers Look for Genetic Clues in Autism

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Thursday

'The Edge of Disaster'

Disaster Would Overwhelm Hospitals, Author Warns

Are United States hospitals equipped to handle a flu pandemic or a major terrorist attack? Stephen Flynn, author of The Edge of Disaster, sizes up the United States medical system and finds it sorely lacking.

Disaster Would Overwhelm Hospitals, Author Warns

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Failures in Medical Care for Returning Troops

Army Probes Reports of Neglect at Walter Reed

The U.S. Army is investigating conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The investigation follows a Washington Post report that says many wounded war veterans face neglect in the Army's medical system.

Army Probes Reports of Neglect at Walter Reed

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Your Health

Ear Tubes in Children May Be Over-Prescribed

Every year, about 500,000 children have ear tubes surgically implanted in their ear drum to help reduce ear infections. But experts estimate as many as one-third of kids who get ear tubes don't need them.

Ear Tubes in Children May Be Over-Prescribed

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Wednesday

Law

Illinois Malpractice Case May Shape Tort Reform

An Illinois baby who suffered brain damage during delivery is at the center of a battle over tort reform. The state is one of several to limit certain damage awards in medical malpractice suits. The family's attorneys call the Illinois law unconstitutional.

Illinois Malpractice Case May Shape Tort Reform

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Business

'Marketplace' Report: Government and Health Care

The U.S. federal government reported Wednesday that medical-care costs rose last month by the fastest rate in 15 years, and those costs are projected to keep rising. At the same time, the government is expected to pick up a bigger share of the tab.

'Marketplace' Report: Government and Health Care

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National

For Some, a Love of Animals Can Turn Unhealthy

An Oregon woman who kept dozens of rabbits was recently charged with more than 100 counts of animal neglect. It could be a case of animal hoarding, a serious form of obsessive compulsive disorder that propels people to keep collecting animals.

For Some, a Love of Animals Can Turn Unhealthy

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Tuesday

Extremely Premature Baby Readies to Go Home

Amillia Taylor was born on Oct. 24, 2006, at just 21 weeks and six days, making her the most premature baby known to survive. A neonatologist who has helped take care of the baby since her birth reports on her condition.

Extremely Premature Baby Readies to Go Home

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