CDC: Half of Overweight Teens Have Heart Risk

"Half the nation's overweight teens have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels that put them at risk for future heart attacks and other cardiac problems, new federal research says."

Countries That Spend the Most on Health Care

"Of 34 OECD member countries, only three that spent the most per person have citizens that live the longest. The United States spends more than any other country but only has the eighth-lowest life expectancy in the OECD."

New Studies Support Claim That 'Sugar is Toxic'

"The study showed that excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup increases a type of artery-clogging cholesterol – which in turn increases the risk for heart disease."

Medical Debt Burdens 20 Percent in U.S.

"One-in-5 U.S. adults say they are burdened by medical debt and half of them are unable to pay the debt at all, federal health officials said."

Why Loneliness Can Be Deadly

"Loneliness can send a person down a path toward bad health, and even more intense loneliness, studies have shown. But while some have assumed the culprit was a dearth of others to remind a person to take care of himself or herself, new research suggests there's a direct biological link between being lonely and ill health."

Scientists Use Stem Cells to Generate Human Eggs

"Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say they have extracted stem cells from human ovaries and made them generate egg cells. The advance, if confirmed, might provide a new source of eggs for treating infertility, though scientists say it is far too early to tell if the work holds such promise."

Almost Half of US Workers Say Weight is Biggest Health Concern

"Losing weight is the top health concern for almost half of American workers. According to new research, 43 percent of employees said losing weight was their top health priority for 2012."

Study: Men Underestimate Their Own Weight, Overestimate Weight of Women

"A new study finds a disparity in the way men view their own weight, compared to how they view the weight of their wives or girlfriends, MyFoxTwinCities reported."

Alcoholism Not Uncommon among Surgeons

"About 15 percent of surgeons have alcohol abuse or dependency problems, a rate that is somewhat higher than the rest of the population, according to a new survey."

Report: Dirty Surgical Tools in Hospitals Putting Patients at Risk

"According to a report from the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), dirty surgical tools are not uncommon – and the more technologically advanced these tools become, the harder they are to clean."

Study: Colonoscopy Cuts Colon Cancer Death Risk

"Millions of people have endured a colonoscopy, believing the dreaded exam may help keep them from dying of colon cancer. For the first time, a major study offers clear evidence that it does."

Almost Half of Abortions Are 'Unsafe': WHO

"While the overall global abortion rate has held steady at about 28 per 1,000 women, the percentage performed without trained medical help has risen from 44% in 1995 to 49% in 2008."

Humans Have About 100 Broken Genes Each

"A new analysis of 185 human genomes indicates that every one of us has about 100 'broken genes.' Some of these lost genes cause harmful effects, many seem innocuous, and some even seem to have some benefit."

Study: Wikipedia Trustworthy Health Source

"Australian researchers say a study shows Wikipedia is the most highly rated Web site for accessing information on mental-health related topics."

Exercise as Housecleaning for the Body

"The ability of exercise to speed the removal of garbage from inside our body's cells may be one of its most valuable, if least visible, effects, a new study suggests."

Distraction Reduces Pain, Study Finds

"When you distract yourself from pain, you actually hurt less, a new study suggests."

Green Tea Drinkers Less Frail, More Independent in Old Age

"A new study looked at whether green tea consumption minimizes frailty and disability in the elderly."

Skin Transformed Into Brain Cells

"Skin cells have been converted directly into cells which develop into the main components of the brain, by researchers in California."

One in Five Adults Experienced Mental Illness in 2011

"Almost 46 million U.S. adults age 18 or older, about 20 percent of that age group, experienced mental illness during the past year, health officials say."

Cost of 10 Leading Causes of Death to US: $1.1 Trillion

"Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its estimated causes of death for 2010. The 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. accounted for 75 percent of the nearly 2.5 million deaths in 2010. Overall costs for the top 10 causes of death topped $1.1 trillion in 2007. . ."