Infection from the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic virus presented a lower risk of serious complications than other recent strains of the flu, according to US research presented Tuesday.

Merck & Co. said Tuesday its schizophrenia drug Saphris has been approved for two additional uses by the Food and Drug Administration.

Four million children have died in the past decade because governments have not spread major medical advances to the poor, a leading aid group said Tuesday.

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol in hair may be a strong predictor of heart attacks months in advance, said Canadian researchers in the journal Stress.

TUESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The fillings and sealants that many dentists use can expose children to the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA), a new analysis indicates, but such exposure is short-lived and it remains unclear whether...

Frustrated health officials say that U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly.

Global efforts to improve access to drinking water have been hampered by rapid urbanisation, with the proportion of people in urban areas with access actually declining, according to UN figures presented at a conference in Stockholm this week.

The percentage of American adults who smoke cigarettes has held in a range of 20 to 21 percent since 2005, as the decline in smoking has stalled, according to government figures released Tuesday.

Japan said Tuesday it plans a nationwide survey to assess the spread of an antibiotic-resistant "superbug" that surfaced in South Asia and was this week confirmed for the first time in Japan.

Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

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

TUESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Are American consumers "health literate" enough to play a leading role in their health care and coverage decisions?

(HealthDay News) -- Allergic skin conditions may include eczema and hives. But how do you know if you have one?

(HealthDay News) -- Many types of standard lunch fare are packed with calories and fat. But there are healthier alternatives that can make for a more nutritious lunch.

TUESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The cost of medical malpractice in the United States is $55.6 billion a year, which is 2.4 percent of annual health-care spending, a new study shows.

Long-term weight loss may release into the blood industrial pollutants linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers said on Tuesday.

Japan has confirmed the nation's first case of a new gene in bacteria that allows the microorganisms to become drug-resistant superbugs, detected in a man who had medical treatment in India, a health ministry official said Tuesday.

Liu Tao grimaces as he leaps up and down doing jumping jacks, one of the exercises he sweats through under a revived daily calisthenics routine that authorities in Beijing want all workers to perform.

Medical malpractice liability costs the U.S. healthcare system more than $55 billion a year, most of it in "defensive" medical practices such as extra tests and scans, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Half-buried in rubble, Bazelais Suy struggled to breathe — a dead woman lay on his chest. He knew he had to get her off, fast. Because he could still move his arms, he somehow managed to remove his belt, loop it around the woman's own belt a...