Health Tip: Signs That You May Have Lupus

(HealthDay News) -- Lupus is an "autoimmune" disease that occurs when the body's disease-fighting system can't tell the difference between germs and the body's own, healthy tissue.

Health Tip: Taming Irritable Bowels

(HealthDay News) -- If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you know how discomforting it can be. Sometimes it's so disabling that you're unable to work, go to social events, or even travel short distances.

Wrist Fractures May Open Door to Disability in Older Women

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- A fractured wrist can lead to the development of disability in older people and harm their quality of life, new research has found.

Scientists Engineering Advanced Wound Dressings

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- A revolutionary medical dressing that can detect and treat infection in wounds is being developed by an international team of scientists.

Early Tamiflu Might Benefit Transplant Patients With H1N1 Flu

THURSDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Early treatment with antiviral drugs appears to help prevent serious illness and death in organ transplant patients with H1N1 swine flu, researchers say.

For Teenage Girls, Competition Cuts Both Ways: Study

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- For teenage girls, competing to win is linked to more depression and loneliness, and associated with fewer close friendships, the authors of a new study have found.

Brain Hard-Wired to Resist Romantic Rejection, Study Suggests

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Being unlucky in love stimulates areas of the brain that play a role in motivation, reward and addiction -- something that may help explain why the anguish of romantic rejection can be difficult to control, says a new study.

Researchers Point to Possible Scleroderma-Cancer Link

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- People with specific antibodies may develop both cancer and a certain type of scleroderma -- an incurable autoimmune disease -- at nearly the same time, new research finds. The finding, from a small study of 23 patients, hints at a possible link between cancer and autoimmune disorders.

Cumulative Radiation Doses Seen in Cardiac Imaging

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiac imaging procedures, the use of which has exploded in the United States in recent years, are exposing patients to potentially cumulative doses of radiation, according to the largest analysis of its kind.

Childhood Obesity Boosts Risk of GERD

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Obese older children are at increased risk for developing the painful digestive disease known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), researchers from Kaiser Permanente in California report.

Study Suggests Link Between HPV, Skin Cancer

THURSDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- The ubiquitous virus linked to cervical, vaginal and throat cancers may also raise the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, a new study suggests.

As Parents Lose Jobs, Kids Often Lose Out on Health Care

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- A new study shows that when American adults become unemployed, their children often lose health care coverage.

Summer is High Time for Bacterial Infection in Cats

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Summer is peak season for a bacterial disease in cats called tularemia, which can be transmitted to humans if they're bitten by, or exposed to bodily fluids from, an infected cat, experts warn.

U.S. Report on Kids' Health Brings Mixed Results

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- In an annual report gauging the health and well-being of America's children, a group of 22 federal agencies reports progress in some areas, preterm births and teen pregnancies in particular, but bad news in other areas, like the number of teens living in poverty.

Rat Study Sheds Light on Cocaine Addiction

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that they've discovered tiny molecules that appear to forestall cocaine addiction in rats and may have the same effect in humans.

FDA Advisory Panel Decision on Avandia Looms

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- With a crucial recommendation on the fate of the controversial diabetes drug Avandia due next week, U.S. health officials seem to be gearing up for tough scrutiny over the drug's future.

Health Highlights: July 9, 2010

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

Clinical Trials Update: July 9, 2010

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

FDA Reviewer Questions Results of Key Avandia Trial

FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- One step ahead of a planned government review of the safety of Avandia, new doubts surfaced Friday on a key trial that helped keep the blockbuster diabetes drug on the market.