Health Tip: Will Cardiac Rehab Help?

(HealthDay News) -- If you've recently had a heart attack, coronary bypass, heart failure or heart transplant, your doctor may have recommended cardiac rehabilitation.

Health Tip: Some Shouldn't Get a Chickenpox Vaccine

(HealthDay News) -- The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine can help protect many people from the virus. But it's not recommended for everyone.

Study Supports Use of 'Brain Stents' for Certain Stroke Patients

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Certain stroke patients might benefit from angioplasty and the placement of artery-opening stents in brain blood vessels, a new study suggests.

Porcupine Quill Could Foster New Medical Devices

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Studying porcupine quills could lead to the development of new medical devices, researchers say.

Loneliness May Boost Odds of Dementia

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly people who feel lonely are at increased risk for dementia, according to a new study.

Secondhand Smoke Puts Children at Risk for Meningitis

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to secondhand smoke -- during their mother's pregnancy or later in the home -- greatly increases children's risk of invasive meningococcal disease, according to a new evidence review.

Common Heart Drug Might Dampen Some Autism Symptoms

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A medication typically prescribed to control high blood pressure that's commonly referred to as a water pill may ease some of the symptoms of autism, researchers say.

Regular Exercise May Add Years to Life, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that physically active people are likely to live several years longer than inactive people.

Coffee May Lower Risk of Death From Mouth Cancer: Study

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- People who drink more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily could significantly reduce their risk of death from certain forms of cancer, according to a new study from the American Cancer Society.

Women Far More Likely to Live to 100 Than Men: U.S. Census

TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Women stand a much better chance of becoming centenarians than men do, a new U.S. Census Bureau report shows.

Health Highlights: Dec. 11, 2012

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