The concept of combating degenerative disease and head trauma with neuroprotection is not new, yet it may now be making headway. >>

They're costly and imperfect, but the scans are now being advised for high risk women. Knowing who doesn't need one can be tricky. >>

Amphetamine and cocaine abuse may increase stroke risk. >>

My doctor said that I should be taking an aspirin a day, but my pharmacist said it doesn't protect women like men. Who's right? and what's the best dose? >>

Dogs and humans react similarly to the disease, so a new vaccine approved for the animals may yield insights into treating people. >>

Cancer isn't the only medical condition in which studies on pet dogs are proving useful. Studies on dogs with naturally occurring spinal cord injuries are also yielding benefits for humans as well as the dogs themselves. >>

Changing bike saddles isn't a simple, one-size-fits-all proposition. >>

Start by asking a few questions — of yourself as well as your prospectives. >>

Bending forward while trying to touch the toes is a very common way of stretching the hamstrings, but most people do the move incorrectly. Instead of bending at the hips, they round the back and fold at the waist, which causes undue compression of the spine. Avoid this mistake — and protect your back — by using this move to stretch the hamstrings. >>

Even in a post-apocalyptic world, common sense could have saved Dr. April Green. >>

Poignant struggles to lose weight are depicted but success stories are lacking. >>

Tips from a mom and psychotherapist who's been there. >>

Your article on itching captured well the misery and often resigned agony suffered by those of us with chronic itchy spots ["The Relentless Itch," April 2]. >>

Parents who stock their kitchens with healthful food, limit eating out and ensure that their children stay active may overlook a threat to their efforts to keep kids lean: the television. >>

Scientists call it the love hormone, the chemical that binds people to one another. Now researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland have found that the hormone, released in high amounts in mothers after childbirth, can improve a person's ability to interpret what is going on in another person — by reading information gleaned from their eyes. >>

Today's news: HPV vaccine? College students unsure * The rich really are different * A look into our future -- and its limits * What do you know about colon cancer? * Weigh in on healthy fast food >>

Think you know something about medicine? Try your hand at one of these crosswords, to be found at www.medword.com/MedGames/crosswords. >>

CAD system doesn't help radiologists detect more cancers and results in needless biopsies, a report says. >>

Treatment for state residents with the virus was to be paid for with Medi-Cal cost savings, but it hasn't worked out that way. >>

Health officials are still trying to find the source of the outbreak at a restaurant in Lake Forest that made seven people ill. >>

The company worked for chemical makers while also analyzing their compounds for health risks. >>

For most, itching is a bothersome sensation that passes. For others, it's a torment. Scientists are developing new therapies. >>

The goal is always over the horizon for the band of endurance junkies who thrive on such races as triple, quadruple and even quintuple triathlons. >>

With strength training, female golfers are quickly catching up to their male counterparts. >>

Pinpointing regions responsible for certain personality traits started with a railroad foreman's unfortunate accident. >>

Some babies learn to go potty before they learn to walk. But not all parents have the patience. >>

Some drugs significantly raise levels of HDL, the 'good cholesterol,' but don't lower the deadly plaque, study finds. One drug even increases the risk of death. >>

Vitalzym claims to boost the immune system and ease arthritis pain. The catch: It doesn't, a doctor says. >>

Pickles and ice cream are one thing. But why would someone want to eat dirt, or a bag of ice? >>

Nutritional beliefs go in and out of style. One of the most tenacious is the fixation on drinking large quantities of water. >>

Here's what some LPGA players are doing to amp up their game. >>

I have read several columns about how to lower cholesterol. Mine is somewhat high, but my HDL is good (75). Maybe that's because I exercise four times a week, getting my heart rate up to the 130s for at least 20 minutes. My doctor does not think I need to take cholesterol medicine at this time. >>

Shoulder replacement is no more dangerous than the same surgery for knees or hips, and it's cheaper, a study finds. >>

Here's a challenging way to work on your balance and strength at the same time. You'll strengthen the muscles of your standing foot and ankle, crucial to maintaining balance, as you strengthen the quadriceps muscles of the opposite leg. >>

Doctors have identified a third type of twins — somewhere between identical and fraternal — after performing extensive genetic tests on two children. >>

Patients with Type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, although the reasons are unclear, Finnish researchers have reported. >>

I'm a sixtysomething former marathoner and in-line competitive skater whose aches and pains force me to grumble my way to the pool four times a week. >>

While we appreciate Jonathan Alpert's effort to assist people in making good choices about therapy [On the Mind: "In Therapy? Here's How to Assess Effectiveness," March 26], we think he has oversimplified the matter and offered something of a cookie-cutter approach. For example, not all modalities of therapy involve homework: psychoanalysis and psychodynamic treatment usually do not. >>

Today's news: As Alzheimer's closes in... | Look behind the counter at who's handing out the pills | So what if stents are no better than drugs? | Animals and people -- they're not the same | Here's how to run | BOOSTER SHOTS: Quirky medical crafts and "duh" files >>

Combined with a mood stabilizer, as many doctors prescribe, the drugs are found to have no effect on depressive symptoms. >>

New federal labels may tell us more than we want to know. >>

Women newly diagnosed with the disease and those at high risk should have the screening, researchers say. >>

Men whose mothers ate a lot of beef during their pregnancy have a sperm count about 25% below normal and three times the normal risk of fertility problems, researchers reported Tuesday. >>

Group plans are being dropped or becoming unaffordable to many. >>

For patients with clogged arteries who have not had a heart attack, drugs work as well as the surgery, report says. >>

CHICAGO — Aspirin in low to moderate doses may lower health risks in women, particularly those who are older and prone to heart disease, a 24-year study of nearly 80,000 women suggests. >>