- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — New numbers show that more than a
quarter of American toddlers may be under-vaccinated.

The study of children aged 19 months to 35 months found that missed
doses account for about two-thirds of non-compliance to official
recommendations. However, miss-timed doses are also an issue, according to
a study conducted by the U.S. [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — The InfraReDx LipiScan NIR
Catheter Imaging System, a device that helps doctors explore blood vessels
to assess the fat content of arterial plaque, has been approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Plaque — made up of cholesterol-laden fat, calcium and other blood
substances — reduces blood flow to the heart [...]

- (HealthDay News) — Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy
of Thomson CenterWatch:

Lower Back Pain

If you are 18 or older and have had persistent lower
back pain for three months or longer, you may qualify for this
study.

The research site is in Toledo, Ohio.

More information

Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat700.html.
—–

Osteoarthritis

If you are 40 or older, have been [...]

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

Nursing Home Costs Continue to
Rise

For the fifth consecutive year, the costs of U.S. nursing homes,
assisted living facilities and some in-home care services have increased,
according to a study released Tuesday by Genworth Financial Inc. The
survey also found that costs could [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — Most drugs aimed at
suppressing HIV target proteins lying on the virus itself, but new
research suggests that focusing on the human host's immune cells might
work even better.

That's because human cells mutate at much slower rates than does HIV,
so the virus would have much less chance of mutating around [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — Increasing levels of
thyrotropin within the normal range may increase the risk of fatal
coronary heart disease in women, a Norwegian study finds.

Thyrotropin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, is released
into the blood and acts on the thyroid gland to stimulate its growth and
function.

“Emerging evidence indicates that levels [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — Secondhand smoke not only
damages the delicate cells that line blood vessels but also disrupts the
body's natural repair mechanism for those cells, a new study shows.

The research was done because there still are skeptics who doubt the
health value of public smoking bans, said study co-author Stanton A.
Glantz, professor [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — The launch of the
International Cancer Genome Consortium was announced Tuesday by research
organizations from around the world.

The consortium was created to produce high-quality genomic data on up
to 50 types of cancer.

Each consortium member plans to conduct a comprehensive,
high-resolution analysis of the full range of genomic changes in at [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — Two teams of researchers
report finding a series of gene variants linked to bone density and the
risk for fracture, which might also be linked to osteoporosis.

While not a predictor of individual risk for osteoporosis, this finding
could lead to new therapies to combat the disease, they noted.

“When we look [...]

- TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) — Screening for cervical
cancer reduces the risk for all types of the disease in women of all ages,
say Swedish researchers. They also concluded that better follow-up of
women who have cervical cancer screening could lower rates of the disease.

The researchers reviewed data from the National Cervical Cancer
Screening Registry on [...]