More on Medicine
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Biomarkers are substances in the body that provide clues to a disease or injury. Researchers announced Wednesday that they have identified a...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Zinc lozenges, tablets or syrup taken at the first signs of a cold may shorten the duration of the illness, researchers reported Tuesday....
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Drinking problems in adolescence may be passed off as "just a phase" that a person may outgrow. But a study suggests instead that problem...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Imaging tests such as MRIs and X-rays frequently are performed so that doctors can protect themselves from lawsuits, according to a new...
By Michelle Andrews, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Most people would agree that when the time comes, they want a "good death." But what that means is all too often left up in the air until...
Over-the-counter painkillers fall into two groups. The first, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), includes ibuprofen (often...
By Emily Sohn, Special to the Los Angeles Times
People usually have good reasons for swallowing over-the-counter painkillers: They're hurting.
Here are maximum recommended doses for acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers sold over the counter. If you take the...
By Emily Sohn, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Nausea, stomach bleeding, heart disease and more: The list of potential dangers from taking over-the-counter pain medications is lengthy....
By Emily Sohn, Special to the Los Angeles Times
When something hurts, most Americans open their medicine cabinets and pop a few capsules, tablets or gel-caps.
By Chris Woolston, Special to the Los Angeles Times
The average man produces hundreds of billions of sperm cells in his lifetime. Only a minuscule fraction of those little guys ever manage...
By Steve Dudley, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Leopold, a retired symphony conductor, came into my office to go over lab results from his recent physical exam. Most of them looked...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Aspirin treatment has become standard for the prevention of heart attacks, particularly among middle-aged and older people at high risk...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Fetal heart rate monitoring is a modern technology used in childbirth that has been highly debated. Some doctors feel the monitors, which...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
A healthy intake of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and fish oil supplements, has been shown to protect against retinopathy, a leading...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
The story this week on Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter who donated a kidney to one of his players is a reminder not only of the...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Dog ownership appears to make teens more active, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Virginia.
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Breast cancer survival rates have improved in recent years, and women have more treatment choices, including -- in cases of early-stage...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Folate is a valuable nutrient, especially for pregnant women. Studies show adequate intake of folate -- or folic acid -- just before...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Mild strokes can cause disability, but people who have them usually don't receive the clot-busting medication that is recommended for people...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Breast cancer surgery traditionally includes removal of lymph nodes near the tumor so that doctors can check for signs that the cancer has...
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Solid foods should not be given to infants before 4 months of age, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. A new...
By Andrea Markowitz, Special to Tribune Newspapers
How can you tell if you or someone you know is having a heart attack? Sometimes the symptoms can be surprisingly subtle.
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
"I think I'm having anxiety," Leonard Castro told his wife on a day back in September.
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
Just two days after the start of the winter strength-and-conditioning program, Jim Poggi, a University of Iowa freshman football player,...
By Jill U. Adams, Special to the Los Angeles Times
If you want to improve the health and fitness of your heart and blood vessels, you can. Basic lifestyle changes involving diet, exercise and...
By Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times
It's one of the most vexing problems in medical science: How can you mend a broken heart?
By Roy Wallack
Whether you're 18 or 80, if you like to run, bike, row, swim, cross-country ski or climb mountains, you have to keep an eye on the old...
By Melodie Gibson, Special to the Los Angeles Times
My dog saved me.
By Bill Hillman, Special to the Los Angeles Times
It was 4:05 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2009. I heard my wife, Dianne, say, "I think I'm having a heart attack."