MEDICINE

A small study suggests that obese adults could improve their balance by shedding pounds and boosting their muscle strength -- with weight loss being especially effective.

Surrounded by corn fields and cattle, the people of southeast Kansas seem far from the Washington debate on reforming U.S. healthcare but many care deeply about the issue and hope that change can come.

Some of the ideas proposed for U.S. healthcare reform could cost patients thousands of dollars a year out of their own pockets, and premiums could end up being too high, according to two reports.

A judge on Tuesday ordered actor Jamie Waylett, who plays school bully Vincent Crabbe in the Harry Potter movies, to serve 120 hours of community service after he admitted growing cannabis at his mother's home.

The H1N1 virus has killed more than 700 people worldwide since emerging in April, and countries could consider closing schools to slow its spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

U.S. drugmaker Schering-Plough Corp said on Tuesday its second-quarter earnings rose after lower special charges, but global revenue declined as the weak dollar hurt sales in overseas markets.

Coca-Cola Co reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, as growth in markets such as India and China helped offset the impact of the stronger U.S. dollar.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the ordinary seasonal flu vaccine on Monday and said Americans should plan to be vaccinated.

Human Genome Sciences Inc said on Monday that its experimental lupus drug succeeded in a late-stage clinical trial, shocking many who had written the product off, and sending the stock up more than 200 percent.

Closing schools at the first sign of a new pandemic might delay the worst so health officials can prepare, but cannot prevent the spread of the disease, British researchers said on Monday.

A new study suggests that the timing of outbreaks of rotavirus -- the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children -- may have more to do with differences in birth rates across the United States than with environmental factors such as climate.

About a quarter of patients who have superficial blood clots on their legs may be at risk for more serious clots deep in their veins, Austrian researchers reported on Monday.

The global fear sparked by the outbreak of H1N1 had led to the slump of tourism in Hong Kong amid the continually weak global economy, officials said on Monday.

British Airways has told its check-in staff to look out for passengers showing symptoms of the H1N1 virus and to alert doctors who could bar them from boarding a flight, the airline said on Sunday.

A group of 52 British school children and their teachers have been quarantined in Beijing after four pupils were admitted to hospital infected with the H1N1 flu virus, Britain's Foreign Office said Saturday.

Hong Kong's third critical case of H1N1 has been detected among the increased 1640 cases, involving a 39-year-old woman, the Hospital Authority (HA) said on Friday.

The World Health Organization issued the following guidelines on Saturday about ways to prevent and fight flu, especially in poor areas where medical facilities may lack staff, beds and drugs:

The result of Michael Jackson's death reports will be released publicly early next week, according to Los Angeles coroner's office.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the H1N1 flu pandemic was the fastest-moving pandemic ever and that it was now pointless to count every case.

Hong Kong reported its first suspected death of H1N1 virus among the 1552 confirmed cases on Thursday.

California's attorney general said on Wednesday his office has run several doctors' names and several potential aliases through its prescription drug database to aid police investigating the death of Michael Jackson.