Reuters - as evidence by a low body mass index (BMI) -- before pregnancy raises the risk of pre-term birth in black and Hispanic women to a greater extent than in white women, new research shows. Being underweight also increases the risk of vaginal inflammation in black women.

Reuters - Increased levels of dietary folate from food, but not from supplements, appears to reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to results of a large population-based study of Swedish men and women.

AP - It's tempting to blame big food companies for America's big obesity problem. After all, they're the folks who Supersized our fries, family-portioned our potato chips and Big Gulped our sodas. There's also the billions they've spent keeping their products ever on our minds and in our mouths.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- A subtype of the virus best known for its links to cervical cancer may also raise the risk for a form of skin cancer, researchers report.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- A subtype of the virus best known for its links to cervical cancer may also raise the risk for a form of skin cancer, researchers report.

Reuters - Women who are physically active before pregnancy are less likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy, a new study shows. It also indicates that the risk rises with the amount of pre-pregnancy television viewing.

Reuters - More research is needed to determine whether popular portable music players like Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod increase the risk of hearing loss, the National Institutes of Health said in response to a lawmaker's request for a review of the issue.

Denise Royal - AHN Staff Writer Atlanta, GA (AHN) – Researchers say adding the blood-thinning drug Plavix to a daily dose of aspirin does not lower the risk of death, heart attack or stroke in high-risk patients. A new study finds the combination not only didn't help most people, it...

AP - People taking the blood thinner Plavix on top of aspirin to try to prevent heart attacks, as many doctors recommend, now have good reason to stop.

Matthew Borghese - AHN Staff Writer Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Researchers continue to probe the link between airplane flights and a higher risk of potentially deadly blood clots. A Lancet study by Dutch researchers now suggests that long flights and frequent air travel heighten the risk of...

Low air pressure and oxygen levels on flights may raise the risk of deep vein thrombosis, research suggests.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-fed babies, so the prevailing wisdom goes, are less likely to have weight problems later in life. Introducing solid foods later -- at about four or six months -- is also thought to reduce the risk of being overweight later in childhood.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-fed babies, so the prevailing wisdom goes, are less likely to have weight problems later in life. Introducing solid foods later -- at about four or six months -- is also thought to reduce the risk of being overweight later in childhood.

Reuters - U.N. hopes of stepping up its activities in Iraq are still on hold due to the violence across the country and the risk of U.N. staff becoming targets, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Infertility due to abnormalities of the fallopian tube or uterus raises the risk that in vitro fertilization or other assisted reproductive techniques (ART) will result in an "ectopic" pregnancy, one in which the fertilized egg attaches itself outside the normal uterus location, new research shows.

Yvonne Lee - All Headline News Staff Reporter (AHN) - Researchers find that pregnant women who take higher than recommended doses of vitamin D significantly lower the risk of bearing children with wheezing illnesses. Carlos A. Camargo, M.D., Dr.Ph., of Harvard, says expectant moms who take...

Reuters - Merck & Co. knew its painkiller Vioxx significantly increased the risk of heart attack but worked to hide the evidence from doctors, patients and the scientific community to boost profits, a lawyer for a former Vioxx user argued on Monday.

AP - The risk of a rare brain disease and other infections remains the primary concern of federal regulators as they seek independent advice on whether to allow a promising multiple sclerosis drug back on the market, according to documents released Monday.

Reuters - Childhood obesity rates will soar dramatically in most parts of the world by the end of the decade and raise the risk of diabetes in young people, health experts said on Monday.

Delaying surgery on small, low-grade prostate tumours does not increase the risk of incurable cancer, research suggests.