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Smokers now have a new motivation to quit, a first of its kind stop-smoking gum with a whitening benefit. read more

Potentia Pharmaceuticals, a privately held biotechnology company developing medicines for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), presented Phase I data last week during the Retina Subspecialty Day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. The data was from the ASaP (Assessment of Safety of Intravitreal POT-4 Therapy for patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration) clinical trial for the company's leading drug candidate, POT-4, which is being developed for the treatment of AMD. read more

More than half a million U.S. babies - one in every eight - are born premature each year, a toll that's risen steadily for two decades. Lack of health insurance and smoking are seen as two possible factors.

It's a leading cause of death, but no one knows for sure how and why it happens. It's a major source of health care costs, adding days or weeks to the hospital stays and lost work time of millions of people. But no one fully understands how best to fight it. "It" is bacterial infection in the blood, also called bacteremia, and it's a major part of the very serious illness called sepsis. read more

CMS on Monday revised its guidelines for compensation for health insurance agents and brokers who market Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug benefit plans, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 11/10). read more

The use of cardiopulmonary bypass does not cause short-term neurological problems in children and teenagers after surgery for less complex heart defects, according to pediatric researchers. The new finding contrasts favorably with previous studies that showed adverse neurological effects after newborn surgery for more complex heart conditions. read more

A UK independent commission finds no evidence of harm caused by nanomaterials, but warns of serious gaps in knowledge about its risks.

Black cohosh, a supplement taken to ease menopausal symptoms, may have a mixed relationship with breast cancer, according to a study published in cancer Research.

A California couple recently had an unexpected reunion with an old housemate: their pet cat, George, who went missing more than 13 years ago.

AP - Obese children as young as 10 had the arteries of 45-year-olds and other heart abnormalities that greatly raise their risk of heart disease, say doctors who used ultrasound tests to take a peek inside.