If you go looking for Ben Milam this summer, better check the travel costs before you start.  Milam, of Lynchburg, is a University of Virginia medical student selected as a 2008 Global Health Scholar. He’s headed to South Africa for research on anemia. 

Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of the disease or have it spread than patients getting enough of the nutrient, a study found - adding to evidence the “sunshine vitamin” has anti-cancer benefits

Some parents are turning to a new method to prevent their children from drowning.

People 60 and older should get a one-time shingles shot that can help prevent the painful rash, U.S. health officials are recommending

An anti-bleeding drug probably will stay off the market, experts say, after a rigorous study found patients getting the medication during heart surgery were much more likely to die than patients given other drugs.

Veterinary college to offer free eye exams for service dogs

A cause that hits very close to home has brought retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor back to Washington. She’s lobbying for more research and funding for Alzheimer’s disease.

The program began losing its financial soundness in the late 1990s as benefits exceeded income from fees paid by doctors, insurers and hospitals and because financial projections underestimated the life spans of program children.

The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol—problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Q:  What is the best way to remove a tick?  Do you need to do anything special once it is removed? 

Patients are being notified about a major heart medicine recall.

Get your daughters off the couch: New research shows exercise during the teen years - starting as young as age 12 - can help protect girls from breast cancer when they’re grown.

Only three in 10 Americans get enough exercise, according to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

More than 1 million Virginians lack health insurance, studies find, and the percentage of Virginians getting health-care coverage through their employers dropped from a high of 70 percent in 1979 to 57 percent in the intervening 26 years.

A major recall has been issued for the heart medicine Digitek.

What works best for one person may not work best for you…

Scientists have speculated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, such as Aleve and Celebrex, might prevent Alzheimer’s by reducing inflammation in the brain or by other means. The drugs showed no benefit on thinking skills, new findings show.

Several factors determine when it’s time to sell the car, stop cooking and move into a skilled nursing facility or adult living center. 

Only one name — Elizabeth — is new to the top-10 list, returning after a two-year absence. Biblical names continued to dominate the boys’ list.

Attorneys for the boys will attempt to show the boys were happy, healthy and developing normally — but, after being exposed to vaccines with thimerosal, they began to regress.

The American Cancer Society’s New River Valley Breast Health Team is hosting a “Women’s Night Out.” This fun and informative event will be held on Monday, May 12, 5-7 pm, in the Cascades Room at the Giles Memorial Hospital. Women of all ages may enjoy light refreshments, free gifts, music, and a variety of activities. 

It’s your time: Get inspired.  Get Healthy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic versions of Requip (ropinirole hydrochloride) tablets for the treatment of moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says testing of Aretha Vinson’s brain tissue showed that she didn’t die of a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The illness has been associated with mad-cow disease.

While this past weekend’s total is not yet final, proceeds topped $192,254. The local goal for the 2008 Relay for Life was $170,000.

New research finds we should be more selective about what we grill…

Many of us laugh about our tendency to collect clutter and call ourselves pack rats. But pack rats don’t let their clutter interfere with their lives. They don’t feel secretive or ashamed about the stuff they save.

Lisa Crawford is part of a new generation of women with breast cancer who are taking aggressive action — and in many cases, making difficult decisions — to control their destinies. 

A few gift ideas to nudge your mother toward a better diet, a more interesting workout or a little less stress.

Wal-mart will offer some prescriptions for $10/90-day supply.