Latest Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare News from The New York Times News

Recipes for Health: Nectarine or Peach and Blackberry Galette — Recipes for Health

Almond flour spread over the crust before baking adds flavor and absorbs juice to keep the crust from getting soggy.

Well: When the Mango Bites Back, Surviving Traveler's Diarrhea

Despite decades of immunological research and a recent surge of interest in the bacterial garden of the human gut, diarrhea remains the most unpredictable travel-related illness.

F.D.A. Approves Once-a-Day Pill for H.I.V.

The pill, made by Gilead Sciences, is criticized by AIDS activists who contend the $28,500 annual cost is too expensive.

The Agenda: Overtreatment Is Taking a Harmful Toll

An epidemic of overtreatment is costing the health care system at least $210 billion a year, and patients are paying the price in pain, emotional suffering, severe complications and even death.

Regular Aspirin Use May Aid Prostate Cancer Recovery, Study Finds

Men treated for prostate cancer who took aspirin regularly for other medical conditions were less likely to die of their cancer than patients who weren’t taking aspirin, a new study shows.

The Consumer: Many Bone Tests for Some, and Too Few for Others

Recent reports suggest that too many younger women are being evaluated and treated for bone loss when they should not be, while many at greater risk are overlooked.

Letters: Health Care Flaws (2 Letters)

Letters to the Editor.

Letters: Medical Imaging’s Gains (1 Letter)

A letter to the Editor.

Global Update: H.I.V. Stigma Is a Barrier to Prenatal Care, Study Finds

Fear of being stigmatized as an AIDS patient is still a major barrier to good care for pregnant young women in many countries, a new study and a literature review have found.

Vital Signs: Patterns: Early Marijuana Use Linked to I.Q. Loss

People in a study who began smoking marijuana as teenagers and used it heavily for decades lost a few I.Q. points by age 38, while those who did not smoke or who started in adulthood did not, researchers report.

Really?: The Claim: During a Heart Attack, Dial 911 and Chew an Aspirin

Symptoms of heart attack are often different for men and women, but the response should be the same.

Personal Health: Changing Our Tune on Exercise

Decades of messages that regular physical activity is necessary for health have cast exercise as a pill to be swallowed. Now experts recommend a new approach that portrays exercise as "an elixir of life."

Vital Signs: Prevention: Factor in Breast Milk May Cut H.I.V. Spread

A substance in human breast milk seems to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of the virus, scientists have reported.

Vital Signs: Risks: Weight Implications for Infant Antibiotics

Babies in a study who were exposed to antibiotics within six months of birth were 22 percent more likely than those given none to be overweight at age 3, researchers reported.

Vital Signs: Patterns: Early Marijuana Use Linked to to I.Q. Loss

People in a study who began smoking marijuana as teenagers and used it heavily for decades lost a few I.Q. points by age 38, while those who did not smoke or who started in adulthood did not, researchers report.

Benefits of Circumcision Outweigh Risks, Pediatric Group Says

The American Academy of Pediatrics has shifted its stance on infant male circumcision, motivated in part by research that says it may protect heterosexual men against H.I.V.

Well: Overtreatment Is Taking a Harmful Toll

An epidemic of overtreatment is costing the health care system at least $210 billion a year, and patients are paying the price in pain, emotional suffering, severe complications and even death.

The New Old Age Blog: The Dirty Little Secret of Nursing Homes

In an era when fierce infections like MRSA and Clostridium difficile haunt nursing homes and hospitals, the percentage of nursing homes cited for deficiencies in "hand hygiene" has been rising.

Books: ‘Dreamland’ - Review - Exploring the Mysteries of Sleep

In his new book, David K. Randall talks to sleep experts of all kinds for a thoroughly enjoyable overview of a familiar yet remarkably foreign terrain.

Well: When the Mango Bites Back

Despite decades of immunological research and a recent surge of interest in the bacterial garden of the human gut, diarrhea remains the most unpredictable travel-related illness.

Recipes for Health: Dessert Galette Pastry

Rustic free-form pies with a nutty but delicate whole-wheat crust showcase the season’s sweet, juicy stone fruits.

As More Restaurants Cut Salt, Others Pass

Sodium reduction has lately become a culinary cause célèbre, but critics call such moves unnecessary.

Election 2012: Private Medicare Plans Find Success Despite Democrats’ Warnings

Beneficiaries and both parties have been generally satisfied with private Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare’s drug benefits, which are delivered by private insurers.

Private Medicare Plans Find Success Despite Democrats’ Warnings

Beneficiaries and both parties have been generally satisfied with private Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare’s drug benefits, which are delivered by private insurers.

With Rise of Gene Sequencing, Ethical Puzzles

Much genetic research is predicated on study subjects being anonymous, but increasingly researchers are discovering things these subjects, or their relatives, might need or like to know.