HIV spreads in NY at three times the U.S. average
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Yorkers are contracting HIV at three times the national rate, the city health department said on Wednesday, attributing the difference to New York's large population of high-risk groups such as gay men and blacks.

Researchers turn living cells into insulin-makers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have transformed ordinary cells into insulin-producing cells in a living mouse, improving symptoms of diabetes in a major step towards regenerative medicine.

Study points to brain chemical involved in obesity
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers studying people with a rare genetic disorder have identified a brain chemical that may play a role in appetite and obesity, a finding they say could lead to new drugs to help some obese people.

Flying is a headache, literally, for many travelers
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Headaches associated with air travel appear to be a "huge and painful problem," Israeli researchers report.

Maple Leaf takes blame for food poison outbreak
TORONTO/WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - The head of Canada's biggest meat processor said on Wednesday his company was fully accountable for a nationwide outbreak of listeriosis food poisoning, which has been linked to deaths of 15 people.

Study shows mental skills fade earlier than thought
LONDON (Reuters) - The rapid deterioration of our mental abilities as we age begins far earlier than scientists had suspected, Swedish researchers said on Wednesday.

Researchers regrow crucial hair in inner ear
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers working on mice have regrown the tiny hairs in the inner ear that are crucial to hearing, and said on Wednesday their findings might lead to ways to restore hearing loss in humans.

Stroke drugs show similar results, or no benefits
BOSTON (Reuters) - Two studies released on Wednesday call into question the advantage of using a blood pressure medicine and a well-known blood thinner for preventing the recurrence of a stroke.

Sleep helps selectively preserve emotional memories
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sleep tends to help people better remember aspects of a negative event while allowing memory of background information to fade, researchers have found.

Thinness in midlife boosts later brittle bone risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who are slimmer in middle age are at greater risk of having osteoporosis later in life, a new study confirms.