Older Smokers More Likely to Deny Habit

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Older smokers are more likely than younger ones to deny they smoke when asked about it by doctors and others.

 Health Tip: Causes for Jaundice

(HealthDay News) - Jaundice occurs when excess bilirubin builds up in the liver, causing the skin and whites of the eyes to develop a yellowish tint. Bilirubin is produced when hemoglobin from red blood cells is broken down by the body.

 Health Tip: Painful Urination

(HealthDay News) - Pain while urinating often indicates an infection -- usually in the urinary tract. However, it can also be caused by other conditions, and should always be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.

 Tango Classes Put Parkinson's Patients a Step Ahead

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Not only is the tango a dance of romance and passion, it also helps improve balance and mobility in people with Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.

 Acute Coronary Events Drop After Italy's Public Smoking Ban

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The number of acute coronary events dropped significantly among adults in Rome after Italy banned smoking in public places in 2005, a new report shows.

 Drug Cuts Muscle Damage After Heart Attack

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A drug designed to lessen muscle damage from a heart attack has passed initial safety tests in humans.

 When It Comes to a Mate, Beauty Can't Be Beat

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- With Valentine's Day as a backdrop, researchers are taking a cold look at the hot topic of romantic attraction and turning some long-held assumptions on their pretty heads.

 Cancer Drug Works Against MS in Early Trial

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A drug originally designed to combat cancer that is now being used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus might also work against a common form of multiple sclerosis.

 DDT Compound Speeds Breast Cancer Growth

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A new Canadian study may finally explain how a key compound found in the U.S.-banned insecticide DDT accelerates the growth of breast cancer tumors.

 Scientists Show Stem Cells Don't Cause Cancer

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A major concern with using stem cells to treat disease has been the possibility that the retrovirus used to implant the cells might cause cancer, but now a group of scientists appears to have solved that problem.

 Overabundance of Immune Cells Might Trigger Lupus

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers from Saint Louis University report that a pile-up of superfluous immune cells might contribute to lupus, a finding which could point to new therapies for the autoimmune disease.

 Single Mutation in Mitochondrial DNA Weakens Heart, Muscles

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A single change in the DNA of mitochondria -- the cellular power plants that generate energy in all human cells -- has been found to cause degenerative heart and muscle disease in mice, a new study says.

 Transplanted Liver Lining Cells May Cure Hemophilia

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have shown that transplanting healthy liver cells into mice with hemophilia enables the animals to produce a critical clotting factor missing in humans with type A hemophilia.

 Health Highlights: Feb. 14, 2008

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

 'Choking Game' Turned Deadly for 82 Youths

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- At least 82 youths have died from playing the "choking game" since 1995, a new government report shows.

 U.S. Seeks to Limit Animal Testing of Toxic Chemicals

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. government scientists proposed Thursday to limit the testing of potentially toxic chemicals on animals and replace it with new high-tech testing methods.