HEALTH

Medical clinics expanding health services to needy

WASHINGTON - An out-of-work David Thomas walks into a Milwaukee food pantry just seeking groceries. There, he learns he is a stroke waiting to happen, and gets blood pressure medicine along with his bread. More »

Study: Anxiety may boost risk of heart attack in men

WASHINGTON - Those Type A go-getters aren't the only ones stressing their hearts. Nervous Nelsons seem to be, too. More »

Whites more likely to get ER narcotics than black patients

CHICAGO - Emergency room doctors are prescribing strong narcotics more often to patients who complain of pain, but minorities are less likely to get them than whites, a new study finds. Even for the severe pain of kidney stones, minorities were prescribed narcotics such as oxycodone and morphine less frequently than whites. More »

Experts change advice on kids' allergies

CHICAGO - Breast-feeding helps prevent babies? allergies, but there is no definitive evidentiary basis for avoiding certain foods during pregnancy, using soy formula or delaying introduction of solid foods beyond six months. That's the word from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is updating earlier suggestions that may have made some parents feel like they weren't doing enough to prevent food allergies, asthma and allergic rashes. More »