Medical Treatments

The program was tested in YMCAs around the country, and helped people lose about 5 percent of their body weight in a year. The goal is to make it a Medicare-eligible prevention program.

The Food and Drug Administration is demanding that the instructions for the most commonly prescribed opioids include so-called black box warnings about dangers of abuse, misuse, overdose and death.

Forty-seven years after a vaccine against rubella was created, the virus still harms about 300 newborns every day, worldwide. Even a cheap vaccine can be a financial burden for poorer countries.

Raise a glass to good health? Probably not. The idea that alcohol is good for you has little scientific purchase, an analysis of previous research finds. The more you drink, the worse off you'll be.

Current guidelines require patients to specify who gets information about their care. But advocates of change say that restriction is out of step with the world of electronic medical records.

Meditation can help relieve chronic back pain, and so can cognitive behavioral therapy, a study finds. But good luck getting insurance to pay for it.

Standing desks have been touted as the answer for health problems caused by sitting all day. But the evidence that the high desks improve health — or that they are even used much — is weak.

The goal is to rein in drug price increases while increasing the chance that patients will get the medication that works best for them. It's an idea that's getting increasing private-sector traction.