Calorie labels change some diners' habits: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York City's requirement that fast-food restaurants post calorie counts on menus led one in six customers to notice the information and buy foods with fewer calories, according to new research released on Tuesday. While overall calorie consumption for the thousands of people tracked did not change, customers of McDonald's, Au Bon Pain and Yum Brands Inc's KFC were shown to make significant modifications, according to the study funded by the city of New York and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Rare paralyzing infection sickens 24 on U.S.-Mexico border

TUCSON, Ariz (Reuters) - A rare condition that can cause paralysis has sickened two dozen people in a small area straddling the Arizona-Mexico border, authorities said on Tuesday, The Arizona Department of Health Services reported a cluster of 24 cases of the rare Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Yuma County in far western Arizona and neighboring San Luis Rio Colorado, in Mexico's northern Sonora state.

Third of the world infected with hepatitis: WHO

GENEVA (Reuters) - Around one third of the global population, or 2 billion people, have been infected with one of the viruses that causes the liver disease hepatitis, which kills about a million victims annually, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. And although most of those carrying hepatitis do not know they have it, they can unknowingly transmit it to others and at any time in their lives it can develop to kill or disable them, the United Nations agency warned.

FDA finds U.S. drug research firm faked documents

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug companies that had medicines tested by contractor Cetero Research might have to reevaluate results, U.S. regulators warned after the firm was found faking documents and manipulating samples. The Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday two 2010 inspections, an internal company investigation and a third-party audit uncovered "significant instances of misconduct and violations" at a Cetero facility in Houston.

No more bad surprises as tiny preemies reach teens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although extremely small preemies are plagued by many health problems, a new study shows they have no more chronic ailments in store when they hit their teens. But they did run into a problem that was common among their normal-birth weight peers: obesity.

Abortion pill via telemedicine seen safe, effective

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women prescribed the "abortion pill" after a videoconference with a doctor appear to fare as well as those who have a face-to-face visit, a new study finds. The findings, researchers say, suggest that using technology to expand access to the abortion pill can be safe and effective -- though it remains controversial.

World Bank warns on economy if China fails to tackle diseases

BEIJING (Reuters) - The World Bank on Tuesday urged China to step up efforts to fight chronic diseases, the main cause of death in the country, warning of rising health expenditure and an economic slowdown if rapid action is not taken. Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) -- such as lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and diabetes -- account for over 80 percent of all deaths in the world's most populous nation, the World Bank said in a report on non-communicable diseases in China.