MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- White Americans with muscular dystrophy live longer than blacks with the disease, but the reason why remains unclear, says a new study.

(HealthDay News) -- The seasonal flu vaccine can be administered via a shot or a less invasive nasal spray.

(HealthDay News) -- Homework teaches kids valuable lessons in independent thinking, responsibility, and pride in accomplishment.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly patients who have surgery soon after suffering a hip fracture reduce their risk of dying by 19 percent, a new analysis shows.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Infants exposed to the highest levels of thimerosal, a mercury-laden preservative that used to be found in many vaccines, were no more likely to develop autism than infants exposed to only a little thimerosal, new research finds.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Public information about U.S. doctors' education, certification and malpractice claims may not be enough to help patients determine whether a physician provides high-quality care, a new study suggests.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco and snuff, are not safe or effective alternatives for people who want to quit smoking, says a policy statement released Monday by the American Heart Association.

MONDAY, Sept 13 (HealthDay News) -- Children's basketball may be getting rougher or the kids may be bigger, but either way the number of head injuries is soaring, researchers report.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) --Sure, industrial robots can toss around 10-ton car parts with the greatest of ease. But can they do the dishes?

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Two major research programs that will examine ways to prevent and treat childhood obesity have been launched by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Although many men are concerned about prostate cancer, a new study finds that in men aged 55 to 74 with low levels of baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA), further screening and early detection of prostate cancer offer virtually no benefit.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that biomarkers in the blood may help diagnose Alzheimer's disease before it progresses, potentially opening the door to better treatments.

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

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will ask an expert panel later this week whether or not the diet drug Meridia should be banned due to suspected heart risks.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A common asthma drug might accelerate the benefits of treatment for multiple sclerosis when combined with standard medicine, new research suggests.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- For people with advanced cancer, dying at home rather than the hospital results in higher quality-of-life scores at the end of life, and may be easier on the patients' caregivers as well.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Women can be vulnerable to sudden, sometimes dangerous spikes in blood pressure during pregnancy, part of a condition called preeclampsia. And now scientists say they've developed a high-tech method to predict which women are most prone to preeclampsia in late pregnancy -- long before symptoms arise.

MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- More Americans than ever wash their hands after using public restrooms, but men remain far less conscientious than women about this important hygienic habit, finds a new study.