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Improved medicines and treatments are increasing life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis. But insurance doesn't pay for enough of those medical costs, leaving families affected by the disease to struggle with the financial consequences.

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There are indications that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The transition team won't confirm that.

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Many U.S. farmers struggle to meet their health care costs. A recent survey by the nonprofit Access Project says farmers pay twice as much as nonfarmers for insurance and out-of-pocket expenses. As small-business owners, they have few options and often buy insurance as individuals.

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The pioneering operation used a section of windpipe engineered in a laboratory with adult human stem cells. Engineering new tissues and organs from stem cells has long been sought as a solution to overcome a chronic shortage of donor organs.

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If confirmed, the former Senate majority leader would fill what may be one of the most important Cabinet posts, given the emphasis the Obama campaign put on the need for affordable health care during the election.

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Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a season where eating is central to the festivities. While it's also the season of indulgence, it's easy to plan a holiday meal that's delicious and healthful. Whether you're serving two or 20, these guidelines will help make sure your big dinner is a success. Follow our tips for making smart choices at the market, in the kitchen, and at the table.

Medical experts hailed a "milestone in medicine" Wednesday as they announced the successful transplant of a human windpipe engineered with the patient's own stem cells.

The popular herb ginkgo biloba does not reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of more than 1,500 elderly patients who took the supplement. Often touted as a way to preserve aging memories, no large-scale, randomized clinical trial -- until now -- has thoroughly evaluated the safety and effectiveness of ginkgo biloba extract as a way to prevent dementia.

Regular physical activity may lower a woman's overall risk of cancer, suggests a new government study -- but only if her workouts don't cut into a good night's sleep. Otherwise, lack of shut-eye appears to cancel out much of exercise's protective benefits.

Oral surgeon Dr. Gary Bouloux is about to pull a diseased wisdom tooth from his patient's mouth, using forceps that look like a pair of silver pliers.

Famed for keeping people slim, healthy and living longer, the Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world.

Being in space is like being Superman every day, says Clay Anderson, a NASA astronaut from Omaha, Nebraska. But floating around in zero-G can have some serious consequences for the human body, NASA's experts have learned.

Nearly half the respondents in a survey of U.S. primary care physicians said that they would seriously consider getting out of the medical business within the next three years if they had an alternative.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that infants born as a result of assisted reproductive technology, or ART -- such as in vitro fertilization and the use of donor eggs -- are two to four times more likely to be born with certain types of birth defects than infants conceived naturally. But, the study's lead author says, the overall risk is still relatively low.

The "pregnant man" who gave birth to a daughter earlier this year says he is expecting a second child.

An extensive federal report released Monday concludes that roughly one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War illness.

Smoking habits are usually established during the teen years. The CDC estimates that 20 percent of high school students smoked cigarettes last year. While researchers have a good idea how to help adults kick the habit, little information is available on what to do to assist teenage smokers.

Dr. Jim Withers founded Operation Safety Net after he began making "house calls" under bridges in Pittsburgh, Pa. Now it's one of the nation's first full-time street medicine programs.

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The number of people worldwide without access to a toilet -- no public restroom, no outhouse, no latrine, no smallest room -- is a staggering 2.6 billion. That's four out of ten people.