Many treatments can help prevent migraine headaches, but few people who could benefit from them are actually taking advantage of them. That's according to information from the American Academy of Neurology released in April 2012.

It's official: The PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer has been downgraded to the lowest possible rating of "D" from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential independent advisory board that basically decides what types of preventive care are worth the bother. That's "D" as in "discourage," which is what the task force says doctors should do when their patients ask about this test.

As the Senate prepares to vote on a bill this week to reauthorize the statute governing medical device oversight, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports called attention to a loophole that puts patients at risk.

We've told you before to stay away from so-called toning shoes because of apparent safety risks. Yesterday's settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and Skechers over the company's deceptive and unsupported claims gives you another reason to consider other fitness footwear.

Any bike helmet is better than riding with no helmet. But when you're paying $50 or $60 for one, you'd like to think that it's going to protect your head if you crash into a curb, a rock, or the ground, right?

Catch a summer cold and you know you're in for about a week of feeling congested and crummy. But what if you could get rid of that cold a little sooner? A new study published online May 7 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests adults who take zinc supplements within a few days of the onset of symptoms may shorten a cold by nearly two days. However, the study also showed that zinc might cause unpleasant symptoms, including nausea and bad taste.

If your child takes medications such as Ritalin or Adderall to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you should reconsider after two years or so whether the medications are still helping, according to a new CR Best Buy Drugs report. We found that while those drugs help most children and teens with the condition at first, it's unclear how long the benefits last.

Coming soon to a store near you: sunscreens with labels that are easier to understand. The Food and Drug Administration plans to give manufacturers until mid-December to make all the changes, but many products already have the new labeling. Here are some of the biggest changes, which will also apply to moisturizers and cosmetic products that contain a sun-protection factor (SPF):

Q.When I took some medication this morning, I thought I'd accidentally swallowed the freshness packet in the vial instead of my pill. Luckily, I didn't, but what if I had? Is that dangerous?

Q. I thought I had completed my family, and was confident of never getting pregnant again because I had an IUD. So we bought an individual family plan from Blue Shield of California that excludes pregnancy. But I got pregnant anyway. I asked to be moved to a plan that covers pregnancy, and was denied because of my "pre-existing condition." Is this legit?

Following the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement last week of a new case of mad cow disease in California, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, today called on the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to take new measures to detect and prevent mad cow disease in U.S. beef and dairy cows.

You might feel comfortable choosing a car or washing machine based at least in part on what other people say online. But how about picking a hospital? A new British study suggests those hospital user reviews can be helpful.

Do you have expired, unused, or unwanted medicines sitting in your medicine cabinet? If so, take advantage of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, April 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at locations around the country. Although a trip to the pharmacy or local police station may seem inconvenient, consider that improper drug disposal is one of the reasons why trace amounts of antibiotics, anticonvulsants, hormones, and others drugs are found in drinking water.

Men planning to take the drug finasteride—the active ingredient in both Propecia, the medication to combat hair loss and Proscar, the medication to shrink enlarged prostates—may want to carefully consider the risk of sexual side effects. Those drugs have been associated with a decreased libido, problems with orgasm, and other issues that can continue for some time after men stop taking them, according to the drugs' labels that were recently updated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Dangerous central-line bloodstream infections are down almost a third in U.S. hospitals, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And our updated Hospital Ratings, released this month, show a similar improvement in intensive care units. But despite the progress, these deadly infections—which are almost entirely preventable—remain widespread among hospitals nationwide.