Stirring great controversy, an expert panel said this week that most women should start getting mammograms in their 50s, not their 40s. The tests should come every two years, not every year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said. This group advises the government and doctors on preventive care. In other women's health news, a major doctors' group said most women do not need to begin Pap tests until age 21. There was much heart disease news this week. In one study, Niaspan, a form of the vitamin niacin, was found to shrink plaque in arteries. Another drug, Zetia, did not. U.S. drug regulators warned that some heartburn drugs can interfere with the action of the blood thinner Plavix. Another study found that CT scans may find the cause of chest pain faster. And the HeartMate II implantable heart pump was found to extend life for people who can't get a heart transplant. They lived longer than people who received an older type of pump.

In a new survey, almost half of women who had breast cancer surgery said they had long-term pain. Also this week, the government raised its estimate of U.S. swine flu deaths. UNICEF said 200 million children are growing less because they don't get enough food. The American Medical Association this week endorsed the House health care reform bill. It also urged the military to drop its "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays. In research news, a study found sex problems in Chinese men exposed to high levels of a chemical used in plastics. Other researchers accused Pfizer of manipulating data on its drug Neurontin. And another study found that opening kidney arteries with angioplasty doesn't help people.

"Off-pump" heart bypass operations are not better, researchers said this week. In fact, a study finds they have worse long-term outcomes than the older method, which uses a machine to pump blood instead of the heart. Another study released this week found that people may eat more high-fat foods under stress. A new government report said that early (premature) birth is the main cause of U.S. infant deaths. There was other pregnancy news this week, too. One study suggests that some antibiotics may increase birth defects. Other research found that pregnant women can be protected with one swine flu shot.

About 1 out of 5 U.S. children gets too little vitamin D, researchers said this week. And many kids who take anti-psychotic drugs gain a lot of weight, another study found. In other child-related news, swine flu has led to hundreds of school closings, and more hospitals restrict induced labor to protect babies. Finally, a new study questions the idea that women have different heart attack symptoms than men.

Swine flu vaccine has been delayed even more than U.S. officials expected. Only 13 million doses were available this week, compared with the last forecast of 45 million. Also this week, health experts said U.S. officials should recommend Cervarix as a routine vaccine for girls to prevent cervical cancer. It's the second vaccine approved for this purpose. Other government news this week came from the National Transportation Safety Board. The agency said sleep apnea is a transport hazard. It called for testing of ship pilots and bus and truck drivers. Finally, researchers said this week that most people in the hospital with heart failure don't get one drug that could help them. Spironolactone, a water pill, helps to keep people with heart failure out of the hospital.

Banning smoking in public places helps to reduce heart attacks. That's the conclusion of a report released this week. The report reviewed 11 previous studies. Other new research looked at nursing home residents with kidney failure. It found that many die or are less able to function within a year after starting dialysis treatment. Another study found that people with advanced dementia also often die within six months. This occurs even after aggressive care for illness. Researchers reported this week on two types of surgery for removing the prostate in cancer patients. Operating through a tiny incision helped patients in some ways, but not others, compared with surgery through a traditional "open" incision. More swine flu research also was released this week. It found that nearly half of the adults who spent time in a hospital with the disease were previously healthy.

U.S. health officials say children should get the swine flu vaccine. But older people are the ones most likely to want the vaccine, says a poll released this week. Researchers reported promising results this week for a "vaccine" to treat cocaine addiction. Two other studies raised earlier estimates of how many U.S. children have autism. And new a March of Dimes report produced the first estimate of premature births worldwide -- about 1 out of 10 babies.

Half a million U.S. children each year have bad reactions to medicines, researchers said this week. In other drug-related news, U.S. health officials said drug-abuse deaths now exceed traffic deaths in 16 states. About 4 million people in the world now get drug treatment for HIV, the United Nations said. Researchers said that weight gain reduces women's chance of a healthy old age. Another study found that even mild gestational diabetes should be treated. Finally, new rules let women buy a wider selection of foods through a U.S. government program.

For the first time, a study has found that a vaccine can help to prevent HIV infection in people. There was other vaccine news this week as well. Studies found that shots protect adults from seasonal flu better than spray vaccine, and that children 10 and older need just one dose of swine flu vaccine. European researchers reported that obesity may soon become the top cause of cancer in women. And a study found that the risk of a fatal heart attack increased among men who were treated with hormones for prostate cancer.

One shot should protect most adults from H1N1 (swine) flu, researchers reported this week. In other flu news, U.S. health officials said flu drugs should be used only for those who are sick and at high risk of serious illness. Health care workers in New York also face a new requirement that they get flu shots. Advisors to U.S. drug regulators recommended approval this week for a second vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer. The vaccine, Cervarix, is made by GlaxoSmithKline.

Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian, medical missionary, philosopher, author, musician and theologian, died on this date in 1965 in what is now Gabon, Africa.

Americans are consuming way too much sugar and should cut back, the American Heart Association said this week. Medical tests using radiation also may be a concern. A new study found that 2 out of 3 U.S. adults had such a test in the last few years. New developments also occurred this week related to swine flu. Advisers to the President said 20% to 40% of Americans may be infected this fall. In other research news, studies found that circumcision does not protect gay men from HIV and that poison control centers are getting many more calls about abuse of ADHD drugs.

Many schools are planning to give swine flu shots this fall. But much of the vaccine will be delayed, the U.S. government said this week. A new report estimates that a typical U.S. baby born in 2007 can expect to live to age 78. The Associated Press (AP) wrote this week about a man who said he received $20,000 illegally to donate a kidney. AP said he really did donate, but the man who received it denies paying money. Researchers said this week that the vaccine Gardasil is safe, that inducing labor does not increase cesarean sections and that people with one version of a gene respond better to hepatitis C treatment.

Many schools are planning to give swine flu shots this fall. But much of the vaccine will be delayed, the U.S. government said this week. A new report estimates that a typical U.S. baby born in 2007 can expect to live to age 78. The Associated Press (AP) wrote this week about a man who said he received $20,000 illegally to donate a kidney. AP said he really did donate, but the man who received it denies paying money. Researchers said this week that the vaccine Gardasil is safe, that inducing labor does not increase cesarean sections and that people with one version of a gene respond better to hepatitis C treatment.

As the recession hit full swing, U.S. births declined in 2008, a report released this week said. The numbers had been rising since 2002. Other news this week mostly related to cancer research. Studies found that even the smallest spread of breast cancer may need treatment and that lifting weights may help prevent arm swelling after mastectomy. Other research found that colon cancer is less likely to come back in regular aspirin users.

Researchers said this week that gym class injuries have more than doubled in a decade and that children as young as 3 can have lasting depression. In other research news, a study found that vertebroplasty doesn't work. This procedure is used for spine fractures. U.S. officials this week seized Clarcon brand skin sanitizers because they contained bacteria. And drug regulators said that drugs called tumor necrosis factor blockers must bear stronger warning labels. These drugs are used to treat certain inflammatory conditions. They can increase the risk of cancer in children, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Pregnant women, kids and young adults are among those who should get swine flu vaccine first, advisers to U.S. health officials said this week. There was good news and bad news about obesity. Obesity raises health care costs, but, for those who are very overweight, surgery has become a safer option. The World Health Organization declared this week that tanning beds definitely can cause cancer. And a U.S. agency reported that Americans spend $34 billion a year on alternative medicine.

U.S. officials began recruiting people this week to test a new swine flu vaccine. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said swine flu deaths had doubled in the last month, to 700. In a study, another vaccine, for typhoid, reduced risk in young children by 80%. Other research found that air pollution exposure during pregnancy may lower kids' IQ and that Medicare Part D has increased drug access. Finally, there's news about a trend -- courts finding parents guilty of neglect if their child is very obese.

People who take clozapine for schizophrenia tend to live longer than those who take other drugs for this disorder, researchers said this week. The results were surprising, the Associated Press reported. Clozapine usually is given only when other drugs have failed. That's because as many as 2% of people who take it lose their white blood cells. The study looked at death rates of 67,000 Finns with schizophrenia. Finns who took any drug for schizophrenia lived longer than those who did not use drug treatment. Since clozapine was associated with the lowest death rate, the researchers suggested that the use of clozapine might be too restrictive. The study was published online by the journal Lancet.

U.S. hospitals pledged this week to do their part for health reform by accepting $155 billion less in payments. U.S. officials announced plans to improve food safety and declined to ban two common pain relievers. Researchers reported that monkeys live longer on a lot less food. Others found that the vaccine Cervarix can prevent up to 85% of cervical cancers. Finally, surgeons announced an eight-way chain of kidney transplants. Friends and family of people who needed transplants gave kidneys to people they didn't know.

Experts recommended this week that maximum doses be cut for the pain reliever acetaminophen. The group of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also called for a ban on Percocet and Vicodin. These narcotics also contain acetominophen. In other drug news, the FDA said Chantix and Zyban will carry a "black box" warning about a risk of mental health problems for people who take them. The drugs help people to quit smoking. A report released this week said obesity rates rose last year in 23 states. Other research found that fewer than 1 in 5 people who suffer a cardiac arrest in a hospital survive.

Many prostate cancer patients at a veterans' hospital got the wrong doses of radiation, newspapers said this week. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission found the errors. Regulators also produced other news. This included a recall of Toll House cookie dough and a report on air pollution and cancer risk. A new study found that doctors failed to tell patients about 1 out of 14 abnormal test results.

After hearing a speech from President Barack Obama this week, the American Medical Association endorsed health reform. And it left the door open for a public insurance option. This week U.S. drug regulators advised the public not to use Zicam cold remedies. They said Zicam can damage the sense of smell. In research news, studies found that testing pregnant women for group B strep bacteria reduces infections in babies and that flu drugs are safe to use during pregnancy.

The World Health Organization declared this week that the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) outbreak is a pandemic. This means it is spreading around the world. The U.S. Senate voted this week to begin regulation of tobacco products. The House has passed a similar bill. President Obama is expected to sign. A study released this week found that drug treatment alone helps people with diabetes and heart disease as much as drugs plus a procedure to open arteries. Other researchers reported that metoclopramide, a drug for nausea, appears safe for use during pregnancy.

This week, researchers reported more benefits for babies if their mothers take folic acid while pregnant and success with a procedure that does stomach stapling for obesity through the mouth. In cancer news, studies show that a vaccine can help people with lymphoma live longer and that depression drugs may cancel out the effects of a breast cancer drug. Other studies found that therapy programs can help prevent or treat anxiety and depression in kids with a family history of these conditions.

Researchers reported this week that refusing shots multiplies the risk of whooping cough and that a heat treatment can keep spots in the throat from turning into cancer. U.S. drug regulators proposed ways to reduce the risk of liver damage from a common pain reliever. Pregnant women got new advice on how much weight to gain. And a boy who had fled Minnesota with his mother returned to face cancer treatment.