TV News LIES

A therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells may help millions of Americans battle a common form of blindness.

Advanced Cell Technology Inc. said Monday that it has received a green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin a clinical trial to test its therapeutic cells as a treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration. The company plans to enroll a dozen patients in a Phase I/II trial, which would primarily test the safety of the cells and whether they are well-tolerated by patients.

A blood test so sensitive that it can spot a single cancer cell lurking among a billion healthy ones is moving one step closer to being available at your doctor's office.

Boston scientists who invented the test and health care giant Johnson & Johnson will announce Monday that they are joining forces to bring it to market. Four big cancer centers also will start studies using the experimental test this year.

Phoenix is setting zoning rules to regulate the medical marijuana system Arizona voters legalized in November, officials said. The state Health Department also is drafting rules on who can prescribe and receive a prescription and to ensure secure facilities, The Arizona Republic reported Saturday.

Phoenix planning director Debra Stark said the city aimed to make zoning laws strict enough to protect the community while allowing marijuana in the city.

The path toward obesity starts at a young age — even before babies transition to a solid diet, according to a new study. Almost one-third of 9-month-olds are obese or overweight, as are 34 percent of 2-year-olds, according to the research, which looked at a nationally representative sample of children born in 2001.

The study is one of the first to measure weight in the same group of very young children over time, said lead researcher Brian Moss, a sociologist at Wayne State University in Detroit. The results showed that starting out heavy puts kids on a trajectory to stay that way.

The new year will bring important changes to U.S. health-insurance rules, as new provisions related to last year's massive health-care overhaul take effect. The new year will bring important changes to U.S. health-insurance rules, as new provisions related to last year's massive health-care overhaul take effect.

*A provision that limits what health insurers can do with the money their customers send in as premiums. The rule requires that insurers spend at least 80 percent of this money on the customers themselves.

It takes more than physicians to treat a patient with multiple chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus and heart disease. A new trial suggests a nurse who acts like a coordinator for the health care intended for a patient can help improve the outcomes dramatically.

Patients with diabetes mellitus and or heart disease are at higher risk of depression.  When depression strikes, the medical treatments would not be as effective. The trial led by Dr. Wayne J. Katon and colleagues at University of Washington found patients who received care from nurses who worked with patients and physicians to manage the care for depression and diabetes and heart disease had better outcomes.