The number of children classified as mentally retarded or as learning disabled by special education programs has declined in tandem with the rise in autism cases between 1994 and 2003, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. The results suggests that the past decade's rise in autism cases was largely a labeling issue, and is not evidence of an epidemic but reflects better diagnosis of autism by schools.

A recent study found that patients who underwent lithotripsy to eradicate kidney stones developed diabetes at almost 4 times the rate of those whose kidney stones were treated by other methods. The report published in The Journal of Urology also found those who underwent the shock wave treatment increased their likelihood of developing high blood pressure by 50% compared to groups treated by other methods.

A radically new treatment to relieve sinusitis, called balloon sinuplasty, uses small balloons, much like the ones used to open clogged arteries, to open the sinus cavity of those suffering from blocked passageways. The soft, malleable bones in the sinus are actually fractured by the inflated balloon, leaving the sinus open once the balloons are deflated and withdrawn. "It allows for no incisions or cutting. There's no bruising or swelling," said Dr. Howard Levine of the Cleveland Nasal/Sinus Center.

Researcher shows that beverages now account for 21% of the total calories consumed by Americans, up from 16% during the 1970's. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, calls liquid calories "invisible" and leave people hungrier than food does. Many people don't realize the effect of their liquid choices, says Leslie Kaul, a registered dietician with the American Dietetic Association, citing one client who consumed 1,000 calories of cranberry juice a day, thinking she was making a healthier choice than soda.