MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A low-carbohydrate diet helps people shed as many pounds as a low-fat diet plus the weight-loss drug orlistat does, and the low-carb plan may be better at helping lower blood pressure, researchers report.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The sequencing of nearly 100 full genomes from three successive epidemics of flesh-eating bacteria have given scientists the first clear picture of the biological events that contribute to deadly epidemics of severe infection.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The first "percutanous" heart valve to be implanted via a tube in a leg vein and guided up to the heart has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Just in case the world needed more evidence on the matter, along come four new studies verifying that exercise is indeed good for you, even critical if you plan to survive to a vigorous, hardy and tough-boned old age.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Female elementary school teachers who are anxious about their math skills seem to pass on that lack of confidence to their female students, new research suggests.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Babies of women who smoked during pregnancy have blood pressure problems at birth that persisted through the first year of life, a new study finds.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In children and teens with cerebral palsy, botulinum toxin injections can be an effective treatment for spasticity and muscle tightness that interferes with movement, new guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society state.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) Researchers say they've spotted a new genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease, as well as a link between the illness and two other factors, metabolism and vitamin B6.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that people with chest pain who are given an electrocardiogram by paramedics before reaching the hospital don't wait as long to receive treatment to open their arteries.

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified four regions of the human genome that predict a heightened risk of pancreatic cancer as a result of what they describe as the biggest-ever sweep of the genome for genes related to the disease.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Harsh cleaning chemicals and wooden toilet seats -- especially those with varnishes and paints -- may be among the reasons why U.S. cases of toilet seat-related skin irritations among children appear to be increasing, researchers say.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The type of treatment received by prostate cancer patients is influenced by the kind of health care facility where they receive care, a new U.S. study has found.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- When nutritional information is available on fast-food restaurant menus, parents are more apt to pick lower-calorie foods for their kids, new research finds.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A new report says that male partners of teenage girls and young women who engage in physical and sexual violence also often try to sabotage the birth control the women are using.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Even though they receive equal treatment, black patients with liver cancer have lower survival rates than patients of other races, a new U.S. study finds.

(HealthDay News) -- A bone density test measures bone strength and mass -- indicators of a person's risk for developing osteoporosis.

(HealthDay News) -- Swelling occurs when fluid builds up in the body's tissues.

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Ambidextrous children are more likely to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), problems with language and schoolwork, and other mental health issues than right-handed children, new research suggests.