(HealthDay News) -- If it's difficult to motivate yourself to exercise, a change of venue may be in order. How about the great outdoors?

(HealthDay News) -- Cardiomyopathy is the umbrella term for various conditions that cause the heart muscle to become enlarged, thicken or stiff.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke survivors, even if they escape severe mental impairment, are less likely to be independent if they are depressed, older, or have other medical problems, say researchers.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Watching this year's NCAA March Madness basketball tournament may not be much fun for those who bet on the games, one expert suggests.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Depressed dads are more likely to shortchange their children and use physical punishment, even on tots who are still crawling, new research suggests.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of bariatric (weight loss) surgery may outweigh the risks for some severely obese people, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- A lack of vitamin D is common among people with early Parkinson's disease, but levels of the vitamin don't decrease as the disease progresses, a new study says.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- New research has linked an eye disease called retinal vein occlusion to an increased risk for stroke.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Quitting smoking eight weeks or less before surgery doesn't increase a patient's risk of postoperative complications, say British researchers who reviewed nine previous studies.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors today are more likely to advise obese arthritis patients to lose weight than 10 years ago, but they still fall short on counseling patients to exercise or learn about pain-management techniques, a new study finds.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Children who have a "medical home" -- that is, a pediatrician or nurse they see regularly who offers comprehensive care -- are more likely to have their medical and dental needs met, new research finds.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- For certain women at increased risk of breast cancer, tamoxifen can protect against the disease for a decade after treatment ends, save lives and reduce medical costs, new research suggests.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women who consume fish regularly -- and the abundance of omega-3 fatty acids found in that meal choice -- have a lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), new research suggests.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- An explosion Monday rocked the second of three reactors at earthquake-ravaged Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, but officials insisted that radiation levels near the facility were safe, according to news reports.

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

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- When Alzheimer's disease actually starts is often not clear, but it now appears that it may be preceded by rapid cognitive decline for up to six years before it becomes evident, a new study suggests.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy drinkers have an increased risk of dying from pancreatic cancer, new research shows.

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

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- When a man develops type 2 diabetes could determine his risk of a heart attack, a new study finds.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Although there are numerous options in oral medications for type 2 diabetes, an older drug -- metformin -- may be the best first-line option, according to a new analysis of research on diabetes medications.

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women may be less likely to develop premenstrual syndrome if they eat a diet rich in two types of B vitamins, a new study suggests.