FRIDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Oral contraception may decrease bone density in young women, a new study suggests. Those taking birth control pills for more than two years, and those on the low-dose estrogen pills appear to have the greatest risk of decreased bone density in the spine and whole body, according to the researchers.

THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Since the PCV7 early childhood vaccine for bacterial pneumonia was introduced in the United States in 2000, the number of children hospitalized for pneumonia because of pneumococcus has decreased by 50 percent and bacterial pneumonias have decreased overall, new research shows.

A new study published in Phytotherapy Research says supplementing with French maritime pine bark extract may reduce the intensity and duration of hemorrhoidal pain and bleeding.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- New research raises the possibility that people who have the highest levels of a chemical known as BPA in their urine are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic sleep deprivation and the impact "sleep debt" has on functioning and thinking cannot be reversed by one good night's sleep, new research suggests.

ScienceDaily (Jan. 6, 2010) — With obesity rising markedly, reliance on the accuracy of food labeling is an important weight management strategy. Since people who are trying to reduce their weight are encouraged to choose meals labeled as "lower in calories" or "reduced-energy" in restaurants and supermarkets, it is essential that the listed data are accurate. In a study published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers from Tufts University found that some commercially prepared foods contained more calories than indicated in nutritional labeling.