Reuters: Health

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - California will become the first U.S. state to try to measure how its residents are absorbing chemicals from common products under a "bio-monitoring" bill signed on Friday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The amount of time people spend sleeping may affect their weight, study results suggest.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men and women about to undergo hip or knee replacement benefit from a program of cardiovascular fitness, strength training, and flexibility exercises prior to surgery, according to results of a clinical trial.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Companies that provide Medicare prescription drug coverage will offer most seniors cheaper options for 2007 during an enrollment period next month, U.S. officials said on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Taking GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Lamictal epilepsy drug during the first three months of pregnancy may increase the chances of having a baby with a cleft lip or palate, U.S. regulators warned on Friday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children's tendency to become overweight might have something to do with how their mothers urge them to eat, a new study hints.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with chronic stomach acid reflux may have an increased risk of developing cancer of the larynx or "voice box," a study suggests.

MILAN (Reuters Life!) - U.S. director David Lynch, 60, whose films are known for their elements of surrealism, has been practicing transcendental meditation for half his life, saying it ended his anger and increased his flow of ideas.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Tests by regulators of two California food-processing plants linked to an outbreak of E. coli in bagged spinach found no contamination by the toxic bacteria, a top officer with their operator said on Thursday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Women who gain weight between pregnancies raise their risk of suffering from complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes and stillbirth, researchers said on Friday.