MORE CPR ON SCENE BOOTS CARDIAC ARREST SURVIVAL

Firefighters and paramedics in Los Angeles who spent at least 20 minutes giving advanced life support to people with cardiac arrest before rushing them to the hospital were far more successful at getting hearts started again, researchers said last month. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops circulating blood. Survival rates for cardiac arrest that occurs outside of a hospital are very poor.

STATINS MAY CUT PNEUMONIA DEATH RISKS

Cholesterol-fighting drugs known as statins reduced the risk of dying from pneumonia or developing dangerous blood clots in the legs, adding to a growing list of benefits from the popular drugs, two research groups said last month. Statins, the world's top-selling drugs, cut heart attack and stroke risk, and research has suggested other benefits including possibly protecting against Alzheimer's disease.

FOOD COMPANIES ADD NEW NUTRITIONAL LABEL

Several of the largest U.S. food and beverage makers have agreed to implement a new nutritional labeling system on their packages aimed at helping consumers pick healthier food choices. The new Smart Choices symbol was developed by the companies, scientists, health organizations and others over the past two years that wanted to come up with one standard to identify healthier foods, participants said.

PROSTATE CANCER NOT WARDED OFF BY SUPPLEMENTS

Selenium and vitamin E supplements do not prevent prostate cancer and may in fact be a little bit dangerous, researchers reported last month. The study of 35,000 men showed the supplements did not work together or alone to prevent prostate cancer, the most common type of cancer in men in the United States.

FIBER MAY PROTECT AGAINST SMALL BOWEL CANCER

A healthy amount of fiber and whole grain foods in the diet not only protects against colon cancer, it also protects against cancer developing in the small intestine, research indicates. The small intestine makes up 75 percent of the digestive tract, yet rarely do cancers develop there, more often showing up in the large intestine, or colon, Dr. Arthur Schatzkin from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland and colleagues explain in the journal Gastroenterology.

STEROID USERS MORE PRONE TO VIOLENCE

Young men who use anabolic steroids are twice as likely to engage in violence than those who do not use the muscle-building drugs, U.S. researchers said on last month. While many scientists believe anabolic steroids -- synthetic drugs related to male sex hormones -- are linked to aggressive behavior, research has been limited. Some users refer to so-called "roid rage" fueled by the drugs.

EARLY INFECTIONS MAY INCREASE ARTHRITIS RISK

Babies with serious infections during their first year of life appear more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis at an early age, Swedish researchers said last month. Previous studies have suggested infections somehow trigger the autoimmune condition later in life but the Swedish findings raise the possibility infections may somehow change the way an immature immune system develops, the researchers said.