Scientists Use Brain Scans to 'Read' People's Emotions

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Happy? Mad? Afraid? Scientists have now developed the first computer model of brain activity that can be used to identify people's emotions, according to a new study.

 Study Reveals How New Respiratory Virus Spreads

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- The new respiratory virus responsible for an ongoing outbreak in the Middle East poses a serious risk to hospitals because it is easily transmitted in health care facilities, according to a new study.

 1 in 4 Stroke Survivors Suffers From PTSD, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Many of those lucky enough to survive a stroke find that they're soon faced with another serious challenge. Nearly one-quarter will develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.

 Flu Vaccine Protects Millions Annually: CDC

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Flu shots likely prevented 13 million illnesses and more than 110,000 hospitalizations in the United States between 2005 and 2011, according to a new study.

 Another Study Finds Colonoscopy Can Save Lives

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- There's more evidence that routine colonoscopy confers life-extending benefits.

 Even 'Silent' Strokes Can Harm Memory, Thinking

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- People who experience stroke-like symptoms -- so-called "silent strokes" -- but do not have full-blown strokes are still at higher risk for memory and thinking problems, a new study finds.

 Day Care May Help Kids of Depressed Moms

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Young children of depressed mothers may develop fewer emotional problems if they spend time in some kind of day care, a new study suggests.

 New Clues to Cancer Resistance From Long-Lived Rodents

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers interested in learning how certain rodents manage to live long, cancer-free lives have stumbled upon a potentially valuable clue: a substance outside their cells seems to help stop malignancies from spreading.

 HPV Vaccine Lowering Infection Rates Among Girls: CDC

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccination against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) is proving highly effective in reducing the spread of the sexually transmitted virus among young women, new research shows.

 Gene-Based Blood Test for Colon Cancer Shows Promise

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Could screening for colon cancer someday be as easy as having a blood test? Researchers say just such a test is showing early promise in trials.

 Stronger Statins Don't Up Kidney Injury Risk, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- A higher dose of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs did not increase the risk of kidney injury in heart attack survivors, according to preliminary study findings.

 Character Counts When It Comes to Organ, Blood Donations

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Some people say they would refuse an organ or blood donation that came from a murderer or thief, a new study shows.

 U.S. Doctors' Group Labels Obesity a Disease

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- In an effort to focus greater attention on the weight-gain epidemic plaguing the United States, the American Medical Association has now classified obesity as a disease.

 Health Highlights: June 19, 2013

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

 A Deadly Form of Diabetes That Doctors Sometimes Miss

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Addie Parker was a happy 4-year-old who appeared to have the flu. But within hours she was in a coma.

 Many U.S. Adults Under-Vaccinated Against Whooping Cough, Survey Finds

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Whooping cough cases are escalating in the United States, and many American adults are unknowingly exposing vulnerable babies to the potentially deadly disease because their vaccinations are not up to date, a new survey finds.

 Health Tip: Surviving With Cancer

(HealthDay News) -- After you've finished cancer treatment, you may be anxious for life to return to "normal." But "normal" may be far different than it was before cancer.

 Health Tip: Create an Escape Plan at Home

(HealthDay News) -- It's important to create and practice a fire escape plan at home, and to teach it to every member of the family.