Health Highlights: June 19, 2008

"In either case, patients are receiving treatment recommended by their own doctors using counselling with or without FDA approved medication that includes Varenicline (Chantix). Participation in this program is voluntary, and all participants are closely monitored clinically by mental health professionals who provide smoking cessation methods patients agree to use," the statement said.

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Scientists Renew Old Muscles

U.S. scientists say they've found a way to renew old and tired muscles, and their research could lead to new treatments for age-related degenerative diseases,BBC Newsreported.

The University of California, Berkeley team was able to adjust biochemical signals in old mice to increase the ability of the rodents' stem cells to repair damaged muscle tissue almost as well as it occurs in young mice.

The findings appear in the journalNature.

"We are one step closer to having a point of intervention where we can rejuvenate the body's own stem cells so we don't have to suffer from some of the debilitating diseases associated with aging," said researcher Dr. Morgan Carlson,BBC Newsreported.

The key is to find the right balance between the biochemical pathway that promotes healing and that which promotes aging, said lead researcher Dr. Irina Conboy.

"We need to find out what the levels of these chemicals are in the young so we can calibrate the system when we're older. If we can do that, we could rejuvenate tissue repair for a very long time," Conboy said.

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Baby Bottle Makers Sued Over Bisphenol A Use

Five baby bottle makers are facing a lawsuit over their use of the chemical bisphenol A, theAssociated Pressreported.