In Gulf Region, A Massive Study of Oil Spill's Health Effects

Here's the latest in health and health journalism news from Reporting on Health.

Gulf Oil Spill: Federal health officials are readying a massive study on the human health effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, planning to interview 55,000 people living in its wake and track many of them for a decade. 

Bogus Story: The American Cancer Society smacks the National Enquirer's death watch for cancer-stricken Apple CEO Steve Jobs, saying you can't tell squat about someone's prognosis from pictures, Matthew Herper reports for Forbes' Medicine Show blog.

Dwarfism: A rare genetic mutation that leads to the rare Laron syndrome and dwarfism may also confer immunity to cancer and diabetes, a finding that could improve prevention and treatment for both diseases, Nina Bai reports for Scientific American.

Medicare Fraud: The feds nab 114 defendants across the country in what's being called the biggest Medicare fraud sweep in history. The alleged fraudsters' schemes netted about $240 million of taxpayer dollars, according to prosecutors. 

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Photo Credit: International Bird Rescue Research Center via Flickr