THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Challenging established medical wisdom about blood pressure and stroke, new British research suggests that extremely variable blood pressure, and not just high blood pressure, can greatly increase a person's risk of stroke.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity plus daily drinking boosts the risk of liver disease in men and women, researchers report in two new studies.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Heat therapy is effective for treating lesions caused by a parasitic skin infection that afflicts U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new study shows.

FRIDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly people with failing memories often keep driving, but a study of Alzheimer's patients suggests the risk of getting lost -- even on familiar streets -- may be greater than once thought.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- The decrease in cancer deaths in the United States since 1990 is the result of reduced tobacco use, increased cancer screening and improvements in treatment, according to an American Cancer Society study.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Two separate scientific teams announced this week that they had successfully sequenced individual genomes to pinpoint precise genetic causes of illness -- breakthroughs that open the door to a future of individualized, genomics-based medicine.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have found a type of stem cell tucked away in hair follicles that is capable of morphing into all three types of skin cells.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- A mutation that affects how the body responds when a person smells or tastes food may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes in some people, U.S. researchers report.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term use of oral drugs prescribed to keep osteoporosis at bay may be associated with unusual fractures of the thigh bone, two new studies suggest.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- As another baseball season nears, researchers report that preseason measurements of rotator cuff strength can help team doctors spot those pitchers at high risk of developing a shoulder injury during play.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- The recent approval of a new, more broadly effective pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) for young children could greatly reduce the prevalence of pneumococcal disease in that age group, a new government report suggests.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Mind reading may have taken a step away from the realm of science fiction, thanks to a new study in which researchers taught a computer to spot specific memories as a person was having them.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- More 12-year-olds have used inhalants to get high than marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, a new report finds.

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

(HealthDay News) -- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes a number of disorders that lead to an inflammation of the intestines.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Seaweed extract has the potential to become a treatment for the immune system cancer known as lymphoma, according to the results of preliminary research.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- A knee replacement can help improve an elderly person's balance, according to a new study.

(HealthDay News) -- Melanoma is an often deadly form of skin cancer. Protecting yourself from sun damage can help protect your skin.

THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- For the millions looking for love on the Internet, the nagging question remains: Is my virtual paramour the person they say they are?