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

FDA Launches Safety Reviews of Three Medications

Safety reviews of Regranex Gel (becaplermin), Ziagen (abacavir) and Videx (didanosine) are being conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency announced. All three are FDA-approved medications.

The review of Regranex Gel, a skin product used to heal leg and foot ulcers, was prompted by study data suggesting there may be an increased risk

THURSDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) — A form of mental rigidity that leads to compulsive behavior may explain why gambling addicts can't stop trying their luck even when they're on a losing streak, a new Italian study suggests.

It's not known what causes compulsive gambling, but it's been suggested that environmental factors and genetic predisposition play a role, affecting chemical signals in the brain, said researcher Donatella Marazziti and colleagues at the University of Pisa.

They conducted a ser

THURSDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) — A sophisticated imaging technique can detect the changes in blood flow in the brain that often herald the emergence of highly malignant brain tumors, researchers report.

The British researchers said the discovery could one day help doctors time the treatment of brain tumors known as low-grade gliomas by using MRI technology to measure changes in "relative cerebral blood volume."

"The clinical treatment of low-grade gliomas

THURSDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that qualities the world desperately needs more of — love, kindness and compassion — are indeed teachable.

Imaging technology shows that people who practice meditation that focuses on kindness and compassion actually undergo changes in areas of the brain that make them more in tune to what others are feeling.

"Potentially one can train oneself to behave in a way which is more benevolent and altruistic," said study c

THURSDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) — Alzheimer's care in the United States is a family affair, a new survey suggests.

Three in five so-called "sandwich" caregivers who look after a relative or friend with Alzheimer's disease said their children help with care duties, ranging from attending doctors' appointments to feeding and dressing their loved ones, according to the third annual Alzheimer's Foundation of America Investigating Caregivers' Attitudes and Needs Survey.

Sandwich caregivers are parents or