The nation's largest insurer by revenue is buying the operations of a big doctor group practice in Calif. The deal is the latest in a string of similar purchases for UnitedHealth and is part of growing trend among insurers seeking to control medical costs.

Potatoes may lower blood pressure if they're cooked right, according to new research. Beneficial compounds in potatoes may survive microwaving better than deep-frying. And avoiding the extra fat may make the weight gain linked to potatoes in other studies less likely.

As part of NPR's series on the closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, we look at what happens to wounded troops once they're done with in-patient care. NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman talks to Melissa Block about the complicated bureaucracy that must be navigated — and the steps the Army has taken to make things work more smoothly.

Chance are good that you consumed something sugary (or high fructose corn syrupy) in the last day. On any particular day, half the people in the U.S. drink a soda, fruit or sports drink, or similar calorie-rich beverage.

In the last two decades, neonatal mortality rates have declined. But in eight countries, including five in Africa, the rates have climbed. Overall, 41 percent of deaths in kids under five now happen during the period soon after birth.

Researchers tracked the movements of cellphone users through their SIM cards in Haiti during the cholera epidemic. Their study shows that cellphone data could help doctors and others better provide relief during a disaster or epidemic.

Long a model for top-notch care for presidents and soldiers alike, Walter Reed Army Medical Center became a byword for bureaucratic bungling in 2007. Army officials are still addressing the failures revealed by an investigation that found wounded soldiers left to fend for themselves.

Scientists say a new finding may help them design or look for specific kinds of drugs that inhibit a critical chemical for the malaria parasite.

The panel, which was asked by President Obama to investigate the Guatemala study in October 2010, came to the conclusion after learning that the researchers had conducted similar research with American prisoners in 1943 but had given them the chance to make informed consent.