ATLANTA – Fewer U.S. adults are smoking, a new government report says. Last year, about 18 percent of adults participating in a national health survey described themselves as current smokers. Read more

NEW YORK – Here’s the latest goal for food makers: Perfect the art of imperfection. When stretching out the dough for its premium “Artisan Pizzas,” Domino’s workers are instructed not to worry about making the rectangles too perfect: The pies are supposed to have a more rustic look. Read more

WASHINGTON – Deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors, which government officials say keep cheaper forms of medicine off the market, can sometimes be illegal and therefore can be challenged in court, the Supreme Court said Monday. The justices voted 5-3 to allow the government to inspect and challenge what it calls “pay-for-delay” deals or “reverse payment settlements.” Read more

Chuck Gamache’s wisdom tooth was impacted, growing sideways in his jaw. It had to come out. This was terrifying, considering Gamache’s dental history: the pain of a childhood in-line skating accident that broke his front teeth, a young adulthood marked by soda pop and neglect … Read more

Dear Annie: As a military war veteran and someone raised in the midst of inner-city violence, I have suffered from and learned a great deal about post-traumatic stress disorder. There are many misconceptions about this common and treatable illness, and I want to make sure your readers know the truth about PTSD and how to get help if they need it. When I got out of the service, I could only sit in certain positions in a room and go to certain places. I couldn’t be in crowds or tolerate any kind of loud traffic noise (not easy for a New Yorker). I couldn’t sit next to a window. Read more

We’ve been told to stand up straight as long as we’ve been able to stand. We know why we should do it: Good posture looks good, feels good and makes us look slimmer. On the flip side, studies have linked poor posture with lower self-esteem, depression and back pain. Read more

MIAMI – When Shary Smith noticed that she was forgetting details she should’ve easily remembered, she never suspected that her cognitive impairment had anything to do with her snoring. But when she looked up “short-term memory loss” on the Internet after her neurologist’s diagnosis, sleep apnea popped up. “I never thought of putting two and two together,” said the retired dog groomer from Weston. “I didn’t think they were related.” Read more

New listings Alternatives to Psychiatric Medications – Sean Smitham, a licensed clinical psychologist, will provide information on ways to address mental health issues naturally. Saturday, 3-5 p.m., Sun People Dry Goods, 32 W. Second Ave. The workshop is free, but registration is required at the store or online at www.sunpeopledrygoods.com. For more information, call (509) 368-9378. Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court says deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors, which government officials say keep cheaper forms of medicine off the market, can sometimes be illegal. Read more

YAKIMA, Wash. — West Nile virus has turned up in two samples of mosquitoes collected in Yakima County. Read more

A Boston hospital is starting the world’s first hand transplant program for children, and doctors say it won’t be long until face transplants and other radical operations to improve appearance and quality of life are offered to kids, too. The move shows the growing willingness to do transplants to enhance a patient’s life rather than to save it as donated hearts, livers and other organs have done in the past. More than 70 hands and at least 20 faces have been transplanted in adults, and doctors say it’s clear these operations are safe enough to offer to children in certain cases, too. Read more

We baby boomers were the first fast-food/junk-food generation. Lucky Charms – sugar lumps in the guise of a breakfast cereal – was created in 1962. Read more

A Gonzaga University nursing student working in a local hospital this spring noticed something odd on the medication logs. A patient who didn’t need painkillers was receiving the drugs every time a certain nurse was on shift. Read more

Joseph Guerrinha doesn’t remember anyone talking to him about the dangers of concussion in his sport. Since soccer is played with the feet, he supposes, people don’t make the connection. And then, on March 23, 2011, the risks became abundantly clear. Read more

The charity golf events he hosts and plays in are a joy for Mark Rypien. The causes are close to his heart, someone’s swing is bound to be source of high comedy and the company can’t be beat, whether he’s teeing it up with friends from his high school days at Shadle Park or former Washington Redskins teammates or, especially, NFL legends he’s long admired. Read more

It’s a sport that celebrates the knockout and punches to the head, but boxing is one of the safer contact sports. When it comes to dealing with concussions, amateur boxing has a long and successful history of success, thanks in large part to an extensive education effort to inform coaches, trainers, referees and judges about the dangers and symptoms of head trauma. Read more

An athlete receiving a second concussion before fully recovering from the first falls into a dangerous category known as Secondary Impact Syndrome (SIS). One leading expert on such injuries, Dr. Robert Cantu of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine, believes that 50 percent of these SIS incidents result in death. Read more

When it comes to concussions and young athletes, Washington state law doesn’t mess around. If you’re under 18 and you’re suspected of having sustained a concussion, you’re coming out of the game and not getting back in until you get written permission from a licensed health care provider. It’s called the Lystedt Law, named after a middle school football player from Maple Valley, Wash., who nearly died after returning to a game with a head injury. As legislation goes, this law is plain spoken and simple to understand. Read more

A medical condition known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is an area of study that has revealed startling insights over the past half-dozen years. A progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, CTE is found in athletes and others who have suffered repeated trauma to the head. Initially it was thought to be the result of repeated concussions, but it now includes repeated blows that may never have resulted in a concussion. Symptoms include memory loss, aggression, confusion, dementia, depression and other symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Read more

Bob Bashaw isn’t trying to protect his job security when he says athletic trainers are an essential part of high school athletics. Common sense dictates a similar conclusion. Read more