When makers of heart defibrillators wanted Medicare to vastly expand the types of patients eligible to receive the devices, which can cost upward of $25,000, agency officials were skeptical. It was not clear how many of those patients would actually need a defibrillator, a device that can deliver a life-saving shock to restore a faltering heart to normal rhythm.

Federal health advisers on Wednesday rejected an implant from Zimmer Holdings saying it's unclear how effective or safe the device would be for treating a painful spinal condition.

Abbott Labs said on Wednesday that third-quarter profit rose 37 percent on strong demand for its Humira arthritis drug and nutritional products, as well as gains from a settlement with Medtronic.

A race is on to develop the potentially next big thing in heart surgery: a replacement valve that can be implanted through thin tubes known as catheters rather than by traditional open-heart surgery.

The Food and Drug Administration is awarding $2 million to spur the development of medical devices for children, who face increased risks during surgery because so few implants are designed for their use.

Severe sleep apnea raises the risk of dying early by 46 percent, U.S. researchers reported Monday, but said people with milder sleep-breathing problems do not share that risk.

Medtronic said on Wednesday that it had paid nearly $800,000 over an eight-year period to a former military surgeon who has been accused by the Army of falsifying a medical journal study involving one of the company’s products.

Drug companies are fighting hard to create new medications and devices to target diabetes amid rising numbers of patients who will need daily drugs or insulin for life.

The economy sank at a 5.7 percent pace in the first quarter as the brute force of the recession carried over into this year.

The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment insurance dropped slightly last week after spiking due to auto layoffs, while continuing jobless claims inched closer to 7 million.

The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment insurance dropped slightly last week after spiking due to auto layoffs, while continuing jobless claims inched closer to 7 million.

Medical specialists say more physicians are needed who can expertly remove heart device wires, following a recent product recall affecting thousands of U.S. patients.

The Obama administration plans to spend $1.1 billion over the next few years on comparative studies to determine the effectiveness of competing treatments for common conditions like back pain, heart disease and prostate cancer.