“Many drugs that are assumed to be effective are probably little more than placebos.” That’s the stunning assertion made by Marcia Angell, MD, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and a professor at Harvard Medical School. The drug approval system is so corrupt, she charges, that it is almost impossible to know whether some of the most commonly prescribed medications—from antidepressants to sleeping pills—actually work.

Money, as you might expect, is at the root of the evil. A blockbuster drug can earn billions for pharmaceutical companies. To get one approved and widely prescribed, the companies are willing to do almost anything.

Are physically active women less likely to develop breast cancer? The latest evidence says yes. And new findings also suggest who’s most likely to benefit.

Take a stroll in the morning or the early evening in the Brazilian city of Recife, and chances are you’ll see lots of people exercising. U.S. health experts say Brazil’s fifth-largest city has found just the recipe for encouraging good health and fitness.

The Ms.Fits, a group of friends and co-workers from the University of Iowa, are gearing up to begin the 100-day Live Healthy America challenge! PDQhealth will be covering their progress and posting their comments. The nationwide program, with teams in 47 states, encourages participants to be more active, eat a healthier diet and–for those with some weight to lose–shed pounds. Teams compete in two categories: accumulated minutes of activity and pounds lost. Check in with PDQhealth for regular updates.

Researchers don’t really know why we sleep. But they do know that sleep deprivation takes its toll. Recent insights add startling new reasons to get to bed early tonight.

At 91, Merceda Schmidt still volunteers as a school teacher and piano accompanist, and she often walks to her appointments, tallying up more than three miles a week. “It’s just in my nature–the batteries I got when I was born,” says Schmidt, who lives in Calgary, Canada. “My legs want to go.” She can thank those restless legs for her unusually sharp mind, a new study suggests.

Plagued by chronic snoring? Learn to play the didgeridoo. Suffer from motion sickness? Wrap a paper bag around your chest. Sex drive in low gear? Cook up a pot of libido soup. The suggestions in Joan and Lydia Wilen’s new book, Healing Remedies (Ballantine 2008), might not always help you get better…but they’re guaranteed to keep you amused.

The heightened risk for health problems in infants delivered by Caesarean section before 39 weeks.

The recommended form of vitamin D in supplements.

Number of states with teams competing in Live Healthy America.