By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

For the second time in less than three months, an expert panel convened by the US Food and Drug Administration voted to recommend approval of a prescription weight loss drug that had previously been rejected because of safety concerns: Lorcaserin (Lorqess) was approved Thursday by an 18 to 4 vote with 1 abstention for its ability to help overweight people shed pounds with few apparent side effects.

By Carolyn Y. Johnson and Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Raising levels of “good” cholesterol may not be so good for you after all. A study published Wednesday by Boston-area scientists challenges the long-held idea that HDL cholesterol actively protects against heart disease, finding that people with genes that boosted their HDL did not have a lowered risk of heart attacks. In the study appearing in the medical journal The Lancet, researchers examined the health of more than 100,000 people, some of them with genetic variations that elevated their levels of HDL, and found that these genetic variations did not protect against heart attacks.

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

We’ve been hearing a lot about the terrifying case of Aimee Copeland -- a 24-year-old graduate student from Georgia who contracted flesh-eating bacteria several days ago and remains in critical condition after having her leg amputated. While the infection is very rare, the case underscores the importance of properly treating wounds to keep germs at bay.

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

A new method of performing virtual colonoscopy using a CT scan -- which doesn’t involve the dreaded laxative preparation to clear the colon the night before -- may be about as effective as a standard colonoscopy at identifying the large polyps most likely to become cancerous, according to new research. If the finding is confirmed, the technique could eventually serve as a first-line screening tool for colon cancer, especially for the many people who avoid screening altogether.

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

After writing my weekly challenge on protecting yourself against Lyme Disease, I received a poignant and important essay from a reader who has been suffering from a case of Lyme Disease that was originally misdiagnosed and not treated for years after her original tick bite. What her experience can teach the rest of us.

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Want to feel like you’re in the operating room during brain surgery? You can log on to a live twitter feed of a brain surgery being performed at Houston’s Memorial Hermann hospital. The surgeon performing the operation is none other than Dr. Dong Kim, a neurosurgeon who helped treat former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords after she suffered a gunshot wound to the head.