Stomach

Women who pack weight around their waists instead of on their buttocks and thighs have an increased risk of dying prematurely, according to the largest study yet to look at the association between abdominal fat and death. The study of 44,636 women released online by the journal Circulation found that women with the largest waists -- 35 inches or greater -- had a 79% higher chance of premature death compared with women whose waists measured 28 inches or less.

Steven Rothenberg, president of domestic releasing for Lions Gate who served in a senior executive role as the company grew from an indie to a major player in Hollywood with films including "Crash," "3:10 to Yuma" and the "Saw" franchise, died July 16 of stomach cancer in Burbank. He was 50. -- news.obits@latimes.com

Was DJ AM's death suicide? The jet-set mash-up disc jockey had prescription pills in his stomach and one in his throat when authorities found him dead in his SoHo apartment on Friday, an unnamed New York City official told the Associated Press. The official said there were six pills in DJ AM's stomach and the one lodged in his throat that appeared to be the powerful painkiller OxyContin. The official didn't know what dosage of the pills and was not certain what kind of pills were in DJ AM's stomach.

Injections of a gut hormone that tells the brain the stomach is full resulted in significant weight loss in a small human test, British researchers report today in the journal Diabetes. The study lasted a month and included 14 subjects who lost an average of 5 pounds, said Dr. Stephen R. Bloom, an endocrinologist at Imperial College London.

A type of surgery to treat acid reflux disease, a chronic cause of heartburn, is showing a high degree of long-term success, according to a study published Monday. Of 1,340 people who underwent a laparoscopic procedure, in which a small tube is inserted into the abdomen, 93% said they were satisfied with the long-term results. Patients in the study, conducted at University Hospital in Angers, France, were followed on average for more than seven years after the surgery.

The single-celled microorganisms known as probiotics are natural inhabitants of the human digestive system. These hundreds of species of bacteria and yeast play a variety of beneficial roles in the body, including synthesizing vitamins and keeping harmful bacteria in check. The medical use of probiotics -- in the form of cultured or fermented dairy products such as yogurt or kefir -- dates to biblical times. But only about 100 years ago were bacteria identified as the healthful components.

Holiday revelers beware: Seasonal indulgences such as eggnog and fruitcake might give you heartburn, but the acid-fighting medicine you take for relief might lead to something worse, researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. People on popular prescription heartburn drugs -- Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium -- seem more prone to getting a potentially dangerous diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria, the new research shows.

Children have active imaginations, which physicians have learned can be put to good use to relieve chronic stomach aches. University of Arizona researchers found that children who learned relaxation and guided imagery techniques had a 67% decrease in the number of days when they experienced abdominal pain. Ten children who had pain caused by some type of bowel disorder that had no apparent explanation participated in the study.