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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Ephedra Sales Ban Begins Monday

Sales of the herbal stimulant ephedra become illegal in the United States on Monday, barring a last-minute reprieve from a federal judge.

The Associated Press reports that the maker of one ephedra supplement called Stacker 2, NVE Pharmaceuticals of New Jersey, filed a lawsuit last month seeking to overturn the ban, at least temporarily. The company contends that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no proof that the stimulant is dangerous when used as directed.

The FDA announced the ban in December and urged consumers to stay away from ephedra, which the agency said was linked to 155 deaths and numerous heart attacks and strokes.

The FDA has a higher standard to meet for supplements than it has for drugs; drugs must be shown to be safe and effective before they are approved, while the government must show that supplements are dangerous before they can be removed from the market.

A judge is expected to issue a ruling Monday on the company's request for a temporary restraining order, the AP reported.

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Experts Worried About Obesity Surgery

Health experts and insurance companies are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety, cost, and effectiveness of surgery to combat obesity.

The Washington Post reports that the so-called "stomach stapling" operations, which are in high demand, are being performed too routinely on people who could and should be losing weight without taking drastic measures.

The operations force people to eat less by reducing the size of their stomachs, but many hospitals and surgeons are performing them without adequate training, experts told the Post.

There is also deep concern about scattered reports of deaths and severe complications from the operations, the newspaper says. The number of surgeries rose from about 16,000 a year in the early 1990s to an estimated 103,000 in 2003, and that figure is expected to rise to 150,000 this year.

Insurance companies are feeling the pinch, the Post reports. The surgery costs about $25,000, and some told the paper that younger people could lose weight through diet and exercise instead.

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Warning on Products Promising 'Safe' High

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday renewed and expanded an earlier warning about supplements that are touted as "alternatives" to street drugs that offer a "safe legal high."

In February, the FDA urged consumers against taking a product called "Green Hornet," made by Cytotec Solutions of Tampa, Fla., after four teenagers in Colorado were sickened by the product. The liquid contained high levels of the over-the-counter drugs diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan, the agency said.

Friday's warning extended to seven other Cytotec products: Trip2Night, Invigorate II, Snuffadelic, Liquid Speed, Solar Water, Orange Butterfly, and Schoomz. Although the FDA says Cytotec no longer makes these supplements, it adds that people may still have them or that they may be available over the Internet.

"There is no doubt that these products pose a potential public health concern, and FDA is concerned that these products may be misused or abused by individuals, especially minors and young adults," Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said in a statement.

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U.S. Plane Rescues Ill South Pole Worker

A U.S. Air Force plane has rescued at least one ill worker in the Antarctic in what would be the fourth such mission to the South Pole in the last five years.

The BBC reports that the C-141 transporter flew from California, via New Zealand, to the McMurdo research station in the South Pole. According to the BBC, several workers are sick with unrelated conditions.

The station is normally closed from February to October because of cold weather conditions. About 200 people are stationed there, and are tended to by one doctor, an assistant, and a physical therapist.

The BBC reports that the National Science Foundation, which runs the base, deemed that the workers' conditions were such that they warranted treatment at a more advanced facility.

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Agriculture Dept. Rejects Mad Cow Test

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday rejected a plan by a beef producer to test all of its cattle for mad cow disease.

The producer, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, sought to use newly approve rapid tests so that it could resume selling Angus beef to Japan, the New York Times reports. Japan banned imports of American beef after a cow slaughtered in Washington state tested positive for the disease in December.

The USDA said there was no scientific reason for making such a sweeping test, adding that Creekstone's use would have "implied a consumer safety aspect" that is unwarranted, the Times reported.

Japan has demanded that producers test each animal.

The USDA has changed its testing program to make a one-time effort to test 201,000 sick cows and 20,000 healthy ones. It assumes that cattle born before 1997 were most at risk of mad cow disease.

Consumer groups were critical of the decision, but the beef industry applauded the move, according to the Times.

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