The sales volume of soda and other drinks shipped for sale at U.S. secondary schools has dropped 72% since late 2004, resulting in an 88% drop in beverage calories sold in schools, drink makers said today.

Local and state regulations aimed at curbing sweetened beverages in schools explain part of the decline, but a  report by the American Beverage Association also says its efforts played a big role, according to the WSJ.

There have long been safety questions — and lawsuits — over whether bone-building drugs like Merck’s Fosamax can actually increase the chance of femur fractures. Today, the FDA said it was going to take another look at the safety issues.

The overhaul swirl of late has been focused largely on medical costs, insurance regulation, coverage mandates and the like. One pivotal issue has gotten less attention: abortion.

Republicans remain opposed to the health-care revamp, whether or not the legislation bans the use of federal money for abortion.

Here’s a winter storm warning: show up for work during a blizzard or lose your job.

Washington Hospital Center has fired eight more employees who didn’t show up for work during last month’s snowstorms that blanketed DC, the Washington Post reports today.

Yesterday’s health summit produced seven hours of televised history but little evidence of movement toward a health-care overhaul. No surprise there, but the dividing lines between Democrats and Republicans are clearer now and there could be a silver lining in that.

Patients concerned about side effects associated with aspirin, particularly the risk of gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers, often try taking versions of the drug that are coated with enteric.

Though patients often believe these pills pose a lower risk of stomach upset, they actually don’t appear to have much effect on the more serious damage that aspirin can cause.

Health Blog readers aren’t the only folks who realize the influence of the Internet. So do drug marketers. They have taken notice of the Web’s impact on people’s preferences and are adjusting pharmaceutical advertising accordingly, today’s Wall Street Journal reports.

Last we heard of Fablyn, an experimental bone drug for the treatment of postmenopausal women, U.S. regulators were holding off on approval after FDA staff and outside reviewers raised concerns and Pfizer, the pill’s maker, was shopping it around to other companies.

Doctors are narrowing their recommendation on who should take daily aspirin for heart health, based largely on concerns about the drug’s side effects, which can include bleeding ulcers. See here for more about that.

But there’s another type of person who might someday be advised to steer clear of a daily aspirin: those for whom the pain reliever doesn’t work well as a blood clotter.

In case your invitation got lost in the mail, here’s what you need to know for tomorrow’s bipartisan health summit:

When and where: The festivities kick off at 10 a.m. Washington time, and are slated to run six hours. The venue is Blair House (right), the government guest house located across the street from the White House.