Using an individual’s genetic coding information to determine a patient’s inherited tendencies toward certain diseases and medical conditions may mean earlier detection and more effective treatments for common diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Using this knowledge might even mean…

For the past 50 years, DEET has been the safest and most effective repellent available to fend off mosquitoes and minimize exposure to some of the diseases that they spread. A team of American chemists, however, have developed an alternative…

That’s the question asked by Russia’s official radiation watchdog organization as it studied the link between a mother’s mobile phone usage during pregnancy and the dispositions of their children after birth. The study involved more than 13,000 women, 54% of…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommend a new vaccine, Zostavax, for anyone age 60 or older. The vaccine reduces the incidence of painful shingles, also known as herpes zoster, which is caused by the reactivation of…

Long-term exposure to very small particles of liquid and solid chemicals in the air have been shown to be associated with an increased likelihood of developing deep vein thrombosis, a condition that can become deadly when left untreated. The danger…

The average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep each night for optimum health. Getting less than that, and getting more than that, signals health risks linked to poor lifestyle choices and excessive weight gain, according to the…

The general population and many in the medical community alike harbor the popular opinion that using strong pain medications, including opioids, for long-term, chronic pain puts the patient at high risk of developing an addiction to the pain medications. A…

Within just five years of quitting cigarette smoking, women enjoy a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and a lowered risk of death from cancers related to smoking by about 20%. These are the findings from an extensive observational study,…

My mother always says “look beneath the skin.” Great advice from a child psychologist turned stay-at-home mom for evaluating relationships, but keen advice for evaluating well-respected journalism as well.

Low doses of antidepressants can provide significant relief for adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome, according to a study published in the May issue of Journal of Pediatrics. IBS affects 6 percent of middle school students and 14 percent of high…

Although the majority of patients who undergo Lasik surgery to improve their vision report satisfactory results, there are some who experience complications that significantly impact their quality of life, according to testimony heard this week at a hearing hosted by…

Statistics on longevity in the United States have indicated an increase in expected life span that began in the 1960s and rose steadily until 2000. Now, newer statistics, gleaned from a study conducted over an extensive period of time, reveals…

Officials for the United States met with the Chinese regarding the origin of the tainted heparin that sparked a rash of allergic reactions and several dozen US deaths lately but failed to reach an agreement as to where the contaminant…

Officials for the Canadian health and environmental ministries announced on Friday that the polycarbonate BPA (bisphenol-a) has been officially declared toxic and it is likely that a complete ban on manufacture of BPA-containing baby bottles will be introduced within a…