Category: News Archive

Is the swine flu pandemic over in the United States? Federal health officials won't say so, but on Friday they reported that, for the fourth week running, no state had widespread flu activity. Cases in the US have been falling steadily since October. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says swine flu cases are […]

What do sunburn, smoking and being overweight have in common? It may surprise you that each of them damages your skin and makes you look older. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland reached this conclusion after studying 65 pairs of identical twins at a twins festival. "The festival offers a […]

Many studies over the past two decades have suggested that religious people are healthier. But a new study shows that when it comes to heart disease and blocked arteries, attending religious services or being spiritual won't protect you. The study suggests that these practices add little extra protection, says Dr Donald Lloyd-Jones of Northwestern University […]

Common painkillers taken regularly, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, may lower the blood level of PSA, a protein made by the prostate that doctors use to help judge whether a man is at risk of prostate cancer. The authors of the new study warn men against taking painkillers in an attempt to prevent prostate cancer. […]

For many people, losing weight is a losing battle and can be very frustrating. On Tuesday 22 December, Arena Pharmaceuticals announced that it would apply to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of a new weight-loss drug, lorcaserin. It has shown promise in clinical trials involving more than 8,500 patients. In March, […]

Senate Democrats approved a historic health care bill on Christmas Eve that could define President Barack Obama's legacy by bringing near-universal health coverage to the United States for the first time. The 60–39 vote on a cold winter morning followed months of hard negotiation and 24 days of debate, after a series of failures by […]

How many fast-food restaurants are there in your area? A study presented at the International Stroke Conference in San Diego on Thursday found that the number of fast-food outlets (quick service, takeaway, no waiter and payment before you get your food) near where you live may raise your risk of stroke by up to 13%. […]

Factory workers in China who were exposed to high doses of a chemical widely used in hard plastic bottles reported high rates of sexual problems, a study has found. Heavy exposure at work to BPA (bisphenol A) was linked with impotence and lower sexual desire and satisfaction, according to the study, which adds to concerns […]

Bayer is being sued over the claimed benefits of One A Day, a multivitamin for men. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a leading consumer advocacy group, filed the lawsuit against Bayer in late September in the Superior Court in San Francisco. The suit says Bayer misleads consumers by claiming that the […]