Category: News Archive

The placenta is an unborn baby's lifeline. Attached to the inside of the womb and connected to the baby by the umbilical cord, it is the trading post between mother and baby: oxygen and nutrients in the mother's blood pass through it to the baby, and waste and carbon dioxide pass the other way. The […]

A new study suggests that green tea could be a key to vaginal anti-HIV products. Recent research has shown that semen contains a factor called SEVI (semen-derived enhancer of virus infection), which helps HIV reach the cells it infects. SEVI is made of amyloid fibrils formed from a prostate protein found in semen. Other kinds […]

You may be able to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes simply by living in a neighbourhood that encourages exercise and gives easy access to healthy food. People living in "healthy neighbourhoods", with safe pavements, plenty of parks, easy access to fresh fruit and vegetables and good public transport, were 38% less likely to […]

As of 30 July 2009, there were 168,921 swine flu cases worldwide, including 1,049 deaths (6.2 deaths per 1,000 cases). The United States had the largest share, with 43,771 cases and 302 deaths. Countries with the most cases (cases / deaths) In the Middle East and North Africa (cases / deaths)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to review the use of a chemical in plastics used for drinking water and other food containers: bisphenol A, or BPA. New reviews found that the earlier decisions to allow it relied more on studies from the companies that make the chemical than on independent studies. […]

An SMS text message warning of swine flu caused panic in Uganda. It claimed to come from the Ugandan health ministry, warned people not to eat pork, and promised free airtime to anyone who forwarded it to 25 people. The health ministry held a press conference to deny the "baseless rumour", but confusion remained, especially […]

There are several recommendations for dealing with fertility problems, and they vary from doctor to doctor. Couples used to be told to avoid sex for a few days to raise their chances of pregnancy; now a number of doctors advise that the best way to have a baby is to have sex more often. Studies […]

Every mother wants the best for her baby, and breastfeeding is the best choice. But it can be a hard choice for mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS), as some medicines can affect breastfeeding. A new study suggests that exclusive breastfeeding (no formula) for at least two months reduces the chance of relapses. Pregnancy is known […]

Despite the worst recession since the 1920s, health care costs keep rising. A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says American workers should expect their health costs to rise by 9% next year. That is less than in 2008 (9.9%) and 2009 (9.2%), but still well above inflation and wage growth. PwC says part of the reason […]

A Harvard study found that 62% of US bankruptcies in 2007 were caused by medical bills or health-related problems, such as lost wages due to illness. Most of those who went bankrupt were solidly middle class: two thirds owned a home, 60% had been to college, and 78% had health insurance when they fell ill, […]

The spread of swine flu has reached the highest alert level set by the World Health Organization (WHO). On 10 June 2009, officials decided to raise the level of alert. WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan announced the change from phase 5 to phase 6: "On the basis of available evidence and expert assessments of the […]

The chief executive of Sanofi-Aventis has announced that the company will donate 100 million doses of swine flu vaccine to the World Health Organization, which can send them to countries in need if it decides to run vaccination campaigns against the circulating strains. "Exceptional times call for exceptional measures," he said. "We need to act […]