health topics

Researchers have used an experimental drug to help obese monkeys lose weight — and it could work for humans too. The medication, Adipotide, works by finding and sticking to proteins on the surface of blood vessels that feed white fat cells, and then releasing a synthetic molecule that kills those cells.

A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs may have found a potential link between older adults, financial woes, and alcohol and tobacco usage.

A study of 20,000 US families found kids with fathers suffering from depression are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems than other children. Michael Weitzman at the New York University School of Medicine, who authored the study, said these findings are especially important at a time when unemployment is high and some military dads are returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with emot

UPDATE — Despite a previous report by TMZ on the death of Andy Rooney’s college roommate Bob Ruthman at the memorial service of the ’60 Minutes’ icon, Ruthman was later revived. Rooney’s son Brian stood up on a chair and pronounced Ruthman dead after the man suffered a heart attack. However, FDNY was able to resuscitate Ruthman once at New York hospital and he is currently in intensive care. Read

New research finds autistic children’s brains have far more neurons in the prefrontal cortex than those of kids who don’t have the disease.

A new study from researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City found that pediatricians write more than 10 million prescriptions for unnecessary antibiotics every year. In the two-year study, 65,000 kids were profiled to determine the type of diagnosis they were given during doctor’s visits as well as the type of of drugs, if any, they were prescribed. The research revealed doctors presc

We’ve always been told to watch out for those laugh lines, but apparently a smile can make you look younger right now, if not in the future. A new study shows that people are more likely to underestimate the age of a person with a happy expression.

In a 29-page decision on Monday, US District Judge Richard J. Leon blocked the implementation of a law on graphic cigarette photos. It would’ve required tobacco companies to include explicit photos detailing the dangers of smoking on cigarette packages. The 36 images proposed by the Food and Drug Administration include a picture of diseased lungs next to healthy lungs, a man exhaling smoke through

Dancing can be dangerous for the less rhythmically inclined among us, but even if you’ve been a contestant on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ that doesn’t mean you’re immune from mishaps while you’re out there cutting a rug. That’s exactly what Ozzy Osbourne‘s daughter Kelly recently discovered when a night on the dance floor turned into a trip to the hospital. As Osbourne herself explained on twitter,

Scientists may have found a way to stave off some effects of aging simply by removing human cells that stop dividing as we get older.

Scientists have found a way to genetically modify rice as a replacement for human blood. The idea is to extract a protein containing human genes that could then be used in lieu of actual blood to help burn victims and those who’ve suffered massive blood loss. It’s seen as a viable solution to shortages of blood donations, and it circumvents the need for HIV and hepatitis screenings that must be do

On November 2 in Tokyo, auto maker Toyota unveiled several robotic devices designed to help paralyzed people and the elderly walk. These robots include sensors that detect the user’s posture, grasp and holding strength, and motor control technology that facilitates someone’s desired motion.