Overweight women have lower risk of premature birth
Among pregnant women at higher-than- average risk of premature delivery, those who are overweight or obese seem to be afforded some protection, a new study suggests.
Teens are influenced by health risks of smoking
Teenagers who underestimate the risks of smoking — or overestimate the social value — are substantially more likely than their peers to take up the habit, a new study suggests.
Smoking ban leads to major drop in heart attacks
A smoking ban in one Colorado city led to a dramatic drop in heart attack hospitalizations within three years, a sign of just how serious a health threat secondhand smoke is, government researchers said Wednesday.
Grape extract kills cancer cells
An extract from grape seeds can destroy cancer cells, US research suggests.
‘Blood pressure gene’ affects 20%
One in five white people carries a gene fault which could raise their risk of high blood pressure, research suggests.
Slim gyms: Health clubs cut fees for January boost
January is for fitness centers what December is for retailers: a bad month makes for a bad year.
And with people spending less and less likely to overindulge this year, some in the fitness business are working harder to make sure they don’t find themselves on the ropes.
Study: Obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens
Obesity surgery can reverse diabetes in teens, just as it does in adults, according to a small study.
Thiamine ‘reverses kidney damage’
Doses of vitamin B1 (thiamine) can reverse early kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes, research shows.
Top medical breakthroughs of 2008
Enough medical studies were published last year to down a small forest. Most appeared with little fanfare and faded quietly, of interest only to a small group of scientists — but a handful hit like small bombshells, overturning conventional wisdom about serious but common conditions.
New study links diet to heart failure risk
Increasing the number of regular whole grain servings in your diet by just one may lessen heart failure risk by 7 percent among middle-aged African-American and white men and women, according to findings from a long-term study.
