Most Emailed Health News

Despite our stable agrarian society and medical advances that help us live into old age, the effects of natural selection are still at work on the modern human species, researchers say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. healthcare system is just as wasteful as President Barack Obama says it is, and proposed reforms could be paid for by fixing some of the most obvious inefficiencies, preventing mistakes and fighting fraud, according to a Thomson Reuters report released on Monday.

Have you seen your assistant surgeon? In too many cases these days, the second surgeon in the operating room is missing, due to lack of payment

SUNDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Women may be more vulnerable than men to the carcinogens and other noxious substances in cigarette smoke, a growing body of research suggests.

TUESDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- If your little goblins or vampires are set to paint their faces this Halloween to look all the more believable, you may want to think twice, according to a new report released just in time for the holiday.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine. Yet these mostly unproven treatments are now mainstream and used by more than a third of all Americans. This is one in an occasional series examining their use and potential risks.

CHICAGO - At least one in five U.S. children aged 1 to 11 don't get enough vitamin D and could be at risk for a variety of health problems including weak bones, the most recent national analysis suggests.

CHICAGO - Children on widely used psychiatric drugs can quickly gain an alarming amount of weight; many pack on nearly 20 pounds and become obese within just 11 weeks, a study found.

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration has allowed drugs for cancer and other diseases to stay on the market even when follow-up studies showed they didn't extend patients' lives, say congressional investigators.

ATLANTA - More than 22 million doses of swine flu vaccine are available now, and most Americans should soon find it easier to get their dose, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.

What to do if menopause makes you miserable?

LONDON (AFP) - The number of women in England and Wales conceiving babies with Down's Syndrome has leapt by more than 70 percent in the last two decades, researchers said on Tuesday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Tackling just five health factors could prevent millions of premature deaths and increase global life expectancy by almost 5 years, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.

MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- While the optimal amount of vitamin D is still subject to debate, a new study finds one thing is sure: over 6 million American children are getting too little of this essential nutrient.

TUESDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- New research provides the first hard evidence that the characteristic snorting and gasping of sleep apnea can spur potentially fatal heartbeat abnormalities.

LONDON (AFP) - The number of women conceiving babies with Down's Syndrome has leapt by more than 70 percent in the last two decades, researchers said on Tuesday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Wade Johnson has plopped down in plenty of hotels, but the business consultant ranks his stays at 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville as a one-of-a-kind experience.

(HealthDay News) -- As women age, their dietary needs change. A healthy diet is always important, but even more so as women get older.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Jews who survived World War Two in Europe have a significantly higher risk for cancer than other Jews, possibly as a result of hardships endured in the Holocaust, researchers said on Monday.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The federal government's push to control health costs through comparative effectiveness research could threaten strides in personalized medicine, in which medicines are tailored to an individual's genetic makeup, the chief of the National Institutes of Health said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York's mandate that fast-food restaurants post calorie information on their menus has changed consumer habits, the city said on Monday, contradicting a recent independent study showing no effect.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Amputees can "learn" to move their missing arm in an anatomically impossible way, in some cases making normal movement of that "phantom limb" more difficult, new research shows.

NEW YORK - In November, I'll be quitting my job and heading out on one of the last true adventures left on earth: Driving around the world.

(HealthDay News) -- People with diabetes are especially prone to foot problems, so it's important to take good care of your feet and inspect them frequently.

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah was founded in 1733 and was one of America's first planned cities, with a series of squares and parks that can still be enjoyed today.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Up to a third of children and adolescents who took common antipsychotic drugs for the first time became overweight or obese in as little as 11 weeks, raising their risk for diabetes and heart disease, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

The German government has ordered two different batches of swine flu vaccine -- one with fewer side effects for government officials and soldiers, another for everyone else. Not only are Germans irate, but they're also avoiding getting the jab

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study on job authority and health suggests that the top is not only lonely, but can also take a toll on physical and mental well-being.