HEALTH

Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday.

Kids these days may be more likely to get hurt in gym class than they were a decade ago, a new study out in Pediatrics shows.

Malaria may have jumped to humans from chimpanzees much as AIDS did, U.S. researchers reported on Monday in a study they hope could help in developing a vaccine against the infection.

Frequent handwashing and the wearing of face masks at home can help reduce the transmission of influenza viruses within the household if the measures are implemented in good time, a study in Hong Kong has found.

Diabetics who took the drug metformin, which makes the body process insulin better, had a 62 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who had never received it, U.S. researchers said on Saturday.

The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Friday it will increase testing parts of steaks and other meat cuts used to make ground beef as the government steps up efforts to reduce the spread of E. coli bacteria in food.

A woman from Cameroon has been found to be infected with an AIDS-like virus that came from gorillas, French researchers reported Sunday.

China has sealed off a remote far-western town of 10,000 people after two people died of pneumonic plague, state media said Monday, but the World Health Organization said such outbreaks were nothing new.

Scientists have identified a class of immune cells that floods the brain soon after a stroke, causing inflammation and more neurological damage.

One of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer may originate in the cells lining the mammary ducts, which can be targeted in the fight against the disease, experts in Australia say.

Eating omega-3-rich seafood may be a mood-lifter for women who are feeling depressed during pregnancy, suggests a study of British women.

Teaching new mothers how to breastfeed could save 1.3 million children's lives every year, but many women get no help and give up trying, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

President Barack Obama's drive for U.S. healthcare reform suffered another setback on Thursday when Senate Finance Committee leaders said the panel would not vote on a compromise plan before senators leave for a month-long August recess next week.

Tiny ovarian tumors lurk in the Fallopian tubes for an average of four years before they grow large enough to be detected, researchers reported on Monday in a study that explains why diagnosis usually comes too late to save a woman's life.

A large 15-year study of men who had surgery for prostate cancer found only a small percentage died from cancer, adding to evidence that some men might be able to skip radical surgery to treat the often slow-growing tumors, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

A common and safe blue food dye might provide the best treatment available so far for spinal cord injuries, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Health officials trying to make best use of antiviral drugs to fight the new H1N1 flu need to do a better job of tracking and treating cases quickly, Italian researchers said on Monday.

Glaucoma patients are likely to lose more of their vision if they suffer minor strokes, a three-year study in Hong Kong has found.

The incidence of one type of heart attack has steadily decreased in the US since 1996, regardless of gender or ethnicity, to the lowest rates in years, according to a new study.

Over-the-counter allergy and asthma drugs helped obese, diabetic mice lose weight and control their blood sugar, researchers reported on Monday.

Indonesia has confirmed its first death linked to the H1N1 flu virus after a 6-year-old girl suffering from severe pneumonia died in Jakarta, the health ministry said.

Saudi Arabia, which is gearing up to host hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims later this year, announced its first death from H1N1 flu Monday.

Enjoying an iced coffee? Better skip dinner or hit the gym afterwards, with a cancer charity warning that some iced coffees contain as many calories as a hot dinner.

If you look upon fitness addicts as shallow narcissists suffering grimly for the body beautiful, it may be time to look again.

Proteins in spinal fluid accurately detect early-stage Alzheimer's disease in patients and could pave the way for better drug research, Swedish researchers said on Tuesday.

New studies have found direct evidence of a lung cancer risk from the presence of colorless, odorless radon gas in many homes, a United Nations committee said in a report released Tuesday.

Even among those people who have had pre-cancerous growths on previous colonoscopies, waiting ten years after two negative such tests could be safe, according to a new study.

Moms-to-be who smoke but quit early in pregnancy can sharply reduce their risk of having a premature or too-small baby, new research in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology shows.

A small study suggests that obese adults could improve their balance by shedding pounds and boosting their muscle strength -- with weight loss being especially effective.