Malaria: High risk focused in 10 African countries
Gains in fighting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa have left the highest risk for the disease concentrated in 10 countries.
Lifestyle disorders top health issues in Arab world
Heart disease and stroke have replaced infectious disease as the top causes of early death in the Arab world, tracking the West in a trend towards lifestyle disorders.
New meningitis vaccine slashes cases by 94 percent
A new vaccine being rolled out in the "meningitis belt" that stretches across north-central Africa has reduced cases of the potentially fatal disease by 94 percent.
Hard-hitting ads get credit in US push against smoking
Hard-hitting ads featuring first-person stories from former smokers prompted more than 200,000 Americans to immediately give up tobacco.
Long-term study backs early HIV drugs for children
A landmark five-year trial has strengthened evidence that early use of antiretroviral drugs helps children combat the AIDS virus.
Air pollution boosts lung, heart risks: studies
Long-term exposure to particulate air pollution boosts the risk of lung cancer, even at concentrations below the legal maximum.
No risk of pandemic yet from MERS virus: scientists
The new MERS coronavirus that has claimed dozens of lives in the Middle East does not yet have the ability to trigger a pandemic, but vigilance is needed in case it mutates.
'Cousin marriage' doubles gene risk for babies: study
First cousins who marry run twice the risk of having a child with genetic abnormalities, according to the findings of a study in the English city of Bradford, published Friday in The Lancet.
Gene clues show which children will grow out of asthma
A gene scorecard may one day help predict which youngsters are likely to grow out of childhood asthma and which will have the disease in adulthood.
New health threats for China as it grows richer: Lancet
The Chinese are increasingly facing diseases of affluence such as cancer, according to a study to be published Saturday in a leading medical journal, with threats to health including diet, pollution and city living.
High doses of common pain drugs can cause heart attack: study
High doses of some commonly used pain drugs like ibuprofen can increase heart attacks, strokes and related deaths by about a third.
Health gap in Europe wider than ever
Life expectancy in Russia has marked time since the collapse of the Soviet Union but risen in its former eastern-bloc allies.
New study questions vitamin D supplements in pregnancy
Taking vitamin D supplements in pregnancy seems to make no difference to a child's bone health, in contrast to guidelines in some countries.
233 million women lacking contraception in 2015: study
An estimated 233 million women in their fertile years will lack access to modern contraception by 2015, up from 221 million in 2010.
Ancient people also had clogged arteries, mummy scans show
Scans of mummies from as long ago as 2,000 BC have revealed that ancient people also had clogged arteries, a condition blamed on modern vices like smoking, overeating and inactivity.
Cancer drug helps MS patients, trials show
A drug initially developed to treat some types of cancer now appears to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), a study said Thursday.
Breast cancer screening saves lives, says study
The benefits of preemptive breast cancer screening outweigh the risks, a study said Tuesday, insisting the practice saves thousands of lives.
Women smokers who quit before 40 gain nine years in lifespan
Women can add nine years to their lives by quitting smoking before the age of 40 but still face a 20-percent higher death rate than those who never smoked.
Job strain boosts risk of heart disease by 23 percent: study
Workers who suffer job strain are 23-percent more likely to have a heart attack than stress-free counterparts, but the risk is far smaller than smoking or a sedentary lifestyle.
Heart attacks: longer resuscitation boosts survival chances
Adding a few minutes to attempts to resuscitate patients who suffer a heart attack in hospital can significantly boost their chances of survival.