Report questions weight-loss approach

NEW YORK: Researchers said there's not much evidence to support a common theory behind weight-loss programs known as the "stages of change" model.

Active legs at night linked to heart problems

NEW YORK: Men who jerked and flexed their legs involuntarily at night were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease in a new study of sleep and chronic disease in the 65-and-up crowd.

Power of suggestion affects heart

NEW YORK: Simply suggesting that a treatment will ease chest pain may not only dampen the pain, but directly alter heart arteries, a small study concludes.

'Miracle' plant boosting health in Sierra Leone

A tropical plant said to be nutritional dynamite is being plugged by Sierra Leone's government as a natural cure-all in the country, which has some of the worst health indicators in the world.

Malaria vaccine shows promise: study

An experimental malaria vaccine tested on children in Burkina Faso has shown "a high level of efficacy" in protecting against the disease, a study published in the United States said Wednesday.

New test may better diagnose African sleeping sickness

Researchers announced on Thursday the development of a new test to diagnose Trypanosomiasis, an often deadly parasitic disease commonly known as sleeping sickness.

Detected cases of breast cancer on the rise

Diagnosed cases of breast cancer rose by 260 percent and those of cervical cancer by 20 percent from 1980 to 2010, with the biggest hikes occurring in developing countries, according to global estimates reported on Thursday in The Lancet.

Fish oil may hinder chemotherapy: study

Fatty acids found in fish oil supplements may block chemotherapy from attacking tumors and patients should stop taking them, said a study by Dutch researchers on Monday.

Birth control device cuts cancer risk: study

Intra-uterine devices designed to prevent conception may also protect against cervical cancer, according to a study covering more than 20,000 women that was released on Tuesday.

Smoking marijuana not linked to obesity: study

NEW YORK: Anybody who's smoked marijuana knows about "the munchies," that desire to eat everything within reach. But a study from France has found that, surprisingly, pot smokers are actually less likely than non-smokers to pack on weight.

Britain lifts ban on gay men giving blood

Britain said Thursday it was lifting a ban on gay men giving blood providing they have had not had homosexual intercourse within a year.

9/11 leaves a legacy of psychiatric trauma, stress

The September 11 terror strikes left American psychiatrists a lasting legacy of unexpected size: thousands of people living and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, 10 years on.

New drug best at stroke prevention: study

A new drug tops standard treatment in preventing strokes caused by a common heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation, according to a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.

Heart experts say work less and eat more chocolate

Eat dark chocolate, watch funny movies, avoid stressful jobs, and pedal hard when biking are all ingredients in the recipe for a healthy heart, according to experts meeting in Paris this week.

Obesity costs set to surge, with US in lead - Lancet studies

One in every two American adults will be obese by 2030, adding hugely to the country's health costs, according to studies published on Friday that highlight the growing burden of the world's obesity pandemic.

Taiwan probing HIV organ transplant

Taiwan's health authorities said Sunday they are investigating a case of "critical medical negligence" that led to five patients receiving organs from an HIV positive donor.

'Vaccines generally safe, cause some side effects'

WASHINGTON: Vaccines can cause certain side effects but serious ones appear very rare - and there's no link with autism and Type 1 diabetes, the Institute of Medicine says in the first comprehensive safety review in 17 years.

Coffee's anti-cancer link explained

WASHINGTON: Coffee has been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer by helping kill off damaged cells that could otherwise turn into tumors, according to a US study published.

Painkiller recalled after suspected sabotage

The makers of painkiller Nurofen Plus have recalled the tablets in Britain after anti-psychotic and epilepsy drugs were found to have been placed in packets in acts of suspected sabotage.

Brain injury boosts stroke risk

ISLAMABAD: In the three months after a traumatic brain injury, the risk of stroke may increase 10-fold.

Patients with traumatic brain injury can have other complications, such as ruptured or torn arteries, cardiac injuries or blood clotting disturbances, that increase the risk of stroke. Because impairment following traumatic brain injury may be invisible, the condition is sometimes described as a silent epidemic.