The number of Lyme disease cases in northern U.S. states is rising, while southern states are experiencing a significant decrease in cases, according to a new study. The research was conducted by a team at the University of Toronto who used data on Lyme disease rates between 1992 and 2007 taken from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and was published in the journal CMAJ Open...

An over-the-counter pain reliever can also be used to deal with existential worry - anxiety that comes from thinking about death - according to new research from the University of British Columbia...

People who are exposed to fine particle matter (PM) air pollution from traffic pollution for a prolonged period of time are at an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis, according to a new study presented at the EuroPRevent 2013 congress in Rome...

Rates of food borne illnesses - also known as "food poisoning" are on the rise, according to a new report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report compared rates of food borne infections from 2012 to rates from the period spanning 2006-2008 and found that the prevalence of infections from bacteria called Campylobacter and Vibrio increased...

HIV-infected mothers who exclusively breastfeed for more than the first four months of life have a lower risk of transmitting the virus to their babies through their milk. The finding came from scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine...

So far, 83 people have been confirmed infected with the H7N9 bird flu (avian flu) virus, of whom, 17 have died. In Shanghai alone, there have been 32 infections and 11 deaths, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Yesterday, the Director of the Shanghai CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) answered some questions that had been circulating in Shanghai...

Alzheimer's disease has two key hallmarks: accumulation of amyloid protein plaques outside brain cells and of neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein inside brain cells. The plaques appear first, and then the tangles, giving the impression that one causes the other...

An analysis of obituaries in the New York Times suggests that the cost of achieving fame as a performer or in sport may be a shorter life. The Australian-based researchers, who analyzed one thousand obituaries, write about their findings in a paper published online in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine this week...

Aerobic exercise can help prevent and even reverse some brain damage linked to high alcohol intake, according to new research carried out at the University of Colorado Boulder...

Post-surgical complication contribute significantly to hospital profit margins, says a new study published in the journal JAMA...

Most people are happier if they know they are having sex more often than their friends, according to new research published by Tim Wadsworth, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder. We already know that people are happier if they know they are earning more money than their peers...

Colic has historically been described as a gastrointestinal issue, however, a new study suggests that migraines may play a role. The finding was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and revealed that the likelihood was seven times higher that kids with migraines were previously colicky babies, compared to kids without migraines...

After a 5-year plateau, the infant mortality rate in the USA dropped 12% from 2005 to the end of 2011, says a new "NCHS Data Brief" issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Reductions for post-neonatal and neonatal mortality were similar. Infant mortality is a major indicator of the health of a country...

A new reformulated form of Oxycontin (a highly addictive oxycodone hydrochloride) has received a unique labeling update by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its abuse potential. People most commonly abuse Oxycontin by injecting or snorting it. However, with Purdue Pharma L.P.'s new reformulated version, abuse is much harder. OxyContin abuse is a huge problem in the U.S...

Smokers looking to quit cigarettes face an expanding choice of therapies to help them give up the habit, ranging from nicotine replacement medications and behavioral therapy, to hypnosis and even acupuncture. Now a new study from the US suggests another option: a treatment called high frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that stimulates nerve cells in the brain...

A form of treatment called cyroneurolysis is being used for chronic pain caused by nerve damage; it involves using a tiny ball of ice to interrupt pain signals and eliminate pain while the nerves slowly recover...

Scientists in the US have developed tiny sponges made from nanoparticles disguised as red blood cells that can soak up a broad range of dangerous toxins in the blood, such as from bacteria like MRSA and E. coli, and even snake and bee venom...

Bad diet choices and habits like smoking and obesity are linked to an increased risk for kidney disease, suggests a new study published in the American Journal of Kidney Disease...

Two common conditions in pregnancy, preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, may increase the risk of future diabetes, according to a study of more than one million women. The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Denice Feig, from the University of Toronto, Canada and was published in the journal PLOS Medicine...

A new study has examined the outcomes of an abnormal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening result of 4.0 ng/mL or more among men over the age of 65. The study, led by Louise C. Walter, M.D., of San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, included a total of 295,645 men 65 years or older who underwent PSA screening in 2003. The participants were followed up for a total of five years...