Three independent teams of researchers have found genes that may explain why some smokers get cancer and others do not, and why some people who never smoke also get the disease. Investigators say the discoveries could lead to better ways to prevent and treat one of the most lethal forms of cancer. The teams in the United States, France and Iceland scoured the DNA of thousands of white smokers and... 

A popular anti-HIV drug nearly doubles the risk of heart attack, a study says. Abacavir works by reducing the amount of the virus in the body and is often used in combination with other drugs. But Danish researchers said patients may wish to consider changing treatment programmes after studying over 33,000 people, the Lancet reported. Experts said the research revealed a new risk, but said benefits... 

Cell phones are as much a part of society as driving cars.  And, like cars, there’s always some controversy to using them.  A new study shows that cell phone use are now linked to brain cancer.  But, that fact may not be enough to get people to stop using their mobile technology. Cell phones are everywhere and can go anywhere.  Some people even use them in place of a house phone.  But what... 

MONDAY, March 31 — Green tea can help antibiotics be three times more effective in fighting drug-resistant bacteria, even superbugs, according to a study by researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt. Green tea is common in Egypt, and it’s likely that many people there drink it while taking antibiotics.Therefore, the researchers wanted to determine if green tea would decrease or increase... 

WASHINGTON — Know how a whiff of certain odors can take you back in time, either to a great memory or bad one? It turns out emotion plays an even bigger role with the nose, and that your sense of smell actually can sharpen when something bad happens. Northwestern University researchers proved the surprising connection by giving volunteers electric shocks while they sniffed novel odors. The discovery,... 

Text messaging and emailing are fun as long as you don’t become addicted to them, an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry wrote. New research revealed that, like excessive gaming or virtual sex, e-mail and text messaging might be part of a compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorder and a form of addiction. The article, by Dr. Jerald Block, said there were four symptoms: suffering from feelings... 

People who have big bellies in their 40s are much more likely to get Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in their 70s, according to new research that links the middle-aged spread to a fading mind for the first time. The study of more than 6,000 people found that the more fat they had in their guts in their early to mid-40s, the greater their chances of becoming forgetful and confused and... 

SUNDAY, Mar 23, - Further evidence that red wine may be beneficial for the heart has emerged in the form of a Spanish study, which says polyphenols found in red wine help keep blood vessels healthy and prevent high blood pressure. Older women who are postmenopausal are naturally prone to high blood pressure because of the paucity of female sex hormones. Estrogen especially keeps the lining of the... 

NEW DELHI: Employees found smoking in their offices could soon cost organisations dear. In yet another attempt to deter people from lighting up in public and reduce the risk of passive smoking, the Union Health Ministry is now planning to put the onus on organisations which allow its employees to smoke within its premises. The ministry is planning a steep increase in the penalty for smoking in public... 

THURSDAY, March 20 — Happily married people have lower blood pressure than unhappy married people or singles, a Brigham Young University study says. On the other hand, even having a supportive social network did not translate into a blood pressure benefit for singles or unhappy married people, according to the study. “There seem to be some unique health benefits from marriage. It’s...