Last week, I became upset when I heard doctors quoting from an article published in the journal Pediatrics, suggesting that the use of stimulants to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children is a safe practice and we do not need to screen them for heart disease. Shortly afterward, I noticed that Medscape – a website that features peer-reviewed original medical journal articles – published an educational piece for doctors and other... 

The Fourth of July is fast approaching. For millions of us, Independence Day has become a traditional summertime celebration shared with family and friends. Whether you are planning a picnic in the park, a beach party or a backyard BBQ, we all look forward to the festivities and feasting on our summer favorite foods. We can also make this day of celebration a fun and healthy one by making the right food choices. If you are looking for something new to spice... 

The longest-running breast cancer screening study ever conducted has shown that regular mammograms prevent deaths from breast cancer, and the number of lives saved increases over time, an international research team said on Tuesday. The study of 130,000 women in two communities in Sweden showed 30 percent fewer women in the screening group died of breast cancer and that this effect persisted year after year. Now, 29 years after the study began, the researchers... 

Botox has smoothed many lines on celebrity faces, but now it is being touted as the latest asthma treatment. Researchers at Melbourne’s Monash Medical Center are planning to inject Botox – or botulinum toxin – into the vocal cords of severe asthmatics in an attempt to relieve their attacks of breathlessness. The world-first clinical trial will involve about 30 participants receiving single Botox injections within the next... 

Being slim may not always lead to a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, scientists said Sunday after they identified a gene linked both to having a lean body and to a higher risk of metabolic diseases. Researchers from Britain’s Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit said that while a so-called “lean gene” was linked to having less body fat, it was also linked to an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes... 

A chemical compound that is used on heart patients may raise chances of survival for snakebite victims, Australian scientists said on Monday. In a paper published in Nature Medicine, the researchers said the chemical nitric oxide can slow down by as much as 50 percent the time it takes for snake venom to enter the bloodstream. With that extra time, victims can seek medical help, said lead author Dirk van Helden, professor at the School of Biomedical... 

Drugmaker Roche Holding AG will try to convince U.S. regulators to reverse course on Avastin, the world’s best-selling cancer medicine, and approve its use for breast cancer in a hearing this week. But analysts say the Food and Drug Administration, which proposed removing the breast cancer indication in December, is unlikely to change its opinion without new evidence about Avastin’s ability to help breast cancer patients live longer. “There... 

Childhood dreams differ from person to person. For some, it is becoming an astronaut or a millionaire, for others it might be traveling around the world. For comedian Steve Mazan, it was always to be on The Late Show with David Letterman—but it wasn’t until he was told he may only have five years to live that he realized his dream needed to be put on a tight schedule. In 2005, at age 34, Mazan was able to make a comfortable living solely... 

Fast food ads on TV are making American youth fatter and should be banned in children’s programming, an influential group of doctors said Monday. “Congress and the Federal Trade Commission have to get tough with the food industry,” said Dr. Victor Strasburger, who wrote the new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a group of 65,000 physicians. “It’s time for the food industry to clean... 

Tobacco giant Philip Morris launched legal action on Monday against the Australian government over the country’s plans to strip company logos from cigarette packages and replace them with grisly images of cancerous mouths, sickly children and bulging, blinded eyes. The government believes the new rules will make the packages less attractive to smokers and turn Australia into the world’s toughest country on tobacco advertising. Several...