The monstrous tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., on Monday, killing dozens of adults and children, is a stunning example of violent weather that can affect a child's mental well-being. But even thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds can be emotionally upsetting, too, health experts note. Some anxiety in the face of violent weather is normal. But some children develop storm phobias that interfere w ...

A new Canadian study has uncovered an apparent gender bias in the hospital setting, with women less likely than men to get trauma center care following a severe injury. "Gender-based disparities in access to health care services in general have been recognized for some time, and evidence is emerging that these disparities extend to the treatment of severe injuries in trauma centers," study author Andrea Hil ...

Sleep apnea, the condition that robs sufferers of deep sleep by endlessly and subconsciously waking them up, becomes more common as people age. Now, a small new study raises the possibility that it may somehow cause -- or be caused by -- Alzheimer's disease. Don't worry just yet if you have sleep apnea. The research is preliminary, and it's possible that there may be no connection between the two conditions ...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a test designed to detect a faulty gene that's present in about 10 percent of cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The cobas EGFR Mutation Test, a companion diagnostic to the approved cancer drug Tarceva (erlotinib), detects a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, the FDA said in a news release. Lung cancer is the leading cau ...

People who follow the ancient practice of yoga may be getting an added health boost, with a new study suggesting it can fight high blood pressure (hypertension). "This study confirms many people's feelings that exercise may be useful in the control of hypertension," said Dr. Howard Weintraub, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Weintraub was not ...

According to a new study, people who opt for nonsmoking rooms in hotels with a partial smoking ban are not fully protected from harmful exposure to so-called "thirdhand" smoke. Smoking in hotels leaves a trail of tobacco pollution in the air and on surfaces in both smoking and nonsmoking rooms, researchers Georg Matt and colleagues at San Diego State University found. New hotels should enforce total smoking ...

According to a new study, although the brain's frontal lobes are believed to be critical for high-level thinking, they are not the sole source of human intelligence. Researchers from the University of Reading and Durham University in the United Kingdom found other regions of the brain, such as the cerebellum, played an unexpected but essential role in the expansion of the human brain. These areas of the bra ...

Weight loss doesn’t have to be grueling, depressing or discouraging. It can be easy, fun, painless and permanent. 41 percent of Americans claim to be on a diet at any given time. But people who lose weight slowly are more likely to keep the weight off. Most people try drastic fad diets that they grow tired of quickly. Actually losing weight slowly is healthier and easier. Incorporate these changes to your f ...

Simple changes to your backyard grilling routine could help reduce your colon cancer risk, an expert says. "Research shows that diets high in red and processed meat increase risk for colon cancer," Alice Bender, a registered dietitian at the American Institute for Cancer Research, said in an institute news release. "And grilling meat -- red or white -- forms potent cancer-causing substances. But by keeping ...

Scientists report positive results in early testing of a wireless pacemaker that's placed in the heart instead of being connected to it via wires from the upper chest. There are still many questions regarding the pacemaker, produced by Nanostim Inc. It's only been implanted in a few dozen people who were studied for a matter of months, limiting information about its long-term use and safety. It's also not c ...