HEALTH & MEDICINE

A new study revealed that despite an abundance of sunlight, almost one third of Australian adults suffer from Vitamin D deficiency and this has become a major public health issue that needs urgent attention.

Deceases organ donations have reached a record high in Australia with 337 Aussies who have died in 2011 donating their organs that saved more than a thousand lives. With the country's donor rate still very low, what are the risks of a living organ donor might face in doing the generous deed?

Amidst Golden Globe action buzzing around in the whole entertainment industry, Kelsey Grammer, aside from winning Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Drama for Boss, has another reason to celebrate because he and his wife Kayte Walsh are now expecting twins. With such good news, what could Walsh expect in a twin pregnancy?

Marijuana use has always been tainted with issues as dependence to it is almost sure to happen. Being a problem all over the world, arguably more so in Australia where marijuana use is widespread, a new study may change the face of cannabis withdrawal treatment for the better.

An Adelaide pathologist calls on mothers to let their babies sleep in their cribs and avoid couches as well as other soft surfaces. In an editorial published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), University of Adelaide forensic pathologist Professor Roger Byard said research confirmed adults sleeping beside a baby could increase risk of infant suffocation.

Over fifteen years since pinning infant epilepsy to a chromosome but failing to identify the gene responsible, Adelaide researchers have finally solved the mystery of the condition in infants. Infant epilepsy is caused by a single mutation in one gene, the scientists confirmed.

The fifty year old actress, Heather Locklear, who made people’s head turn playing as “Amanda” in the 1992 run of the hit soap Melrose Place, reportedly “spun out of control,” binging on alcohol and medication at the same time. It is common knowledge that binging plus meds equal to trouble, but what exactly are the adverse effects of the equation?

Marijuana use has long been heatedly debated on by people around the world; from politicians not wanting to legalize it, to a couple of teenagers in a basement lighting a joint up, everyone has their opinion. But when it comes to pitting marijuana smoking against cigarette smoking, do they have any differences?

A new study has found that “internet addiction disorder” show signs of brain changes no different from alcoholics or users of illegal drugs.

Australian and American researchers have discovered a protein that inhibits the lungs from repairing itself from smoke related diseases, in a breakthrough that could lead to a potential new treatment for patients.

When an emotional injury strikes, you feel your heart ache, but what does it mean to your physiological well-being? A recent study published on January 9 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association has confirmed that a metaphorical broken heart is actually bad for the health.

Feeling stressed out means you probably can’t sleep or your head aches. But do you know that stress may be causing your brain to shrink?

The human brain naturally tends to maintain a more positive outlook, and that is the scientific explanation behind seeing the silver lining in every dark cloud. While this understanding leaves more questions unanswered, it does provide more awareness on the concept of “prediction error” and its role in a person’s optimism.

It’s the worst fear of bungee jumpers everywhere – the cord snapping leaving the jumper falling to his death. That is what happened to 22-year old Erin Langworthy as she bungee jumped 111 meters down from the Victoria Falls bridge only to drop to a croc infested river – and survive. With that in mind, is there anything anyone can do when they’re plunging to their deaths?

Nicotine patches don't help smokers kick the habit and remain cigarette-free over the long haul, but it has positive effects on the brains of older people who are suffering from mild memory loss, new studies show.

Taking aspirin every day to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer mortality is not beneficial to individuals with no history of cardiovascular disease as it increases nontrivial bleeding events.

Amidst the great news of celebrity power couple Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z having successfully conceived their first baby, Blue Ivy, Beyonce’s hubby comes out with his newest song “Glory,” which revealed shocking news of a miscarriage. With this latest bombshell making noise, people are left to wonder: “Could they have done something to prevent the miscarriage?”

A new study has found that Australia and New Zealand have the highest rate of marijuana and amphetamine use in the world, while Asia boasted the lowest.

Scary Spice Mel B. bids bye-bye to baby weight after passing her halfway mark to her goal and losing eight kilos after two months of Jenny Craig Program. But can dear, reliable Jenny really help those who are overweight or obese in eating off some pounds?

The Simplified Pathophysiology of Migraine Headaches. Patho what? Not interested, next page please! I understand that not a lot of people would really care about or rock their brains over technical and scientific mambo jumbo stuff such as the Pathophysiology of a disease or illness. These things are for the medical people go to school for to understand, give us a prescription on how to get rid of the pain, and get paid for.

Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford, reportedly spent his New Year under the care of doctors because of a fall he took which required some stitches to his face. With the “Golden Boy” suffering from a nasty cut to his face, how bad can stitches be?

Dieticians from around the country have revealed what they consider to be three fad diets that you should avoid in the battle of the bulge.

American plastic surgeon Dr. McKay McKinnon successfully removed an 82-kilogramme tumour on a Vietnamese man's leg in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday and then removed another large-sized tumour on a woman's face in a separate operation the following day.

A new study showed that individuals who were not properly nourished while in the womb have reduced ability to store fact correctly later in life, putting them at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other age-related diseases.

The younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Pippa Middleton, is fast becoming the icon of a modern, athletic woman in Great Britain as she stays in shape by biking, running, swimming and joining triathlons. With triathlons gaining back its popularity, preparing for one can be such a daunting task, but a task that brings with it so many benefits.

British singer-song writer, Sarah Harding who is best known for being a member of Girls Aloud, admitted to having battled an addiction to sleeping pills over the last four years. With an addiction to sleeping pills being more and more common nowadays, arguably more so in famous personalities, what are the dangers of an addiction to it or just by taking it?

The star of the Avatar and the highly anticipated movie Wrath of the Titans, Sam Worthington, admitted to having a weakness for a woman’s smile, saying that he always falls for it. But aside from bagging “Perseus” himself, smiling can have a lot of benefits.

U.S. researchers said Thursday that they have successfully produced the world's first genetically modified monkeys composed of cells taken from separate embryos.

Mariah Carey’s hubby, Nick Cannon, the famous comedian and master of improv, was recently rushed to a hospital after reportedly suffering from a kidney failure while they were enjoying their vacation in Aspen. With different people speculating buzzing on the matter, essentially: what is kidney failure?