The actor and musician knows how to convey a message that effects medical change, helped in part by his visit top be with sick kids at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Now, let's see if Hollywood follows suit. 

With warm weather, it's necessary to be aware of the usual tick-transmitted suspects, Lyme disease and the West Nile virus. These are nasty enough, but there's a bad boy out there that makes them look like creamed spinach. Meet the Powassan virus. It is pure evil.

In 2015, 7 percent of Americans report being bullied in the workplace. That's a slight improvement from 2010, and it's certainly much lower than the 20 percent figure reported from high school students. Still, there's much room for improvement.

Obesity is not as simple as avoiding exercise or overindulging with food. It's been known for some time that genetics are also involved. A new study shows that not only are there epigenetic factors at play, but they're also present at birth. 

Is it time for dieters to ditch the written food journal, and go high tech? That's what researchers in Washington State are pondering as they study dieters who, instead of writing down everything they eat, document their daily food consumption on Instagram, the picture-laden smartphone app. 

There are probably few, if any, nutritional advisories that are as hotly debated as the appropriate level of sodium intake for healthy adults. Yes, the Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association recommend an upper limit of 2,300 mg sodium per day (about a teaspoon). But some new research is being added to the literature indicating that level of restriction may be too strict.

Leishmaniasis, transmitted by a sandfly bite, causes 500,000 cases of visceral disease and 1.5 million cases of cutaneous disease – resulting in 50,000 deaths annually. The drugs to treat it are terrible. If the parasite doesn’t kill you, the treatment may make you wish it had.       

What makes Italian-style coffee good for prostate health? The same style of coffee (high pressure, high temperature) that has also shown to increase cholesterol levels.  Mostly because the relationship between coffee and science is a love-hate. Coffee certainly isn't a miracle drink, but it does have some benefits.
 
 

It's indisputable that we need to develop new antibiotics – and fast. It's also all-but-indisputable that once this gets into the hands of politicians, they will screw it up. They sure did this time. American Council advisor Dr. David Shlaes explains. 

A young man who recently received a lung transplant, following a terrible case of pneumonia that caused his lungs to collapse, has died. He made national headlines because his petition to receive new lungs was initially rejected because he had smoked marijuana.