Substance-abuse counselors helping teens and young adults combat addiction are not prioritizing smoking cessation, according to a new study. This should be improved, given the tragic consequences of smoking in the long-term.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is one of those vaccine-preventable diseases that have been on the rise, as we pointed out here. That's because of waning immunity and low rates of revaccination, as well as fears of some parents.

Prospective study of 228 morbidly obese teens shows that two different types of bariatric surgery led to significant benefits. They included weight loss, and improved cardiometabolic levels, including blood pressure, lipids, diabetes and kidney function.

Flying in the face of conventional wisdom, a new study that examined a possible link between obesity, and consumption of "junk food" and soda, found that for the majority of Americans there wasn't one.

At the American Medical Association s annual meeting, officials said they are developing mandatory competency guidelines for aging physicians. With more than a quarter of doctors over the age of 65, this could have a considerable impact on a profession faced with a looming physician shortage.

An often-unpleasant means of assessing the status of a cancer is the biopsy a procedure in which a small sample of a tumor is removed for analysis, often via surgery of some type. Now a recent study suggests that a new type of blood test might suffice to let doctors know the status of the cancer without an invasive procedure.

A new survey says that more than 1 in 5 pediatricians dismissed families which opted out of vaccinating their kids. As tough and as frustrating as it can be, physicians are bound by the obligation to treat the patient, despite problems that parents create, and they need to work towards a solution.

We all want to lose weight, and fast. Detox diets, master cleanses, and liquid diets all promise the results, but come with big fat health problems.

Some researchers believe sugar, not fat, is the most dangerous dietary ingredient, causing obesity and ills ranging from diabetes to hypertension. They also suggest that the focus on decreasing dietary fat has resulted in a concomitant switch to additional added sugars. But a new study of obese children isn't convincing.

A new study's data seems to support the concept of "defensive medicine," where if doctors spend more by ordering more lab tests and imaging studies they'll reduce their risk of subsequent malpractice suits.