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There are very few genetic diseases, but there's increasing evidence that our genes can predispose us to specific problems. Our chemical signals provide the linkage.

Diets – along with dietary advice – are everywhere. Medical nutrition therapy slows the progression of failing kidneys. So why is it prescribed so infrequently?

Marijuana, the 1930's gateway drug to hell, has become both an accepted sin and the source of a very lucrative new sin tax. Irrespective of how you may view the change, we know little about pot's long-term health effects or what individual states are doing with all this new revenue. That said, our dysfunctional Congress is proposing a reasonable means of informing this debate.

The Mercatus Center's report on the financial impact of Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Medicare for All" proposal reveals the details. The media insists on feeding us biased headlines and soundbites. That just an informational meal of empty calories. Let's do better here.

When ideology not medical reasoning guides infant feeding policy, nobody wins.

Covering some 40,000 square miles with an average elevation of 13,000 feet, the Atacama is located mostly in Chile. But its outer regions stretch into nearby Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. What's more, it's home to the driest spot on Earth.

The main reason the 82-year-old actor decided to publicly disclose that he has Parkinson's disease is that Alda is a self-proclaimed science communicator. And he's sharing what he's learning about dealing with this condition, so others can learn how to live with it more effectively and not be "immobilized by fear."

This plant-based chemical is found in a number of growths, especially spearmint and caraway, and it's commonly used to flavor foods. In addition, there's an interesting chemical factoid here: Carvone actually comes in two almost-identical forms, which have different scents and flavors. Welcome to stereo-chemistry. 

The Bay State passed a bill that raises the legal age from 18 to purchase tobacco products and cigarettes. When the law takes effect on Dec. 31, Massachusetts will become the sixth state in the U.S. to raise the age restriction to 21, and the first to prohibit the sale of tobacco products from pharmacies that offer health services.

E. coli. Salmonella. Campylobacter. Norovirus. When somebody gets sick eating at a restaurant, these are often the culprits. But McDonald's has been hit by an outbreak of Cyclospora. Our PhD microbiologist – who has taken two classes in medical microbiology – had never heard of that. So what is it?

So-called "snowbirds" – humans migrating from North to South as winter approaches – seem to use health care resources in the same way, irrespective of where they may be. 

When health insurers keep trying to practice medicine without a license, we all lose. 

Unless it's a strategic resource, like food, energy, or science, we're all for letting the free market find the best solution. If supplement hucksters can have an easier time in a dictatorship like China, this is one time we should have no problem letting communism win.

Maintaining blood sugar within a normal range is part of the work of the pancreas – and humans with diabetes just do not do it as well. An advanced technology mimics the function of the pancreas far better and it's entering clinical trials. We are witnessing a tremendous advance in treatment.

Simply removing "identifiers" from our data does not ensure privacy. We willingly give information through our phones and transactions, which can be used to re-identify our information.

A new study found that smokers consumed around 200 more calories per day than both non-smokers or former smokers. And that's despite eating smaller food portions. And what that means is that they engage in more snacking, and treating treats like meals.

Greater patient volumes result in more experience and better outcomes. But for rural and underserved areas, there may not be enough volume to maintain a clinically-safe practice. The trade-off of access and outcome is at the heart of a discussion of TAVR, or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a replacement for open surgery. 

Enrollment in the humanities is collapsing. Why? Probably because (1) there's a widespread belief that humanities degrees should be avoided; (2) the humanities generate too much nonsensical research; and (3) the humanities, and academia in general, are politically biased.

In the same way one "seasons" a cast iron frying pan, scientists have found a way to create a slippery coating, which can improve food safety while reducing bacterial contamination. 

Dr. Stan Young is a man on a mission. So when the renowned biostatistician happened across a substandard paper by two anti-opioid zealots, Young spoke up. Just like he always does.

Though human noses get dismissed as amateurs as compared to the snouts on some animals, there is one compound where we do really well. We can smell geosmin, a chemical released by dead microbes at a level of 5 parts per trillion. That's right, trillion.

The Guardian's health page is scaremongering about e-cigarettes and pushing bizarre solutions to obesity. This is what happens when political activists write about public health.

The liquid 1-bromopropane, also known as n-propyl bromide, is colorless and slightly soluble in water. It also has a sweet odor and it quickly evaporates into the air when released to the environment. Meanwhile, it has a range of industrial uses.

1. In Puget Sound Business Journal, Dr. Alex Berezow takes Seattle to task for engaging in Californication - desiring to play nanny state to the rest of the country while ignoring its problems at home. Like it's runaway homeless drug user population that is driving people and businesses away. You can read it here.

Findings of a new study show that increased exposure to contact sports raises the chances of developing Lewy Body Disease, a condition that can trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.