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A new report by the Centers for Disease Control reveals that the number of heart-failure-related deaths is on the rise, in contrast to the slow, steady decline seen for over a decade. Another key finding was that the death rate was higher for blacks than for whites or Hispanics.

A very large study of Nordic twins published recently in JAMA found that there's a significant link between their genetic makeup and their risk of getting certain cancers, with the strongest links involving melanoma and the prostate.

Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective means of weight loss for the extremely obese; some types have even been shown to cause remission of diabetes. But these benefits occur with some downsides, which people should be aware of before choosing this type of treatment.

In Brazil, a new viral infection called Zika is doing great harm. It's causing an epidemic of severe birth defects, so much so that doctors are advising women to delay becoming pregnant. There is no treatment for it, although in non-pregnant victims the symptoms are not terribly severe.

Anti-vax sentiment gets a lot of media attention, but casual refusal of the flu vaccine doesn't. That said, it should, for no other reason than that many healthy people are putting senior citizens, and babies, and young people with immune issues at greater risk.

What exactly is missing from your diet that must be supplemented by an anabolic steroid? Not sure? Well, we don't know either. To find out, go ask Orrin Hatch. The longtime Utah Senator co-crafted the law that allows this insanity to occur.

Vitamin D has acquired the reputation of a sort of miracle nutrient, with various studies suggesting it can prevent cancer, strengthen muscle and bones and prevent falls and fractures. But recent studies don't support such ideas thus, no new miracles in sight!

About 20 percent of cancer clinical trials recruit less than half of the target number of participants. Knowing what factors contribute to this ongoing dilemma in cancer clinical trials could shift resources in the right direction.

Hormonal contraception has traditionally been available only with a doctor's prescription. That is changing in both Oregon and California, where only a pharmacist's approval will be necessary. But, is this a good development?

Three independently-working groups have developed an effective, albeit temporary, therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to delete the defective gene and replace it with a functional gene. Although these succeeded in mice, human treatment will not be far behind.

Researchers at the University of California have been able to successfully create a liquid blood pressure medication that can be absorbed through the skin, without the requisite skin toxicity. The implications for transdermal drug delivery are multiple and profound.

More and more women are choosing to give birth at home, or in birthing centers, rather than in hospitals. The important question is whether these alternatives are safe for mothers and/or babies. A new report sheds light on this important question, and mostly appears to support the choice.

If you want doom and gloom, go visit Natural Resources Defense Council. In the world outside merchant of doubt brochures, things are better than ever.

In the film, actor Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, who elucidated the cause of early dementia, depression and death among a group of former NFL players: repetitive head trauma from football, known as CTE, and the opposition he had to overcome to publicize it.

Let's face it: New Years resolutions normally happen after the New Years Eve countdown, which means the night before you're probably still practicing old habits

Want to advocate for a food you want to sell or criticize a competitor? There's a study for that.

Hypothesis: A tiny dose of a chemical causes a greater biological response than a small or moderate dose. Sound ridiculous? Sure does. But that idea, known as hormesis, sounds just as wacky as when Einstein outlined quantum mechanics and Wegener proposed continental drift (and we know how those turned out).

I don't want to be a wet blanket about that Fitbit you got for Christmas is not going to make the difference.

People tend to fear what they don't understand, and cannot control. And that adds to the apprehension people have when evaluating the safety of food produced using genetically modified organisms. But added safety may be found in a new concept: a biologically-engineered "kill switch" for GM microbes.

Choosing Wisely, a campaign which uses lists of appropriate treatments, aims to encourage conversation between clinicians and patients about which diagnostic tests and procedures are most appropriate in addressing patients' health concerns.

A French drug company recently gained regulatory approval in Mexico for its dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia. It's the first vaccine geared towards combating the dangerous, and potentially-deadly, mosquito-borne virus. Yet, how poorer countries and patients will pay for this needed medicine has not been determined.

It s been a banner year here at The American Council on Science and Health. From fighting out of control activist to promoting important public health policies we have been very busy promoting healthy living and fighting junk science.

Staying awake during brain surgery? Surgeons in France investigated whether using hypnotherapy could be successfully performed in patients undergoing removal of brain tumor.

Dr. David Shlaes, my former colleague at Wyeth, is one of the world's premier experts in antibiotic research and development. He and I have co-written an opinion piece entitled "Stop Giving Antibiotics to Cows, Pigs, and Chickens Now," that was just published in STAT- the online science site of the Boston Globe. This issue is both timely and critical.

Unlike draping yourself in velvet, which is not socially acceptable, silk remains perfectly fashionable. In fact, it is all the rage at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University, where a research group led by David Kaplan is literally wrapping silk around everything it can get its hands on.