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The FDA has greatly relaxed a previous lifetime ban on blood donations from gay men who have sex with men. But even this new policy is perceived by some as needlessly precautionary.

A discussion in Rolling Stone magazine of vaping, and the hysteria and fearmongering about it, is a breath of fresh air.

Our old friend Joe Mercola had a rather embarrassing week. His obscenely overpriced Organic Daily Face Cleanser was found to contain a pesticide called azadirachtin. And, if that isn't funny enough, the stuff also contains aloe vera, which was just placed on California's Proposition 65 List as a carcinogen. Oh Joe, say it ain't so!

Holidays mean get-togethers with family and friends and yes, lots of traditional feasting. The holidays are major weight-gaining times, however, and avoiding the excess calories can require strategic actions. Here are some ways to limit weight gain.

A new study offers hope for finding a better treatment for preeclampsia, a condition that claims 100 mothers everyday worldwide.

The belief that people are more likely to commit suicide during the holiday season is nothing more than a myth, and a dangerous one at that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And researchers say those who are vulnerable would be helped if mainstream media stopped perpetuating this falsehood.

Holiday decorations, including mistletoe, mint and holly can be toxic if eaten by a child. Small items can present choking hazards. Don't be concerned by so-called "toxic" chemicals, however, such as plastics.

A new report finds that few entities administering clinical trials governmental agencies, nonprofits and academic institutions and private companies are reporting data to the government, as is required. The most common reason given for failure to do so on time (or at all) was that it's too much work.

The FDA has proposed a ban on indoor tanning for those under the age of 18. The potential measure adds further support to the already well-known hazards of indoor tanning, with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancers, being the most concerning.

A new version of the Toxic Substances Control Act, called "reform," is well on its way to passage in Congress. Why is this necessary? It's not but a strange alliance of anti-chemical activists and some industry collaborators seem to agree that more onerous, expensive regulation is a good thing.

With the issue of drug pricing currently in the news, The New York Times ran an editorial decrying prices that are "too high," while failing to truly address the real issues. Instead, the paper took the easy way out by linking Turing's price gouging to pricing methods of established pharmaceutical makers.

Stress trackers monitor stress levels during the course of the day by recording the body's physiological responses. While some might find benefit from this emerging technology, critics have questioned not only the science behind these devices, but also the need for them.

It is estimated that the prevalence of self-reported abuse involves approximately 10 percent of the elder population. However, ask any clinician and he or she will likely disagree. A published review takes a look at this underreported issue.

A new study shows an inverse relationship between coffee consumption and death from a variety of causes. This benefit is also seen in decaffeinated coffee, as well as coffee that includes additives, such as cream and sugar. In addition, the health benefit grows as coffee consumption increases up to 4-5 cups per day.

Bariatric surgery is probably the most effective means of dealing with obesity, and with obesity-linked Type 2 diabetes as well. Some questions remain like, how long do benefits last and who should be eligible for this treatment? A couple of new reports shed some light.

For those unfortunate folks living in China's smog-ridden Beijing, there lies a breath of fresh air -- and it comes in a canister. Vitality Air is selling air from Alberta, Canada to Chinese consumers, and even at a startling $46 per unit, the Canadian company is making a killing.

A New York state court judge's ruling, revoking New York City's mandatory flu vaccination for pre-school and young school children, is a counterproductive public health move. Hopefully the state legislature can revise the law to allow the city to require such vaccinations, to protect its youngest kids.

A recent Australian study aimed to determine if parents perception of their child s body mass index is associated with any intention to change their child s weight. Surprisingly, it found that a majority of parents of overweight and obese kids seemed to ignore the issue -- and any need to intervene.

Federal and Minnesota law enforcement authorities swept numerous chiropractic offices in a widespread investigation of fraudulent practices, which include over-billing and the staging of auto accidents. We take the opportunity to counsel against using chiropractic services for any reason.

New parents know the importance of using a car seat when driving baby home from the hospital, and many spend big bucks to get just the right one. Yet, a new study finds that parents frequently aren't using the seats properly -- a problem that can put the infant at risk of serious injury.

Some in the media are referring to prophylactic mastectomies, a preventive measure against breast cancer, as the "Angelina Jolie Syndrome." This is incorrect, since hers is a legitimate case for this surgery. Conversely, and unfortunately, we have poor decision making and fear mongering by celebrities like Sandra Lee.

A new study in Nature used mathematical/analytical tools to show that three quarters of cancers are likely caused by environmental exposures, rather than chance or bad luck. Avoiding known causes of cancer, especially smoking, can reduce your risk significantly.

All too often, uninsured patients end up with hospital long stays just to receive weeks of antibiotic treatment. But a new study indicates that self-administering of intravenous antibiotics outside the hospital appears to be an acceptable alternative, a shift that could save lots of money while freeing up hospital beds faster.

A new study shows that adding alternating current electrical field application superficially to the brain area near a brain cancer, glioblastoma, along with standard chemotherapy, leads to a survival and progression-free benefit.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death in the U.S. from a gynecological malignancy. A recent study of the disease, the third and largest randomized, controlled trial ever with up to a 15-year follow-up, shows that screening for this type of cancer improves mortality rates by an estimated 20 percent.