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Apparently folks in Sweden have stepped up their game in the fight against cardiovascular disease, based on a marked decline in the population’s overall cholesterol levels. The best part is that this lowering had less to do with medicinal interventions, and more with residents adopting healthier lifestyles.

Is medicine ready for an Uber-style revolution to fill the void between what patients want and the type of healthcare services that are available?

Several previous studies have shown that common baseball overuse injuries in the U.S. have become a serious concern. But the first study focusing on the effects of a "well-monitored preseason training program" involving teenaged pitchers found that the regimen improved strength and arm flexibility, while reducing risk of injury.

Why does cursing feel so darn satisfying? And why is it so taboo?
Science says, expletives can help express many emotions, and in some cases, they can relieve pain! It's true, we swear!

Katherine Schreiber, Health Editor at Cosmopolitan, wanted to get to the bottom of the issue on one diet fad that's been around for decades - giving up carbohydrates. Carbs are, of course, an essential food, but during a previous health craze, low-fat, people took in a lot more carbs.
The American Council on Science and Health has long been trusted guides for the public when it comes to separating food fads from nutrition science, so Schreiber got together with the Council's Senior Nutrition Fellow, Dr. Ruth Kava, to talk about the downside to low carbs.

Twenty-five years before Walter White broke bad, an organic chemist at DuPont cooked up a scheme that has never been matched--the synthesis of a mega-potent version of heroin worth $112 million for only 8 ounces. Then, things REALLY broke bad.

The urine of premature infants is chock full of progenitor cells, which could have major clinical significance in restoring function to damaged kidneys.

In pharmaceutical research, a failure is just an improvement in understanding what will actually work. Dr. Robert Popovian highlights how failures lead to innovation and how challenges motivate scientists.

Following a recent animal study, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley believe that close male friendships, or so-called "bromances," could have the same stress-relieving benefits as male-female romances.

Since activity trackers first came on the market nearly a decade ago, marketers and scientists alike continue to be perplexed. They ask: Why haven't these devices — which have the potential to keep us healthy and informed — become more of a mainstream product? Because, in a nutshell, it's just another chore.

After nearly a year in space, astronaut Scott Kelly was nearly 1 1/2 inch taller when he returned to Earth. But that's far from the only change that the human body is likely to undergo when it spends time in microgravity.

Truvada has repeatedly been shown to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. Yet women require more of the drug than men for protection from infection, according to a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

As of now, all Zika infections that were transmitted by mosquitoes have been a result of the Aedes mosquito, which is found in warm areas. But now, the 800-pound pest in the room is whether the far more common Culex family of mosquitoes might be able to transmit the virus, which can make this issue more disturbing.

Competitive eater Molly Schuyler stands 5-foot-7 and weighs just 125 pounds. Her petite frame appears to be at odds with her staggering prowess to gorge herself, which left us scratching our heads in incredulity. How does someone manage to eat so much, yet maintain such a seemingly healthy physique?

Responding to the nations' opioid addiction crisis, the FDA held a hearing on March 1 in Silver Spring, MD to discuss how to get this serious problem under control. The Council, which was asked to provide input, was represented by President Hank Campbell and Dr. Josh Bloom, Senior Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Pesticides in your beer? Banning soda would prevent diabetes? See what you missed over the weekend.

Hostility and poor coping skills in young adulthood have been associated with worse cognitive outcomes during middle age. But the prospective study had an important limitation, in that cognitive function was measured in midlife, and not during the early years of being an adult.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome,” has always been associated with a negative emotional trigger, which can lead to sudden cardiac death. But new research reveals for the first time, that positive emotions can also precipitate this condition.

Energy drinks are popular — especially among younger consumers. Their high caffeine content can certainly give one an energy boost. But apparently that's not all they can do, and people with cardiac conditions or a family history of such would be well advised to limit their intake of these beverages.

Two new additions to the growing scientific (as opposed to the ideological) literature on reduced-risk nicotine products (e-cigarettes in shorthand) show more clearly their high likelihood of benefiting smokers trying to quit smoking.

Of all the garbage science topics that we routinely cover, among the worst is the concept that miniscule amounts of so-called endocrine disruptors chemicals that supposedly have an adverse impact on human sexual development do anything whatsoever. The plastic component BPA and plastic softeners, phthalates, are the two poster children of the movement, but there are many more.

Dr. J Cuzick from the Queen Mary University of London and international colleagues from several institutions performed a review of studies linking the use of aspirin to decreased risk of several types of cancer and of heart attacks and stroke.

Last week, Oregon joined the ranks of states trying to pass GMO labeling laws, with the proponents of the bill arguing that consumers have a right to know

Hypertension is well-known to be a major risk factor for all types of cardiovascular disease: stroke and heart attack. Now a study seems to show that mid-life HT may also predict cognitive decline later on.

As we have done repeatedly, fellow debunker Michael Shaw has some things to say about Dr. Oz on his web page Shaw s Eco-Logic.
Here are a couple of examples from his piece The Merry Old Land of Oz, which appeared on the HealthNewsDigest site: