Ardi Rizal, from Musi Bayuasin, South Sumatra, Indonesia was smoking two packets of cigarettes per day. He became addicted to nicotine in tobacco after his father had given him a cigarette. According to his parents, his addiction became so bad that he would throw violent tantrums if they did not give him a cigarette…

AP – A leading virus expert urged health authorities around the world Sunday to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadly than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak.

AP – Health officials in Chad say an outbreak of cholera in the Central African nation has killed at least 41 people.

A gene critical for programmed cell death is also important in the loss of adult stem cells, finds a new study, which could help improve the health and well-being of patients undergoing cancer treatment,

Girls exposed to lead in early childhood may be more likely to experience delay in puberty, a new study available here on Saturday suggests.

Nepali government has suspended the import and use of over 2.7 million pandemrix vaccines manufactured by a global company for protecting people from influenza – A/H1N1, generally known as swine flu.

A test on mice shows that taking omega-3 fatty acids may counteract inflammation that can lead to diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to act on a particular receptor on cells, GPR120, which, when activated, blocks inflammatory processes.

San Francisco Chronicle: “A report released Wednesday found foreclosures have not only economic consequences, but create health problems for the people and families involved — and those effects can ripple throughout a community…

Two studies reveal that smokers may have a significantly lower risk of developing lung cancer and colorectal cancer with the drug metformin, which is commonly prescribed for diabetes type 2 treatment, the medical journal Cancer Prevention Research informs…

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is working in partnership with the charity No Smoking Day to help thousands of smokers to kick the habit and stop smoking on Wednesday, 9th March 2011. This year’s “Time to Quit?” campaign will encourage and support smokers across the UK to start counting down to the 9th March, to quit smoking and start a healthier and wealthier life…

The Fiscal Times: A Medicare program that has agreed to pay for counseling for seniors who smoke but are not yet sick could help the program, and America’s health system, lower costs. “Smoking costs the U.S. economy $97 billion annually in lost productivity, in addition to the $96 billion a year in direct health care costs, according to [the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services]…

Michael Douglas told a US television audience on Tuesday night that he has been diagnosed with and is receiving treatment for stage four throat cancer. Speaking on David Letterman’s “Late Show” to promote the release of his new film “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”, the 65- year old American actor and producer said his doctors had told him he has an 80 per cent chance of survival…

Metformin, a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, shows potential in the prevention of tobacco-induced lung tumors, according to early research conducted at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Results of this study will be published in the September issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Scott Lippman, M.D…

AP – Could your kitchen at home pass a restaurant inspection?

A 10-year-old cow in the Netherlands was found carrying BSE, commonly known as the “mad cow disease”, and it is the country’s first reported BSE case in two years, the government said Friday.