Treatment with oral contraceptives may benefit premenopausal women with asthma, even if their asthma symptoms are not strongly linked to their monthly menstrual cycles, early research suggests.

A new study shows that we can accurately evaluate strangers' personalities based just on appearance.

There's no evidence that abstinence-only sexual education programs cut teens' risk of sexually transmitted disease, HIV, or pregnancy, a task force of public health experts finds.

Colon cancer screening exams may be more effective if done very early in the day rather than later, yielding more polyps per patient, says a new study.

The use of anti-clotting drugs, including aspirin, appears to lower the odds that cancer will recur in men undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer, researchers report.

While frequent exercise is known to fight obesity and improve mental health, as little as 30 minutes of physical activity one or two days a week can have benefits, according to the 2009 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

The popular pain and fever reliever acetaminophen may be linked with an increased risk of asthma in children and adults, according to a new research review of previously published studies.

A study shows switching to "light" cigarettes may undermine a person's resolve to quit smoking.

As many as 100,000 cases of cancer could be prevented in the U.S. each year if Americans get rid of their excess body fat, a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests.

H1N1 swine flu was detected in a 13-year-old Iowa cat after two members of the family that owns the cat fell ill. The cat, and both humans, recovered.

Relaxing in a backyard hot tub may be fun, but potential dangers lurk. A new study shows that as the popularity of hot tubs has increased, so have the number of injuries.

The cries of infants as young as 3 days old already reflect the language their parents speak, according to a new study that compared the newborn cries of French-born and German-born children.

Coronary artery bypass surgery performed on a beating heart without the aid of a heart-lung machine proved no more effective than traditional bypass surgery, a study comparing the two procedures shows.

Men suffering penis pain and damage from priapism -- erections lasting over 4 hours -- may benefit from a drug used in kids with a severe immune disorder, mouse studies suggest.

A shorter, cheaper, and more convenient three-week course of radiation appears to work just as well as the traditional six-week schedule for some women with early-stage breast cancer, a new study suggests.

A boost of a highly targeted form of radiation therapy may prevent prostate cancer from coming back, a study of nearly 400 men suggests.

A survey of cancer patients shows most want their doctors to be honest about their chances of survival.

An experimental human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine shows early promise for preventing genital cancer in high-risk women who are already infected with the virus.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which makes breathing tough for one in every five people over age 45, is becoming a better-known condition, but nearly half of people surveyed seem unsure that it can be treated, a new survey shows.

A study shows that eating too fast can make you prone to overeating by blocking the release of gut hormones that help make you feel full.