Computer analysis of brain scans could help predict how serious or long term a psychotic patient's illness may become and help doctors make more accurate decisions about how best to treat them, researchers said on Monday.In a study in the journal Psychological Medicine, scientists…

Being part of a stressful job can increase a person’s risk of developing asthma by 40 percent, reveals a new study.The research led by Heidelberg University in Germany tracked 5,000 men and women aged between 40 and 65 over eight years. They found that…

People who have never smoked, but who live in areas with higher air pollution levels, are roughly 20 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live with cleaner air, researchers conclude in a new study."It's another argument for why the…

Women who drank anywhere from a few alcoholic drinks a month to more than three a week in the year leading up to a heart attack ended up living longer than women who never drank alcohol, according to a US study.The findings, which focused…

Walnuts, the brain shaped nuts, cut down cholesterol and may also help fight stress and reduce blood pressure.Those with high levels of bad cholesterol had lower blood pressure during stressful moments after following a diet rich in walnuts for three weeks.Study participants were…

Those who say they cannot quit smoking, no matter how hard they try, could now blame their genes.Scientists have discovered a brain pathway which, if not functioning correctly, can lead to an uncontrollable desire to smoke, reports dailymail.co.uk.The fault lies in a receptor…

Scientists have found a new way to deliver Alzheimer’s drugs directly to the brain, potentially opening the way to a more effective treatment for sufferers.Efforts to treat the disease have been hamstrung over 50 years by the difficulty of administering drugs to the brain…

Obesity comes with plenty of health risks but there’s one that’s perhaps not so well known — increased risk of developing liver cancer.Now, a team of researchers have confirmed in mice that obesity does act as a “bonafide tumour promoter”, and they have backed…

Like a spotlight that illuminates an otherwise dark scene, attention highlights specific details of our surroundings while shutting others out.A new study by Salk Institute for Biological Studies researchers shows that the superior colliculus, a brain structure known for its role in the control…

The recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water daily to prevent dehydration is a “thoroughly debunked nonsense”, says an expert.There is currently no clear evidence of benefit from drinking increased amounts of water, according to Margaret McCartney, medical expert with the National…