COVID Virus Crisis

GMOs lead the fight against Zika, Ebola and the next unknown pandemic

Jul 28, 2016 02:25 am UTC| Health Science

The shadow of the Zika virus hangs over the Rio Olympic Games, with visitors and even high-profile athletes citing worries about Zika as a reason to stay away (even if the risk is probably quite low). The publics concerns...

Explainer: the A, B, C, D and E of hepatitis

Jul 28, 2016 02:12 am UTC| Health

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. While we usually think of hepatitis A to E viruses, anything that causes inflammation or damage to the liver can be considered as a form of hepatitis. Hepatitis A, B, C, D and...

US Election Series

Even presidential candidates need sleep

Jul 27, 2016 09:05 am UTC| Health Politics

The demands of being a presidential candidate take a toll on sleep. And the demands are not likely to lessen for whomever is elected. President Obama says he schedules six hours of sleep a night but that is not always...

Fentanyl, the anaesthetic that may have been used as a chemical weapon on Chechen rebels

Jul 27, 2016 07:35 am UTC| Health

Fentanyl is a synthetic analgesic (pain relieving) drug in the same class as morphine. It is used to treat acute or chronic pain, including for epidurals given to women during childbirth. It is thought that in 2002...

COVID Virus Crisis

The Olympics won't spread Zika around the world

Jul 26, 2016 06:23 am UTC| Health

The opening ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are just days away. But this year, fears of Zika have cast a shadow over festivities. The Zika virus is the cause of an ongoing epidemic of birth defects...

Climate Change Series

What causes asthma? Clues from London's Great Smog with implications for air pollution today

Jul 26, 2016 06:20 am UTC| Health Nature

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition with no known cure. It impacts people of all ages through episodic constrictions of the airways, which may be even worse than it sounds. Approximately 334 million people worldwide...

What your pee and poo colour says about your health

Jul 25, 2016 06:33 am UTC| Health

Out of the blue I passed bright red pee. I freaked, thinking it was a sign of terminal disease. Then I remembered the roasted beetroot tarts served at the party the night before so delicious Id eaten three! Beetroot,...