MEDICINE

When a dipstick test suggests there's blood in the urine, the next step should be to examine a sample of the urine under a microscope to make sure the dipstick result is accurate, according to medical guidelines - but often the patient is sent directly to see a specialist, or for further testing.

Patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can choose between medication and surgery for relief of their symptoms, but researchers caution that while both strategies are effective, they're also different in some important ways.

The Food and Drug Administration announced late Monday, a recall for Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets after several consumers complained of an unusual musty, moldy odor.

The various forms of recurrent facial pain can sometimes be debilitating, but are fortunately relatively uncommon, according to a new study.

Soheila, an Egyptian village housewife, traded her kidney for $2,185 to pay off debt -- the best option the desperate mother of three could find to keep food on the family table.

Air pollution, which tends to inflame the airways in people with asthma, might also reduce the effectiveness of the rescue inhalers they count on for quick relief of their asthma symptoms, study findings hint.

The H1N1 flu pandemic may not be conquered until 2011, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

About 300 survivors of a deadly outbreak of SARS in China in 2003 are now suffering from serious after-effects, possibly due to aggressive hormone treatment to save their lives, the Beijing News said on Friday.

H1N1 swine flu can kill children at a much higher rate than seasonal flu, and the elevated risk for pregnant women extends as long as two weeks after they give birth, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Tumors can not only spread through the body by sending out tiny cells called seeds, but they can re-seed themselves, researchers said in a report on Thursday that may help explain why tumors grow back even after they are removed.

At least 11,516 people around the globe have died from the H1N1 flu virus since the pandemic emerged in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday.

Want to keep your eyesight sharp as you age? Eating lots of fish packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids could help, new research suggests.

More education may mean a lower heart attack risk later in life, with benefits seen in low-income countries as well as wealthy nations, a new study finds.

People with Alzheimer's disease may be less apt to get cancer and people with cancer may be less apt to get Alzheimer's disease, new research hints.

Bouts of low blood sugar can lead to unsafe driving among people with diabetes, new research shows.

Chronic stress can speed up memory decline in older people who already have some impairment in their mental function, a new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows.

At least 11,516 people around the globe have died from the H1N1 flu virus since the pandemic emerged in April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported on Wednesday.

An acupuncture session may bring some itch relief to people with the allergic skin condition known as atopic eczema, a preliminary study suggests.

High levels of a compound called C-reactive protein may be a sign of a future risk for heart attacks, stroke and cancer, though it does not seem to be a cause, researchers said on Tuesday.

The H1N1 flu pandemic is moderate but infects and sometimes kills much younger people than traditional seasonal influenza, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Calcium supplements won't help men cut cholesterol or trim fat, but they could help those who don't get enough calcium in their diet to keep their blood pressure under control, new research shows.