Aspirin and other household drugs may inhibit the spread of cancer because they help shut down the chemical "highways" which feed tumours, Australian researchers said Tuesday. Scientists at Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said they have made a biological breakthrough helping explain how lymphatic vessels - key to the transmission of tumours throughout the body - respond to cancer. "We've shown that molecules like the aspirin could effectively … full story

Drinking three cups of tea daily can protect against heart attacks and stroke. A new review study shows regular drinking of either black or green tea can reduce the risk of heart problems by 11 percent. It cuts plaque build-up in arteries – a combination of dangerous fat and cholesterol. In terms of the delivery of antioxidants, two cups of tea is equivalent to five portions of vegetables or two apples, reports the journal Molecular Aspects of … full story

Adults referred to the commercial weight loss programme Weight Watchers shed twice as much weight as people who received standard care over a 12-month period, according to a study published Thursday. In clinical trials, researchers led by Susan Jebb of the UK Medical Research Council assessed 772 overweight and obese adults in Australia, Germany, and Britain. About half the patients received a year's standard care, while the other half were given … full story

Victims of stroke who regularly take B-vitamins are better able to combat depression. Researchers demonstrated for the first time that they could reduce the risk of depressive symptoms after stroke with the help of vitamins, said Osvaldo Almeida, research director at The Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing. “Previous work had suggested that certain vitamins could have a role in preventing depression,” the journal Annals of Neurology … full story

A revolutionary new smart chip, the size of a match head implanted in the spinal cord, blocks pain signals and prevents them from reaching the brain. The tiny device works by monitoring the nerves carrying pain signals and firing electrical pulses of up to 10 volts that block the undesirable signals from reaching the brain. The Implantable Neuro Sensing and Stimulation or INS2 was developed between 2008 and 2010 by National ICT Australia (NICTA) … full story