Once again, eating a diet based on fish, legumes, vegetables and moderate amounts of alcohol is linked to lower chances of dying from a heart attack, stroke or other vascular "events," according to a new study of New York City residents. The mostly Hispanic and black study participants did not necessarily eat traditional foods from Mediterranean countries, but the closer their diets were to the spirit of Mediterranean eating - with plenty of fish, … full story

In people with low blood levels of vitamin D, boosting them with supplements more than halved a person's risk of dying from any cause compared to someone who remained deficient, in a large new study. Analyzing data on more than 10,000 patients, University of Kansasresearchers found that 70 percent were deficient in vitamin D and they were at significantly higher risk for a variety of heart diseases. D-deficiency also nearly doubled a person's likelihood … full story

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 regulatory levels (for air pollutants) be as low as possible," said Francine Laden, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. Though smoking is … full story

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 on more than 1,000 women and were published in the American Journal of Cardiology, add to mounting evidence that alcohol, regardless of the type of drink, can be good for the heart. "One thing that was interesting … full story

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 told to deliver a three-minute speech or sink one foot in cold water – both of which trigger stress. Those who ate walnuts had lower blood pressure, said Professor … full story

More than one in 10 parents use an "alternative" vaccination schedule for their young children, including refusing vaccines altogether, according to a US survey. Based on the findings, researchers worry that more parents may be refusing vaccines in the future, raising the risk that diseases like measles and whooping cough will spread in schools and communities. "The vaccines that we recommend have been so effective in largely eliminating the vaccine-preventable … full story

Men are twice as likely as women to become alcoholics and now scientists believe they know why. They found that consuming beer and wine on a night out gave men a far greater ‘pleasure rush’ than women. Researchers from Columbia and Yale universities in the US studied the underlying biology of how drinking affects the brain. The team compared a group of male and female college-age social drinkers in a lab test of alcohol consumption, reports the … full story

Babies whose mothers have the flu jab during pregnancy are less likely to catch the virus themselves, finds a recent study. A flu jab protects youngsters in the first six months of life and makes them 40 percent less likely to need hospital treatment for respiratory illnesses, according to a US research. Research shows pregnant women are at higher risk of serious complications from swine flu compared with the general public, and have a higher rate … full story

An experimental malaria vaccine tested on children in Burkina Faso has shown "a high level of efficacy" in protecting against the disease, a study published in the United States said Wednesday. The study was initially planned to study the safety and immune response of the vaccine, known by the name MSP3. "However, as malaria attacks were documented as part of the safety follow-up, the investigators decided to explore the protective effect of the … full story

NEW YORK: Anybody who's smoked marijuana knows about "the munchies," that desire to eat everything within reach. But a study from France has found that, surprisingly, pot smokers are actually less likely than non-smokers to pack on weight. Using data covering more than 50,000 U.S. adults, researchers headed by Yann Le Strat, a psychiatrist at the Louis-Mourier Hospital in Colombes, France, found that roughly 14 percent to 17 percent of the people … full story