If you missed Wednesday’s post about Prescription for Change , the Consumers Union petition to the FDA to make it easier for consumers to report side effects of medications, I highly recommend checking it out. In other drug news, the AstraZeneca Patient Assistance Programs now have a total of three “AZ & Me” prescription... Join discussion...

eFluxMediaGymnast world champ Diego Hypolito in hospital with dengue symptomsInternational Herald Tribune - 1 hour agoAP RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: Gymnastics world champion Diego Hypolito was receiving a battery of tests to determine if he had fallen victim to the outbreak of dengue fever that has swept Rio de Janeiro.Brazilian military joins battle... Join discussion...

For many of us, the goal of life isn't ultimate wealth, a massive amount of stuff, or the perfect car. It's happiness, plain and simple. Some people may be created happier than others, with enjoyment of life programmed into their hardwiring. For others, getting to happiness isn't always that simple. You weren't programmed that way. But like any programming, yours can be changed. Rewrite your life program to include as many of the following tips as appeal to you, and the ultimate goal of happiness can be yours. If you've already achieved complete happiness, well done! Join discussion...

Dutch doctors today reminded hospital visitors to turn off their cell phones -- for the sake of health, not etiquette. The reason: Cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment such as ventilators and external pacemakers, report the University of Amsterdam's Erik Jan van Lieshout, MD, and colleagues. With that in mind, van Lieshout's team supports the practice of keeping cell phones at least a meter (about 3.28 feet) away from medical equipment or hospital beds Join discussion...

The prospect of holding back the years with a simple injection could be closer than we think. Scientists have taken a step towards developing a treatment that could erase the health problems associated with ageing. While their breakthrough relates to rogue genes behind two rare genetic diseases, the approach they used could one day be harnessed to slow down the ageing process - creating an "elixir of life". Join discussion...

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) affects almost half of those ascending to heights over 3,000m and may lead to life-threatening complications such as pulmonary or cerebral edema. A new study appearing in the Journal of Travel Medicine details a prospective on-site study in the Himalayas between July and October 2004 in which the knowledge and practices concerning AMS were examined amongst trekkers. Join discussion...

Authorities tracked down a 4-year-old girl who called 911 nearly 300 times last month by offering to deliver McDonald's to her suburban Chicago apartment. Unbeknownst to her mother, the girl used a deactivated cell phone to call dispatchers 287 times in June sometimes as often as 20 times a shift. Join discussion...

Something is wrong when regulatory agencies pretend that vitamins are dangerous, yet ignore published statistics showing that government-sanctioned medicine is the real hazard. Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analyzed and combined ALL of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine. That has now changed. A group of researchers meticulou Join discussion...

When I miss a meal, I am struck by fatigue and hunger pangs which combine to create an awful mood and severe desperation to eat anything I can get my hands on. When a Breatharianist misses all three meals, every single day, they don’t flinch. The last time Michael Werner, a 58-year-old German professor has eaten was six and a half years ago. He survives solely on liquids and sunlight, which he claims provide him with all of the nutrients and energy that he needs. Join discussion...

Woody Allen once said, "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work...I want to achieve it through not dying." Much to humanity's collective dismay, there is no way to defy death. But you can try. Many people think they know what's good for them. Who wouldn't like to think that being rich, sleeping with supermodels and eating caviar every day would increase their longevity. After all, Hugh Hefner looks pretty good for a man of 78. But this is more wishful thinking than practical science Join discussion...