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If you ever had a headache or muscle pull, chances are you've reached for the Motrin or Advil. For most, that's a very common pain-relief solution. But since ibuprofen is consumed orally, that can cause some to suffer upset stomachs. As an alternative, researchers are developing an ibuprofen patch.

New parents know the importance of using a car seat when driving baby home from the hospital, and many spend big bucks to get just the right one. Yet, a new study finds that parents frequently aren't using the seats properly -- a problem that can put the infant at risk of serious injury.

Federal and Minnesota law enforcement authorities swept numerous chiropractic offices in a widespread investigation of fraudulent practices, which include over-billing and the staging of auto accidents. We take the opportunity to counsel against using chiropractic services for any reason.

Dr. David Shlaes, my former colleague at Wyeth, is one of the world's premier experts in antibiotic research and development. He and I have co-written an opinion piece entitled "Stop Giving Antibiotics to Cows, Pigs, and Chickens Now," that was just published in STAT- the online science site of the Boston Globe. This issue is both timely and critical.

A French drug company recently gained regulatory approval in Mexico for its dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia. It's the first vaccine geared towards combating the dangerous, and potentially-deadly, mosquito-borne virus. Yet, how poorer countries and patients will pay for this needed medicine has not been determined.

Choosing Wisely, a campaign which uses lists of appropriate treatments, aims to encourage conversation between clinicians and patients about which diagnostic tests and procedures are most appropriate in addressing patients' health concerns.

A new study reveals how researchers were able to use a single gene therapy injection in dogs to successfully correct a rare type of hemophilia. Factor VII deficiency is an autosomal recessive bleeding disorder that affects about one in 500,000 people.

The human body's immune system is similar to having millions, if not billions, of snipers at the ready aiming and poised to shoot any foreign invader. This is why transplanted tissues and organs are so vulnerable to rejection. But a recent discovery by MIT researchers hopes to make them more viable.

A new report highlights the number of Americans who are candidates for reducing their risk of heart and vascular disease because they have elevated LDL levels. It also reveals how many of them are actually taking lipid-lowering drugs, such as statins. And as it turns out, it's not enough.

A new study in the journal Pediatrics shows that the Back-to-Sleep campaign, designed to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is working. And as it turns out, the effort is also producing even more evidence that vaccines are safe.

It's been a very bad year for Chipotle. The tex-mex fast food chain made itself look foolish by trying to riding the anti-GM train, while at the same time still using ingredients from GM crops (as if it matters). Then things got worse: three separate outbreaks of food poisoning, each caused by a different bug.

The FDA has approved another GM animal. But unlike AquaBounty's GM salmon OK'd less than a month ago, nobody will be eating this one. These modified chickens will produce a drug in their egg whites, which can then be isolated and then administered to patients suffering from a rare genetic condition.

Breastfeeding one's newborn or infant has become an issue fraught with controversy and untoward pressure on new moms to eschew formula, or "the bottle." But mothers and families should make that decision based on their own needs and lifestyles, and refuse to be bullied by "lactavists."

A new CDC report reveals surprising and disturbing findings regarding overall death rates in America. They were found to have risen last year, albeit slightly, as compared to the year before. The cause, or causes, of this upturn are unknown, but should be pursued.

Lousy laminate flooring from China has put formaldehyde squarely in the news. And the media, as well as the usual scare groups, is having a field day with it, prompting homeowners to wonder if they should tear up their new floors. But there's plenty that you don't know about this chemical that may surprise you.

Insect repellent, window screens, long sleeve shirts. Even by using these methods and more, there's no way to have guaranteed protection from viruses that are spread by mosquitoes. But here's an idea that would put an end to all other methods of mosquito repellents: What if there were no mosquitoes?

Move over cleansing juices; there’s a new way to detox, and it doesn’t require a liquid diet. Yep — you heard that right. A company in Sweden has developed a revolutionary way to cleanse your body from toxins with a simple wardrobe makeover: The Detox Socks.

Far too many antibiotic prescriptions are written for infections that cannot be treated by them. A new study published in JAMA shows how some simple behavioral interventions can change prescribers habits toward more evidence-based prescribing.

Can people be motivated to change their behavior to improve their health? Encouraging weight loss by financially rewarding individuals isn't particularly effective. But a new study suggests that using a "stick," with fines that penalize inactivity, just might be more effective than a dangling the money "carrot."

"Pop-up" clinics, which serve the uninsured around the country, are helping to bring health care to those who cannot afford even routine services. Services are free mainly because medical practitioners are work voluntarily. Many would-be patients sleep in their cars the night before to help ensure that they will be seen.

A 14-year old who shattered his eye socket and cheekbone after slamming face first into the corner of a metal window frame was in serious condition after accepting a seemingly-harmless dare. The "Duct Tape Challenge" is just the latest in a growing trend of dangerous "games" involving reckless teen behavior.

Although viruses are not alive, they have evolved into a perfect replication machine. And they do so without having to exert themselves at all. The infected host cell does all the work because the virus tricks it into doing so. Reproduction without life; pretty fascinating.

A new report in the The Lancet suggests that individuals are more likely to be classified as obese than underweight, indicating that the world's population as a whole is getting heavier. But while these findings are grim, it's an important to recognize that the main metric -- body mass index -- should be interpreted with caution.

A potentially effective, but largely overlooked, approach to treating illness seeks to remove some of the guess work from patient care. Pharmacogenomics, which uses an individual's DNA, is a process that some doctors believe can better match a person with the most effective medication.

If someone has been obese for many years, would undergoing bariatric surgery still be helpful, allowing them to live longer? A recent study shows that while middle-aged patients benefitted, "bypass surgery is protective against mortality even for older patients."