Obama applauds health 'milestone'
Senate health committee approves a bill to restructure US healthcare as President Obama pushes for action.

World's oldest mother dies at 69
A Spanish woman who became the world's oldest new mother when she gave birth to twins in 2006 at the age of 66 has died.

Killer parasites' genes decoded
Scientists have decoded the genetic blueprint of a parasitic worm responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide every year.

Lower IQ 'a heart disease risk'
Having a lower than average IQ is in itself a risk factor for heart disease, say researchers.

Women 'naturally weaker' to HIV
Experts believe women are naturally programmed to be less resistant to HIV once they have contracted the virus.

Swine flu 'hits airways harder'
H1N1 swine flu attacks the respiratory system in a more sustained way than the standard seasonal virus, research shows.

Problem drinking 'hits over-60s'
Alcohol misuse in people aged over 60 is becoming a widspread problem, research suggests.

Full recovery for two hearts girl
A 16-year-old girl who made UK history when she had a donor heart grafted onto her own as a baby has made a full recovery.

Obesity 'link to same-sex parent'
A study finds obesity linked in mothers and daughters, and fathers and sons, but not across the gender divide.

Bishop urges ban on holy water to halt swine flu
The Bishop of Chelmsford advises that holy water be removed from churches in a bid to halt the spread of swine flu.

'Medical myth'
Psychiatric drugs 'don't change brain chemistry'

Morning after
Contraceptive pill culture causes alarm in Kenya

Scarless surgery
'My kidney was removed through my navel'

A few drinks 'cuts dementia risk'
Older people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol may have a lower risk of dementia, a US study suggests.

Pain in childbirth 'a good thing'
The pain of childbirth may have benefits which women who opt for epidurals miss out on, a leading male midwife has said.

Swearing 'helps reduce pain'
Cursing is an effective way to cope with pain, research suggests.

Slow blood flow 'hampers statins'
Slow blood flow in areas of the body's arteries may reduce the protective effect of statins, research suggests.

Patient helps pioneer CyberKnife
A man from Jersey becomes one of the first people in the UK to undergo an advanced form of treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Chronic cough treatment hope
Scientists have discovered a protein molecule on the surface of nerve cells that makes us cough when irritated.

Obesity health risk cause 'found'
Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why obese people have a raised risk of health complications.

Polio threat to Pakistan children
Continuing conflict in Pakistan has left more than a million children at risk of contracting polio, health officials say.

Cancer: The facts
Information and statistics on common types of cancer

Pregnancy timeline
A week by week guide to pregnancy taking in how the baby develops, changes to the mother and key scan dates.