Health, Study | featured news

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that is most commonly passed between people during vaginal or anal intercourse. But it can also be transmitted through genital-to-genital, or hand-to-genital contact, which is how the participants in the study likely got the virus, the researchers said. Out of the more than 40 sexually transmitted HPV strains, more than a dozen have been identified as cancer-causing, according to the National Cancer Institute.

How can a cancer come back after it’s apparently been eradicated? Three new studies are bolstering a long-debated idea: that tumors contain their own pool of stem cells that can multiply and keep fueling the cancer, seeding regrowth.

Women who keep a food journal, don't skip meals and don't eat out lunch at restaurants very often lose more weight, a new study shows.

Women who enjoy a nightly glass of wine may do their bones a favor by keeping up the habit after menopause, a small study suggests. Researchers took blood samples from 40 post-menopausal women having or skipping their usual one or two nightly drinks (mostly wine) and found signs of more rapid bone breakdown when the women abstained.

Americans might live a little longer if they cut back on the amount of time they spend sitting down, a new study says. Reducing the daily average time that people spend sitting to less than three hours would increase the U.S. life expectancy by two years, the study found.

Finally, some good news for older dads. A new study hints that their children and even their grandchildren may get a health benefit because of their older age. It's based on research into something called telomeres - tips on the ends of chromosomes.

The findings are the first to link insufficient sleep to stroke; they're also the first to apply even to adults who keep off extra pounds and have no other risk factors for stroke, says Megan Ruiter, lead author of the report. It will be presented Monday at the 26th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Boston.

An "early and aggressive" approach to people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes is needed to reduce cases of the disease, a study suggests.

Along with a list of breast-feeding’s health benefits for mothers and children, pediatricians often tout an added bonus -- unlike formula, breast milk is free. Not so fast, researchers say.

The happier you are, the better, right? Not necessarily. Studies show that there is a darker side to feeling good and that the pursuit of happiness can sometimes make you . . . well, less happy.