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Changes in the environment in the last few thousand years may have protected some East Asians against alcoholism. Scientists have long known that many Asians carry variants of genes that help regulate alcohol metabolism. Some of those genetic variants can make people feel uncomfortable, sometimes even ill, when drinking small amounts of alcohol. As a result of the prevalence of this gene, many, but not all, communities in countries such as China, Japan and Korea have low rates of alcoholism.

The abnormal shape of the red blood cells of individuals with sickle cell disease prevents them passing easily through blood vessels, which can become obstructed, restricting blood flow to an organ and causing organ damage. New data, generated using a mouse model of SCD, have indicated that the drug bosentan prevents blood vessel obstruction and led to the suggestion that bosentan might be of benefit to individuals with SCD.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, overweight children have fewer cavities and healthier teeth compared to their normal weight peers. The study found no differences in rates of caries (tooth decay) among children ages 2-5 in all weight ranges, while children ages 6-18 who were considered overweight and at risk for becoming overweight showed a decreased risk of caries compared to their normal weight peers.

A recent look at what is known about the health effects of drinking water reveals that most supposed benefits are not backed by solid evidence. The findings indicate that most people do not need to worry about drinking their recommended 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water per day.

While investigating the tropical disease leptospirosis in the Peruvian Amazon, an infectious disease specialist has uncovered new, emerging bacteria that may be responsible for up to 40 percent of cases of the disease. Patients with severe forms of leptospirosis have jaundice, renal failure and lung hemorrhage, with high fatality rates.

New research cautions that amateur singers and singing instructors are less sensitive than their professional peers to the subtle changes to their voices that could have a serious negative impact on their vocal health.

A history of early-onset paternal obesity increases the odds of elevated liver enzyme levels in offspring and points to the potential for a genetic link between obesity and liver disease, according to a new study.

Bisphenol A, a chemical that leaches into food and beverages from many consumer products, causes normal, non-cancerous human breast cells to express genes characteristic of aggressive breast cancer cells. The concentration of BPA that the researchers tested was very low (less than one tenth of a millionth of a gram per milliliter), but this concentration of BPA has been found in blood from pregnant women in both the United States and Germany.

A new study confirms the persistent nature of insomnia and the increased risk of subsequent depression among individuals with insomnia. Seventeen to 50 percent of subjects with insomnia lasting two weeks or longer developed a major depressive episode.

Nanomaterials are complex, as are their interactions with biological organisms and the environment. While microscopically sized, they come in all sizes, shapes and compositions. To confound the situation further, the methods of production are still immature for most materials, often resulting in batch-to-batch variability in composition and purity, according to researchers. Impurities are hard to detect, difficult to extract and may obscure the real effects of nanomaterials.