Younger women are less likely than men to feel symptoms of a heart attack, says a new study undertaken in the US. Women under the age of 45 were 30 per cent more likely than men in the same age group to present without chest pain.

Anaesthetist and lecturer Kevin Fong and historian Richard Barnett discuss the history of medical interventions and transplants that developed during the twentieth century.

Admissions to hospital for infectious diseases in New Zealand have increased by 51 per cent over the last 20 years, costing the country millions.

Recent research by the University of Otago, Wellington has shown that giving brain cancer cells high dose vitamin C makes them much more susceptible to radiation therapy.

A study has found that men with prostate cancer have an increased risk of dying from a condition other than the prostate cancer itself.

Following the publication of two scientific studies detailing the creation of mutated H5N1 bird flu viruses that could cause a deadly pandemic, 22 bird flu experts will meet at the World Health Organization (WHO) to decide how far scientists should be allowed to go with mutant virus experimentation.

New figures show nearly 40,000 more women aged 50 to 69 have taken part in the Government’s free breast cancer screening programme in the 24 months to October 2011 than in the previous two years.

Research by the University of Otago in Christchurch and Wellington has shown that breastfeeding of infants has a clear protective effect against children developing asthma or wheezing up to six years of age.

Plaque found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients have been broken down in a study that tested a cancer drug, known as bexarotene, on mice.

Research at The University of Auckland has shed light on an area of medicine which has intrigued the international scientific community for decades.

Those with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease can benefit from doing the slow and controlled movements of tai chi, according to a study by the Oregon Research Institute.

The bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which causes ulcers, has been linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes. Results of a study found that those who had been infected with Helicobacter pylori were twice as likely to develop diabetes.

Brain abnormalities may make some people more prone to addiction, says a new study published in Science. Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that there were differences in the brains of addicted individuals and their non-addicted siblings.

New University of Otago research suggests that 6.5% of gay and bisexual men in Auckland have HIV, with a fifth (21%) of these unaware of their infection.

Blood pressure checks should be done on both arms, say researchers at the University of Exeter Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. The study looked at the differences in blood pressure when testing both arms and found that differences of 10mm Hg and 15mm Hg or more could be useful for identifying patients who may require further assessment.

Concern is mounting for New Zealanders with metal hip replacements, following a British investigation that revealed the dangers of 'metal-on-metal' (MoM) hip replacements. Metal hip replacements can cause problems if friction between the metal ball and cup occurs, causing small metal filings to break off the fitting and enter the blood stream – a potentially toxic outcome.

Necrotising fasciitis, the bacterial disease that results in the destruction of soft tissue (otherwise known as flesh-eating disease) has been diagnosed in a Manawatu patient.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology has found that deodorants don't directly contribute to breast cancer. Researcher and reader in Oncology at the University of Reading Philippa D. Darbre said, however, that: 'Parabens are only one part of a much bigger picture.'

The number of measles cases has been on the rise in the Counties Manukau district during the past few weeks. Officials are urging residents to take health warnings seriously and get their children immunised.

Erika Hernandez, the recipient of a donor heart that was dropped while being transported to hospital for transplantation by two paramedics, was discharged from hospital following a successful heart transplant.