BBC News | Health | World Edition

Females 'less physically active' Females are less physically active at all ages than their male counterparts, two studies suggest.

Stress hormone 'a marker for ME' Low levels of the stress hormone cortisol marks out children at higher risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome as adults, experts believe.

Scientists dismiss 'detox myth' Products that claim to help the body "detox" are often based on meaningless claims, scientists warn.

Cancer cells 'cheat suicide call' Cancer cells are able to escape death by reversing a process which triggers suicide in normal cells, scientists have shown.

Nano device 'times drug release' Researchers harness the power of gold nanoparticles to devise a better way of delivering drugs to patients.

Warning over youth mental health Young unemployed adults need more help to deal with mental health problems, the Prince's Trust charity warns.

Hope of insulin cell transplant Scientists working towards pancreatic cell transplants as a cure for diabetes have taken the first step to getting around the problem of immune rejection

Tennis balls for tremor treatment Hundreds of patients in the East Midlands will use free tennis balls to help them improve their muscle control.

'Keep off dieting' to avoid flu People should steer clear of New Year diets if they want to improve their chances of staving off flu, a study suggests.

Why playing golf may damage your hearing Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.

Kiss of life Brave doctors try to revive Nigeria's health system

Period pains 'The strain of PMS cost us our relationship'

Annus fabulous Five ways to force yourself to be happy in '09

New drug users Asian women using Class A drugs is on the rise

Medical notes A comprehensive guide to clinical conditions

From BBC Health Living with seasonal affective disorder

'Bug' could combat dengue fever Humans could be protected from dengue fever by infecting the mosquitoes carrying it with a parasite, say researchers.

China dairies offer text apology Chinese dairy firms involved in the tainted milk scandal beg for forgiveness in a New Year text message.

Evidence of 'risk-taking' brain Scientists say they have found physical evidence of brain differences which may drive "thrill-seekers" to act impulsively.

Test could offer lung cancer clue Testing a lung cancer patient's blood could help doctors predict the likely success of chemotherapy treatment.

Donor organs kept fresher A special storage machine could be better than ice for keeping donor kidneys fresh for transplantation, say scientists.

Grape extract kills cancer cells An extract from grape seeds can destroy cancer cells by encouraging them to commit suicide, US research suggests.

New Year twins reach 101 years Twin sisters born on New Year's Day in 1908 are celebrating their 101st birthday with a party in Cornwall.

'Blood pressure gene' affects 20% One in five white people carries a gene fault which could raise their risk of high blood pressure, research suggests.

Cyberknife boost to cancer care A robot radiotherapy machine to treat cancer is to be available in the UK for the first time from February.

'Child alcohol guide' for parents Parents are to be issued with government guidelines on letting their children drink alcohol at home.

Heart disease and stroke

Cancer: The facts The disease tends to affect older people - but can strike at any time.

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