The common food additives altered mice microbiomes to encourage gut inflammation and overeating. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Although clinical guidelines assume just two years for hot flashes and night sweats, a large study finds a median symptom duration of more than three times that length. Dina Fine Maron reports   

High-tech pedometers do a decent job of counting steps accurately. Dina Fine Maron reports.

Some 42 percent of U.S. adults who drink have been prescribed a drug that may interact negatively with alcohol. Dina Fine Maron reports

Strains of the lab workhorse roundworm C. elegans that lived longer added more time being frail and had the same portion of their lives being healthy as normal worms. The work has implications for life-extension ideas such as caloric restriction. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Researchers tracked 70,000 for decades to find lifestyle clues for better cardiovascular condition. Dina Fine Maron reports

Volunteers who read from an iPad before bed took longer to fall asleep and had less restful nights than when they read from a printed book. Dina Fine Maron reports.  

Nonpasteurized milk is fueling more outbreaks and hospitalizations. Dina Fine Maron reports

Careful tracking of more than 50,000 women during the six weeks after the procedure finds that serious adverse effects are rare. Dina Fine Maron reports  

People with type 2 diabetes in middle age had greater cognitive impairment in the following decades than did their nondiabetic counterparts. Dina Fine Maron reports  

The World Health Organization issues a new report on the neglected public health issue of drowning

A 10-second makeout session can also transfer some 80 million oral bacteria. Dina Fine Maron reports

A first-of-its-kind study finds it’s possible to analyze snake DNA left in a bite victim’s wound to identify the species—and thus the correct antivenom. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Diagnostics, vaccines and new drugs could vastly improve the way future Ebola outbreaks manifest in Africa, according to emerging infectious disease expert Jeremy Farrar. Steve Mirsky reports  

Should Ebola continue to crop up in the U.S., having fewer people coming to emergency rooms with the similar symptoms of flu will help the public health system respond. Steve Mirsky reports  

Physically active children are healthier and score better on intellectual tests than their sedentary peers. Dina Fine Maron reports

In a bid to boost fitness, new park benches in Moscow will let sitters see their weight and receive health tips. Dina Fine Maron reports  

A study in mice suggests that chemical changes that occur during dry roasting may increase the odds of an allergic reaction. Dina Fine Maron reports  

A new study reveals that bacteria associated with staph infections can hitch a ride in workers’ noses. Dina Fine Maron reports

Sisters spend double the time caring for parents as their brothers. Dina Fine Maron reports