Smokers who recently quit tobacco cigarettes are much more likely to use e-cigarettes than those who quit more than a decade ago, a new study says. The findings suggest that smokers who want to quit are now using e-cigarettes to help them, according to the authors. In the past, quitters had to rely on other…  read on >

The rate of colon cancer among Americans spikes sharply between the ages of 49 and 50, a new study finds — supporting the case for earlier screening for the disease. Researchers say the uptick between those two ages does not reflect an actual increase in the occurrence of colon cancer but the fact that screening…  read on >

The Affordable Care Act might have done more than provide more Americans with health insurance: New research suggests accompanying expansions in Medicaid may be linked to higher numbers of low-income people having jobs or going to school. That’s what happened after Michigan expanded its Medicaid under new rules from the Affordable Care Act. Researchers surveyed…  read on >

Despite spending far more on health care than other wealthy nations, the United States has the lowest life expectancy and the highest suicide rate, new research shows. For the study, researchers at The Commonwealth Fund compared the United States with 10 other high-income nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — Australia,…  read on >

Whether you’re stopping at a casual fast-food place or sitting down to eat in a full-service restaurant, eating out is an easy way to fill up when you’re hungry. But those meals may not deliver much nutritional value, a new study suggests. The researchers found that 70% of fast-food meals consumed in the United States…  read on >

Students have better focus in class if teachers praise them for being good rather than scolding them for being bad, according to a new study. Researchers spent three years observing more than 2,500 students in 19 elementary schools across Missouri, Tennessee and Utah. The children came from 151 classes from kindergarten through grade 6. The…  read on >