According to BBC, Harvard scientists have succeeded in engineering a fully functional cardiac muscle. During the experiment, they identified which heart stem cells produce muscle cells, fat tissue cells and the cells of cardiac conduction system. Full story

If you drive a convertible at speeds of 50-70 mph (80-120 km/h), you should know that you are exposing yourself to the noise levels nearing those made by pneumatic drill. Long and repeated expose to noises of engine, street traffic and wind can cause irrevocable hearing loss, experts warn. Full story

Majority of Americans are unaware of the Department of Health national exercise recommendations. Despite 14 years of educational campaigns, only one-third of Americans know about recommendations for a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity a day, while fewer than half follow the guideline. Full story

Intense workouts burn fat faster than aerobic exercises, according to Canadian and Brazilian scientists.  Canadian scientists found that despite widespread belief that fats burn down only when the intensity of a workout is 65 percent of the maximum because above that level carbohydrates begin to be consumed, it is as equally healthy to do intense workouts. Full story

Financial slump brings in its wake many a health hazard, true, still there are ways in which it can be very much beneficial for health. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences lists a number of factors whereby the periods of economic recession making away with excessive strain and worry help maintain health. Full story

According to a study published in British Medical Journal, women who had normal weigh between 18 and 50 years old and were not obese at 50 are more likely to maintain their health by the time they reach 70. Full story

People whose thighs are less than 60 cm (23 inches) in diameter are at risk of premature death and heart disease. But bigger thighs have no protective effect on health, according to Danish scientists. Full story

Psychotherapeutic effect of music heightens if you listen to it with your eyes closed, according to researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel. The experiment showed that listening to music with one’s eyes closed caused more active response from the brain. Full story

Cancer sufferers receive considerable alleviation from vitamin D, the Sun vitamin, as recent research showed. Such is the conclusion reached in two studies published in the British Journal of Cancer and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. They are the result of a joint research conducted by specialists from Leeds University in conjunction with the US National Institutes of Health. Full story

A recent study by American scientists found that men are seven times as likely to leave their seriously sick wives as women to dump over their sick husbands. Experts studied data about how 500 married couples dealt with the diagnosis of a life-endangering disease such as cancer. Full story

Just when the Backstreet Boys are having a hectic time promoting their new album, “This Is Us”, released yesterday, they are smitten by misfortune. On Monday they issued a statement admitting that their vocalist Brian Littrell is down with H1N1. Littrell’s contracting swine flu has seriously disrupted their working schedule. The band, just back from Tokyo with plenty of engagements in New York, was forced to cancel their appearances for the next few days. Full story

British men suddenly got very concerned with the appearance of their… chest. Over the past five years, the number of men seeking breast reduction surgery has increased by 1000%. Full story

Harvard University hosted the 2009 Ig Nobel Awards Ceremony. Ig Nobel awards are presented for the stupidest scientific achievements as a parody of the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony which will take place next week. Full story

According to a recent study, stress associated with divorce has a negative effect on cancer patients, as family breakdown leads to weaker immune system and thus makes it harder for the patients to fight cancer. Full story

A number of studies showed that green tea extract has positive effect on the cardiovascular system in adults and prevents fatty deposits from building up in the liver. However, some scientists recently discovered that green tea weakens bones. Full story

A tragic death of British schoolgirl Natalie Morton was the first lethal accident connected to a vaccine against cervical cancer called Cervarix. Doctors say that the cause of death was the girl’s "individual reaction" to the shot. Full story

A recent study in the September issue of the Environmental Health journal links living near noisy roads with high blood pressure. The research into the issue was conducted by Lund University Hospital in Sweden whose specialists concluded that the noise coming from busy streets leads to more intense stress Full story

Scientists at the University of California, USA, discovered the gene responsible for the length of sleep. The discovery was made thanks to the help of a mom and daughter, who stay alert and function well having only six hours of sleep a night. Full story

The smell of freshly cut grass can relieve stress, according to Australian scientists. They discovered that substances released from cut grass affect the amygdala and the hippocampus, brain regions responsible for different responses to stressful situations. Those substances make people feel relaxed and happy. Researchers have integrated scentful chemicals from cut grass into ... Full story

After the long period of inactivity, FDA has finally tested lipsticks on the market for lead levels. The need for these tests has long been urged for by different social organizations, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) in particular. It was this organization that found lead in 61% of 33 tested lipsticks in 2007, although lead was nowhere mentioned as the ingredient in those lipsticks.... Full story