Pregnant women often take nutritional supplements incorrectly — too late or in excessive dosages — according to a recent study by Munich Technical University.

Long-term use of statins, a drug widely prescribed to prevent artery-blocking cholesterol, is less risky than previously thought for patients with a common form of liver disease, according to a study published on Wednesday by The Lancet.

Alcohol is a more dangerous drug than both crack and heroin when the combined harms to the user and to others are assessed, British scientists said on Monday.

Persons addicted to heroin or prescription pain killers can get help kicking their habit by using an implanted device under the skin that delivers small doses of medication, researchers reported Tuesday.

An experimental drug has shown promise in treating malignant brain tumors in children, a small study unveiled at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology conference showed Sunday.

People taking benzodiazepine, a drug class commonly found in sleeping pills and tranquillizers, should not discontinue its use abruptly, as withdrawal symptoms may be severe and make discontinuation difficult, an independent German scientific institute warns.

City councillors in Washington voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow the U.S. capital to join 14 states in allowing medical marijuana to be used to treat certain chronically ill patients.

Dennis Quaid's newborn twins nearly died after a medical error at a hospital. By telling their story, he hopes to help prevent the same thing from happening to anyone else.

AIDS drugs made by Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Gilead Sciences Inc. blocked a virus linked to prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome, a study showed.

Thalidomide, the sedative blamed for tragic birth defects half a century ago, treated a rare inherited blood disorder, according to lab experiments reported on Sunday.