Catching up on sleep lost during the week may help lower the risk of men developing type 2 diabetes, a study has found.

People are to get help choosing healthier food with the introduction of a new, consistent style of food labelling. The system will combine 'traffic light' colour coding with nutritional information.

Children face many learning activities in their early years, but one that parents may often overlook is how a child deals with embarrassment as they get older.

Moderate drinking during pregnancy – three to seven glasses of alcohol a week - does not seem to harm foetal neurological development, at least when measured by a child’s ability to balance.

Increasing the amount of red meat you eat might raise your risk of diabetes, a new study shows. But there’s also good news - lowering your red meat consumption may reduce the risk in the longer term.

The average salt content of packaged bread sold in the UK has fallen by 20% over the past decade, new research has found.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended that patients with serious underlying heart conditions should not use the painkiller diclofenac due to a small increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Researchers are learning more about a new acute respiratory illness similar to SARs called Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus or MERS-CoV.

Grandparents nowadays tend to live further away from their children than they did in the past. Get tips on long distance grandparenting

Testing women for the human papillomavirus (HPV) first, instead of using the traditional cervical screening test to detect abnormal cells in the cervix, could, according to a Cancer Research UK study, prevent around 600 cases of cervical cancer a year in England.

People who have had a heart attack may no longer be advised to eat oily fish to help prevent them having another attack.

How did you sleep last night? It may affect how injury-prone you are at work today, with research showing that around 13 in 100 workplace injuries may be related to poor sleep.

Sleep apnoea, an illness that causes breathing problems while sleeping, may increase the chances of sudden heart problems. But the overall risk of dying from sudden heart problems is still low.

Specific batches of the prescribed asthma medication, Ventolin Syrup sugar-free 2mg in 5ml, are being recalled because there is a risk of glass particles in the bottles.

The number of children admitted to hospital for problems related to obesity in England and Wales quadrupled between 2000 and 2009.

A new study suggests that a nationwide breast cancer screening programme may not yet have made a difference to the number of women who die from breast cancer.

The Health Secretary has said plans to close children's heart surgery units in Leeds, Leicester and West London cannot go ahead as planned.

Electronic cigarettes are to be treated as medicines in the UK – but not until 2016.

Older people could benefit from a 15 minute walk after each meal to help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce their chances of developing type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

Men with early prostate cancer who replace carbohydrates and animal fats with vegetable fats may live longer and be less likely to have their cancer spread, a study suggests.

NICE is advising that pregnant women who request a caesarean to discuss the pros and cons with their maternity team so they can get the facts.

Low levels of vitamin D could cause high blood pressure, researchers claim.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is being replaced for people of working age by a new benefit, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Author Iain Banks dies of cancer

Five adults with type 1 diabetes have played a pioneering role in the history of the illness by becoming the first adults to use an artificial pancreas in their homes without medical supervision.

Medicines that help the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease could be linked to a lower risk of heart attacks, a study suggests.

Whether it's techno, salsa, ballroom, or Zumba, dance is great exercise for everyone

7 small changes for better health: How tweaking your lifestyle can help your overall wellbeing

People who make healthy lifestyle changes are less likely to have a stroke, a study shows. Even making one healthy change lowers the chances of having a stroke compared to having a less healthy lifestyle.

The Duke of Edinburgh is due to undergo an exploratory operation on his abdomen after being admitted to hospital on Thursday.

Routine screening of pregnant women using a non-invasive blood test can accurately detect Down's syndrome in the first three months of pregnancy, according to new research.

The Deputy Prime Minister has confirmed that plans to increase the number of pre-school children one adult can look after won't now go ahead.

Scientists say a possible new treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has produced encouraging results in a small, early stage clinical trial.

Nine out of 10 women have experienced problems with their feet, while one in five are embarrassed by them, according to new research.

New sexually transmitted infections rose in 2012 with those under 25 experiencing the highest rates, according to Public Health England (PHE). It claims the increase is mostly due to improved data collection but says the continuing high numbers in England suggest too many people are still putting themselves at risk through unsafe sex.

Pregnant women should be told about the various ways they might be exposed to chemicals in order to cut the risk of harm to their unborn children, a new scientific paper recommends.

Using sun cream every day can reduce the damage done by the sun and may help prevent the changes that cause skin to look older, a study shows.

Patients who take statins are more likely to be diagnosed with muscle cramps and joint diseases, according to a study.

For the first time anywhere in the world, smokers in England are to be told it is acceptable to use licenced nicotine-containing products to cut down on the amount they smoke as a way of reducing the harm caused by tobacco.

Parents packing their children off to school with biscuits in their lunchboxes may be putting their health at risk because of high levels of hidden salt, a survey has found.

Can eating a vegetarian diet help you live longer? A new study suggests it might, showing that vegetarians were less likely to die during the study than people who ate meat regularly.

The NHS in England and Wales is a step closer to funding a new test to check that symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or IBS are not those of more serious conditions called inflammatory bowel disease or IBD.

If you have certain types of skin allergies, check your change, as the newer 10p and 5p coins could be bad news. The Treasury has changed the type of metal used from cupro-nickel alloy to nickel-plated steel.

The Hollywood actor Michael Douglas has given an interview saying his particular throat cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which came from performing oral sex on women.

Widespread ignorance among children in the UK about the origin of some common foods is revealed in a new survey.

Using herbs and spices to add depth and flavour to your cooking and cut down on salt.

Probiotic supplements can help prevent diarrhoea caused by taking antibiotics, especially if taking antibiotics leads to a stomach infection, according to a new review of studies.

Danish researchers may have discovered a new cause of migraines, which could lead to new treatments in the future.

Medicine regulators in the UK and Europe say the benefits still outweigh the risks for a treatment for severe acne and excessive undesirable hair or hirsuitism in women.

Do you live in a blood pressure hotspot? New data from the Stroke Association shows surprising differences in blood pressure across the UK.