Medicine

The bigger the better? Not when we're talking bad-cholesterol numbers. The drug Lipitor takes that number way down. How does a little pill pack such a punch?

By Molly Edmonds

Hallucinogens have a reputation for expanding your mind. Is it warranted? Science says that a little psilocybin (or mescaline or MDMA) might be able to cure what ails you -- even addiction to drugs like heroin and meth.

By Tom Scheve

In the history of desperate time and desperate measures, you'll find Jeff Getty's story. After getting FDA approval and finding a willing doctor, Getty had a baboon bone marrow transplant in 1995. The results? A mixed bag of success and skepticism.

By Cristen Conger

When you've got a cut hand, a sore back or a high fever, it's no time to dig around for medical supplies. What are the 10 must-have items for your medicine chest?

By Maria Trimarchi

Lots of folks take a daily aspirin to lower their risk of getting heart disease. How does this little white pill help prevent blood clots from forming?

By Julia Layton

Inkjet printers might be doing a lot more for doctors than just printing medical forms. This technology combined with microneedles could create a drug patch that might replace hypodermic needles.

By Isaac Perry Clements

Rainbow-colored pee? No, you're not crazy -- it could be a side effect of a medication you're taking. What's the weirdest thing a drug can do?

By Shanna Freeman

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but tarantula venom may prevent you from having a heart attack. Could some of the world's most fearsome creatures be harboring cures for disease?

By Josh Clark

Doctors and researchers continually develop new methods to fight against brain damage caused by strokes. But is it possible for lasers to bust up the clots? How can a laser get into your brain, anyway?

By Molly Edmonds

Amputations have been performed since ancient times, but did you know anesthesia wasn't developed until the 1840s? Mountaineer Aron Ralston amputated his own arm after being trapped by a boulder. Could you do it?

By Isaac Perry Clements

It's as easy as checking "yes" when you register for or renew your driver's license. But organ donation is actually a complex and serious process.

By Tom Scheve

Ultrafiltration is a medical therapy that removes excess salt and water from the bodies of patients who have a condition called fluid overload.

By Jill Ferguson

Inotropic drugs, which are used to manage various heart conditions, alter the force of your heartbeat. How do they work, and what are some of their side effects?

By Jill Ferguson

Vasodilator drugs help lower blood pressure by widening blood vessels. How do they work, exactly -- and are there any serious side effects?

By Jill Ferguson

Doctors are prescribing more antidepressant drugs than ever. What does this trend suggest? Are these drugs being overprescribed, or are patients simply more comfortable with confiding in doctors about depression?

By Jane McGrath

Diuretics are used to treat a wide variety of conditions. Learn about diuretics in this article and find out what conditions diuretics can treat.

By Jill Ferguson

You just got a new job. You go in on your first day, get your ID badge and fill out all of your paperwork. You start work immediately, but your insurance doesn't start working for you for another 30 days. Why do you have to wait?

By Melissa Jeffries

Your face is how the world sees you. But what if something awful happened to it? In 2005, Isabelle Dinoire was the first recipient of a face transplant. How do doctors transplant a face, and is it a good idea?

By Stephanie Watson

Some call it body piercing. Some call it acupuncture. Some call it absurd. But could a piercing help you lose weight?

By Julia Layton

About half of all prescriptions are filled with a generic equivalent of a brand-name drug. Generic drugs have the same active ingredients, safety and effectiveness as brand-name medications, but are they really just as good? And why are they so much cheaper than brand-name drugs?

By Melissa Jeffries

We often hear that antidepressants, cholesterol medicines, blood pressure drugs and countless other prescription medications are widely used in the U.S. How do the most commonly-used prescription drugs compare in terms of sales?

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

While your iPod may bring you hours of enjoyment it, could also cause health problems. Read our list of seven health problems for the modern age.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Doctors use slang terms to save time during their day to day operations. You'll find that some of the terms are quite humorous because of the way they describe the ailment. Find out what physicians are really saying when they use medical slang.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Plastic surgeries are becoming more and more common throughout the country. In 2005, more than 1.8 million cosmetic surgeries and 8.4 million invasive cosmetic procedures were performed.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Hearing aids -- small electronic devices that amplify sound -- can help restore many of the sounds that hearing-impaired people are missing. Find out how hearing aids work in this article.

By Stephanie Watson