Researchers have found an association between lower socioeconomic status during childhood and adolescence and the length of telomeres — protective cap-like protein complexes at the end of chromosomes — that affects the susceptibility to colds in middle-aged adults. (Carnegie Mellon University) Cooler temperatures can weaken your immune system and make sicknesses such as the common cold more likely. Although the weather serves as a popular scapegoat for feeling sick, other factors contribute to you staying in bed all day. Your...

((Thinkstock/Duncan Smith)) The global fight against tuberculosis faces two more difficult hurdles: drug resistance and undiagnosed cases. Despite progress in treating the disease, the World Health Organization reports that tuberculosis numbers could be off by as many as three million people, and the number could grow with multidrug-resistant forms of TB. (MORE: A Raging Health Crisis in Russia) The WHO estimates that TB treatment has saved more than 20 million lives, and the number of cases continued to decrease in...

Most of us are chronically sleep-deprived. After awhile, all the skipped ZZZs can leave our brains operating like we’re constantly drunk — seriously. And that’s not all sleep deprivation does to your body. Click through to find out more. (Thinkstock/Stockbyte) The end of daylight-saving time meant an extra hour of sleep over the weekend and a brighter Monday morning. Many welcomed the extra rest this morning, even those who might not fully understand the benefit of a full night’s sleep....

Consumers looking to fight off colds this winter might want to consider something other than herbal supplements. Many people might already be weary of foods mislabeled as all-natural. Now, consumers should also be suspicious of herbal products contaminated or substituted with alternative plant species and fillers not listed on the labels, according to a study from the University of Guelph, Ontario published in the journal BMC Medicine. (ABOVE: Surprising “All-Natural” Foods that Might Be Fakes) A DNA analysis tested the...

A woman helps her daughter affected by dengue fever in Managua, Nicaragua on October 30, 2013. Scientists believe they have developed a way to stop the spread of potentially deadly dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitoes. (Inti Ocon/AFP/Getty Images) TRI NGUYEN ISLAND, Vietnam -- Nguyen Thi Yen rolls up the sleeves of her white lab coat and delicately slips her arms into a box covered by a sheath of mesh netting. Immediately, the feeding frenzy begins. Hundreds of mosquitoes...

(Thinkstock/Pixland) The Mediterranean style of eating — which is a diet marked by a high consumption of healthy fats, such as fish, nuts, olives and olive oil and plenty of fruits and vegetables — has well-established heart health benefits, thanks to its emphasis on whole, natural foods. (MORE: ) Now, a new study finds that the Mediterranean lifestyle can boost brain health as well. In a study of more than 10,000 women, , compared to women who did not eat...

Air pollution directly affects cognition in elderly individuals, German researchers said at the 2015 meeting of the American Thoracic Society, after analyzing data on the link between impaired lung function and cognitive decline. What are some other health risks from air pollution? Click through to find out. (ThinkstockNadofotos) China’s battle with air pollution continues: Recently, the country released new guidelines for dealing with its super smog. Still, the effects on the country’s population are becoming more apparent. Most recently, an...

(Thinkstock/Stockbyte) Food manufacturers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have debated the use of trans fats for more than a decade. Even though these fats can exist naturally, the amount artificial trans fat consumed contributes to several public health concerns, most notably heart disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an effort to lessen heart risks, the FDA now wants to , according to a statement released Thursday. (MORE: ) In 2006, the agency...

(University Hospitals Leuven) By the year 2013, it seems like we should have the natural world pretty well documented. But yet, new species, , continue to amaze scientists. (MORE: ) Just recently, Belgian doctors were finally able to fully describe a "pearly, resistant, fibrous," which has been known since 1879, and explain what it does. A French doctor named Segond first described the ligament in the 19th century, but until now, its true function has not been closely studied —...

(Thinkstock) LONDON (AP) — Rickets, the childhood disease that once caused an epidemic of bowed legs and curved spines during the Victorian era, is making a shocking comeback in 21st-century Britain. Rickets results from a severe deficiency of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. Your body makes vitamin D after exposure to sunlight, and it's also available through food. Rickets was historically considered to be a disease of poverty among children who toiled in factories during the Industrial...

Syrian refugees in camps at Delhamiyeh village in the Bekaa valley, eastern Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Ten cases of polio have been confirmed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the World Health Organization reported on Oct. 29. A total of 22 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, a less-severe form of polio, have been confirmed. Because of the ongoing civil war and refugee crisis in the country,beyond Syrian borders, the WHO said in a release. In fact,, two...

The CDC has records of the deadliest foodborne illness outbreaks since the early 1970s, and five of the top ten outbreaks have occurred since 2000. Click through to see history's deadliest outbreaks. (Thinkstock/Jupiterimages) U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer might need to wipe some egg off his face. At least the egg won’t develop into a chicken imported from China. Schumer released a statement over the weekend criticizing the United States Department of Agriculture for loosening itsstance on food imports from China,...