|  A galaxy within us: Our gut microbiota and how it can be programmed by food  | Who would have thought that the human body contains over 10 times the amount of bacterial cells as human cells? These bacteria - now collectively called the gut microbiota - number in their trillions and are made up of more than a 1,000 different species most of which are beneficial in some way. | Read More » US preterm birth rate drops to 15-year low  | The United States' preterm birth rate dropped for the sixth year in 2012 to 11.5 percent, a 15-year low. The nation again earned a "C" on the Report Card. Alaska, California, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont earned an "A." The March of Dimes estimated that, since 2006, about 176,000 fewer babies have been born too soon because of improvement in the preterm birth rate, potentially saving about $9 billion in health and societal costs. | Read More » Patients with heart failure need specialist care  | New research shows that patients with heart failure have high mortality and often are undertreated. According to a study, many more of these patients would benefit from advanced treatment by heart specialists – something that could be decided by a simple evaluation of five common risk factors for early death due to heart failure. | Read More » | |
