Deaths due to heart attack are declining. But not among young people, who are consuming growing amounts of cocaine. The white powder is the most vasoconstrictive of all drugs, and some scientists say it can permanently change the anatomy of the brain.

What do disinfectants used for preventing wound infections contain? There are 2 main solutions on offer by chemical science: sodium hypochlorite, the first modern disinfectant used during the First World War, and hydrogen peroxide.

For ten years, from 2004 to 2014, donor conception, a type of assisted fertilization using gametes from a third-party donor, was banned in Italy under law no. 40. Today it is allowed, provided certain requirements are met.

Time passes, habits and lifestyles change, but biological ageing never stops. In women, fertility declines and eventually ends after the age of 45. Things aren't much better for men.

According to a recent American study, people spend too much time with their heads bent over their smartphones and tablets. Bad posture can create tension in the neck and also cause a chronic form of headache.

Thermal energy has been used since ancient times as therapy for alleviating pain. The effect on the body of applying cold to injuries and heat to muscle spasms is not unlike that of a local anesthetic, helping to alleviate aches and pains in much the same way.

Hypertension is a phenomenon that affects between 6% and 8% of pregnant women, and is the leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality. Often, the main complication is the need to induce the baby very early to prevent later problems.

Based on calculations by the World Health Organization, around 3 million health workers out of 35 million, almost 10%, are exposed each year to the risk of contracting infections from infected blood caused by needlestick injuries. The fact is, a lot of workplaces and other environments deal with needles: from prisons to tattoo artists. What are the dangers? AIDS and hepatitis.

Noise pollution, especially in larger urban areas, can have a negative effect on health in a variety of ways, ranging from loss of sleep and mood swings to adverse effects on the ability to concentrate, hearing and the cardiovascular system.