High blood pressure could be caused by a common virus, according to a study carried out by a team of Chinese doctors which could lead to better treatment for millions of people around the world.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Scientists in Hong Kong are embarking on a study to identify genes that are responsible for high cholesterol and heart disease in patients in southern China, which they hope will pave the way for the design of better drugs.

Former England batsman Michael Carberry put nine months of illness behind him with an extraordinary 300 not out for Hampshire against Yorkshire in the County Championship Friday and shared in a massive 523-run partnership.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who use the standard form of birth control pill may have a much higher than average risk of dangerous blood clots if they also have a vein malformation seen in a quarter of the population, California researchers say.

The family of a budding computer programmer have on Saturday launched a campaign to raise awareness about the health risks of playing online computer games after their son died following a marathon session on his Xbox.

Women rarely have strokes during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, but researchers have seen a big jump in such events over the past 12 years, according to a US study published Thursday.

LONDON (Reuters) - In an analysis that set off a fierce debate over the health effects of salt, researchers said on Wednesday they had found no evidence that small cuts to salt intake reduce the risk of developing heart disease or dying prematurely.

LONDON (Reuters) - In an analysis that set off a fierce debate over the health effects of salt, researchers said on Wednesday they had found no evidence that small cuts to salt intake reduce the risk of developing heart disease or dying prematurely.

Lying around for long stretches outside of work doubles the risk of dangerous blood clots in the lungs, according to a study among women released Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with moderately elevated levels of arsenic in their urine may have an increased risk of kidney cancer -- particularly if they have high blood pressure and kidney disease, a new study suggests.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Turning his head from side to side as he checks his reflection in the barbershop mirror, Terrell Mack seems pretty pleased with his haircut -- a tight, neat crop -- but he can't get up from the chair just yet.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Turning his head from side to side as he checks his reflection in the barbershop mirror, Terrell Mack seems pretty pleased with his haircut -- a tight, neat crop -- but he can't get up from the chair just yet.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Although it's known for its beautiful horse farms and as the "Thoroughbred Capital of the World," Lexington, Kentucky has gained a new distinction - as the most sedentary city in the United States.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Although it's known for its beautiful horse farms and as the "Thoroughbred Capital of the World," Lexington, Kentucky has gained a new distinction -- as the most sedentary city in the United States.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Although it's known for its beautiful horse farms and as the "Thoroughbred Capital of the World," Lexington, Kentucky has gained a new distinction -- as the most sedentary city in the United States.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women bothered by constipation may have a higher risk of heart disease than those who are more "regular," a large study of U.S. women suggests.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People who have too many copies of genes in a certain chromosome may have a 12-times greater risk of developing bulges and tears in their aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of body, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

According to the United Nations, the growth change in India's urban population is 1.1 percent each year, while the change in the proportion of people in rural areas is declining by 0.37 percent. The proportion of Indians who live in cities is still much smaller than in the United States. Just 30 percent of Indians live in urban areas, while 82 percent of Americans live in urban areas. That number is expected to rise as the proportion of people who live in rural areas in the United States declines by 1.6 percent each year. The researchers, led by Dr. Sanjay Kinra of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, compared rural Indians to their siblings who moved to one of four cities in India: Lucknow, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Siblings who lived in a city the longest had the highest average blood pressures. For instance, men who lived in a city for more than 30 years had an average systolic blood pressure - the top number in a reading -- of 126. Men who lived in a city 10-2

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research on the links between seizure medication and pregnancy complications highlights the hard choices that pregnant women with epilepsy must make.

Serena Williams is not making any promises as she returns to tennis following a year away due to injury and a serious health problem, with the one-time number one saying Monday she is just glad to be back in the mix.