Women who suffered from preeclampsia, which produces high blood pressure during pregnancy, are at a greater risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD), new studies have found.

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and swelling, as well as more serious problems, according to the National Institutes of Health

Young women who smoke are twice as likely to have a stroke as their non-smoking counterparts, according to a new study. And the number of cigarettes a woman smokes is directly proportional to the risk.

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine interviewed 466 women who had had a stroke between the ages of 15 and 49, and were either smokers, non-smokers or former smokers. A comparison group consisted of 604 women of similar age, race, and ethnicity who had not had a stroke

For some people the first puff of smoke they tried felt repulsive while for others those puffs came with a rush of pleasure. Researchers have identified a gene variant that may help explain why some smokers get addicted from their first cigarette while others seem immune to the addictive properties of tobacco.

The paper published online in the journal Addiction reports an association between a variant in the nicotine receptor gene CHRNA5, initial smoking experiences and current smoking patterns. This gene is far more common among smokers than in those who have the occasional cigarette

Although San Francisco's Department of Public Health was hit hard by budget cuts ordered by City Mayor Gavin Newsom, the city is still bent on improving the resident's health.

Aside from prohibiting the sale of cigarettes in drug stores, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors also mandated chain restaurants to post the calories, fat content and other nutritional information on their menu

Two cabinet officials announced in this farming town Friday that Ottawa is giving more than $300 million to Ontario's tobacco farmers to help them switch to another crop.

Immigration and Citizenship Minister Diane Finley said the amount represents the funding of the government's Tobacco Transition Program "to help producers exit the industry, transition to other crops or find new opportunities outside agriculture," according to CBC.ca. The program is a federal strategy to fight smoking and the dangers it pose to health