Teenagers may postpone having sex if they make virginity pledges, according to a study by Rand Corporation.

The survey of 1,517 teenagers in 2001 showed that 23.8 percent made pledges to remain chaste until marriage. Those who made the vow but broke it by 2004 comprise 34 percent of the respondents, while those who did not make a commitment to virginity and engaged in sex was 42 percent of the respondents

A combination of paracetamol plus ibuprofen is better at alleviating childhood fever than only paracetamol, say UK researchers.

Researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England say that sick children could be cured from their fever for longer if they are given ibuprofen first and then paracetamol plus ibuprofen

Teen suicides in the United States jumped sharply in 2004 and 2005, well above expected levels for a second straight year, according to the American Medical Association.

Suicides among 10- to 19-year-olds in 2005 remained well above expected levels for a second straight year, researchers here said. From 1996 to 2003, teen suicide rates underwent a steady decline, but in 2004, the overall rate suddenly increased 18 percent from the previous year

People over 50 who walk for just 2 1/2 hours just three times a week could boost their brainpower and reduce the risk of memory-loss illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues studied 138 adults aged 50 and older with self-reported memory problems but who did not meet criteria for dementia. The average age was 69 years old

Women who smoke are more likely to develop heart attacks at a much earlier age than non-smoking women, a Norwegian study has found. An average smoker can expect to have a heart attack around the age of 66 - although it can occur at a much younger age for some women, the study said.

The latest study looked at almost 1,800 patients admitted to Lillehammer Hospital, Norway, for a first heart attack from which they recovered and were discharged, or died in hospital between 1998 and 2005. About one in three patients were women, ranging in age from 27 years to 103 year