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Taller women are more likely to have twins, according to a US study. An obstetrician at New York8217;s Long Island Jewish Medical Center compared the heights of 129 women who gave birth to twins or triplets with the average height of women in the US and found women with multiple-birth pregnancies averaged more than an inch taller. The study, published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, said the reason seems to be an insulin-like growth factor, which has been positively linked to both height and twinning.

0 to 12

Childhood vaccines do not raise brain disease risk

Childhood vaccination against whooping cough and measles also called pertussis is not associated with an increased risk for encephalopathy, a disease of the brain. Encephalopathy or encephalitis have been reported to occur with increased frequency after receipt of whole-cell pertussis DTP vaccine or combined measles-mumps-rubella MMR vaccine, but the association remains controversial. Researchers from Oakland used data to reevaluate this. In all, 452 cases of encephalopathy were identified in records from more than 2 million children and reported in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

12 to 20

Acne drug linked to depression in animal tests

The active ingredient in the acne drug Accutane seems to cause depression-related behavior in mice. Accutane, also sold generically as isotretinoin, has been linked to reports of depression and suicidal behavior among users, reported researchers from the University of Texas at Austin in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. However, human studies have yielded conflicting results as to whether the drug itself contributes to these problems. Depression is a complex disorder and, therefore, difficult to pin down to a single cause.

20 to 40

Too much testosterone kills brain cells

Too much testosterone can kill brain cells, researchers said regarding a finding that may help explain why steroid abuse can cause behavior changes like aggressiveness and suicidal tendencies. Tests by scientists from Yale University on brain cells in lab dishes showed that while a little of the male hormone is good, too much of it causes cells to self-destruct in a process similar to that seen in brain illnesses such as Alzheimer8217;s.

40 to 60

Acupuncture shows promise for hot flashes

Acupuncture may offer women an alternative for easing hot flashes during menopause. In a study of 29 women with frequent, daily hot flashes, researchers from California8217;s Stanford University School found that those who received acupuncture, had fewer and less severe symptoms during night. As night-time hot flashes improved, so did the quality of the women8217;s sleep, the researchers reported in the journal Fertility 038; Sterility.

60 and above

Melanoma often seen before Parkinson8217;s disease

Rates of malignant melanoma and skin cancer are increased before a diagnosis of Parkinson8217;s disease, suggests a new research from Denmark in the journal Epidemiology. Researchers from Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Copenhagen, found those who had an eventual diagnosis of Parkinson8217;s disease, had a slightly higher prevalence of cancer. The prevalence of malignant melan-oma was 44 per cent higher.