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The 13 Biggest Health Stories of 2013

January 23, 2014- Here’s a round-up of the biggest health stories in 2013 -- topics that had the biggest impact and generated the most buzz – around the globe.

1. New heart attack guidelines. This year, the first guidelines for preventing heart attacks and strokes were issued by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

2. Michelle Obama's "Drink Up" campaign: The First Lady unveiled her newest health initiative late this year, called “Drink Up,” which aims to encourage everyone to drink more water.

3. The (glitchy) rollout of healthcare.gov. The website that is meant to serve as a health insurance marketplace for Americans has had its fair share of technical bugs since it launched in October.

4. Obama's BRAIN Initiative. The BRAIN Initiative (which stands for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) was propsed by Obama to map brain activity in an effort to better understand brain diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer's and autism.

5. The MERS virus. The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus has been reported in nine countries so far, including four European countries, though most cases have been identified in Middle Eastern countries. About half of people who developed the virus have died.

6. The polio outbreak in Syria. Syria was considered "polio-free" in 1999, but because of conflict, vaccination rates have plummeted from above 90 percent in 2011 to 68 percent three years later. As a result, a massive polio vaccination effort has been launched in the country.

7. The comeback of whooping cough and measles. Health officials said the whooping cough epidemic is likely a result of a new pertussis vaccine that seems to not be as effective, and a decrease in vaccinations. Meanwhile there have been eight outbreaks of measles (as of September) in the U.S., mostly in places with low vaccination rates.

8. Increasing use of -- and confusion about -- e-cigarettes. Are electronic cigarettes dangerous? Can they help you quit smoking real cigarettes? Should they be regulated? These were all questions raised this year, none of which have a clear answer.

9. The beginning of the end of trans fats. The FDA proposed this year to require the food industry to phase out trans fats, by no longer considering them as "generally recognized as safe." They still exist in some foods such as margarine, microwave popcorn and frozen pizza.

10. The naming of the "most-stressed" generation. And the title goes to … millenials (otherwise known as the 18-to-33 set).

11. The new DSM. The newest edition of the psychiatry bible, the DSM-5, came out this year; the last version was published in 1994.

12. Multiple reports of HIV "cures." When it comes to "curing" HIV, 2013 was an especially hopeful year. In March, doctors reported that a baby infected with HIV in the womb was put in remission after being given faster and stronger treatment than usual immediately after being born.

13. Increased accessibility to the morning-after pill. All age restrictions to purchase Plan B One-Step (and generic versions of the emergency contraceptive) were lifted this year after a lengthy court battle.

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