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Throw the word “health” at Google, and you will retrieve, as I write this, about 958 million results. Alternatively, if you feel up to reading them, you could directly consult the medical journals for information; the National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE service indexes about 5,000 of them. If you are into health and fitness magazines, you probably have more than 100 of those to choose from.

Clearly, a world of health information is out there and readily available if you want it. The problem is one of navigating through it to worthy destinations. Finding your way to relevant, trustworthy information, presented in terms that are not only understandable but appealing to your interests, is still a challenge.

That is why we dare to think Scientific American Body has something special to offer to the curious health consumer. Scientific American has been covering new developments in medicine, science and technology for more than 162 years. It brings together leading health professionals and experienced journalists to explain the significance of new discoveries, the state of current knowledge and the bright possibilities just coming over the horizon. And as the realm of knowledge about health and medicine continues to expand, Scientific American is proud to present new offerings in print and online to keep you informed about it.

We believe that sophisticated health readers want more than a service-oriented breakdown of what to eat, what drugs to take and how to exercise. Scientific American Body therefore brings you just enough of the science underlying health recommendations for you to draw your own conclusions about their solidity or even their safety. Yet we also realize that health and wellness is not purely a matter of medical science—that there is an artistry to healing that needs to take into account the whole of a person. Thus, Body also includes voices of personal testimonial, discussing their own experiences with illness, recovery and prevention. We are also eager to take a clear-eyed look at the state of alternative medicine and to hail it for its successes or to criticize it for its failures, depending on what the data show.

Here are some articles featured in this edition...

Not Just a Pump by Wray Herbert
The goal of building a safe artificial heart has frustrated bioengineers for more than four decades. At last, an end could be in sight. (With additional contributions from Steve Ditlea and Mark Fischetti.)

Testosterone’s Bad Rep by Christopher Mims
Hormones don’t necessarily make men violent, but they do cause them to seek social dominance.

The Skinny on the Environment by Kathryn Brown
The very structure of our communities may predispose us to inactivity and obesity. Now researchers are remodeling cities for healthier kids.

Getting to Know Nutraceuticals by Thomas Hayden
Claims for some of these food-based dietary supplements stand up to scientific scrutiny, but others falter.

Managing Diabetes by Sara Sklaroff and John Rennie, with Justin Ewers
Globally, 171 million people have the disease, and that number is exploding. But lizard spit, new monitors and other drugs and devices can help control diabetes better than ever.

Is There Really an Autism Epidemic? by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz
The public’s alarm stems from misundersatnding of statistics on autism.

Saving Troubled Knees by Karen Hopkin
Silk scaffolds, grafts from pigs and green tea extracts might someday help keep injured and vulnerable joints active.

Where Is the AIDS Vaccine? by JR Minkel
Science gets closer, but a fully effective vaccine against HIV remains elusive.

The Ultimate Blood Test by Philip Yam
A pricey way to determine health risks: take 250 tests at once.

Five New Year’s Resolutions You Owe Yourself by Charles Q. Choi
This December 31st, make yourself some life-enhancing promises.