Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Tripling tobacco taxes worldwide would avoid 200 million tobacco deaths
Tripling taxes on cigarettes around the world would reduce the number of smokers by one-third and prevent 200 million premature deaths from lung cancer and other diseases this century, according...
Higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy could help babies become stronger
Children are likely to have stronger muscles if their mothers had a higher level of vitamin D in their body during pregnancy, according to new research. Low vitamin D status...
High blood pressure potentially more dangerous for women than men
Doctors may need to treat high blood pressure in women earlier and more aggressively than they do in men, according to scientists.
Scientists explain age-related obesity: Brown fat fails
As most people resolve themselves to lose weight this New Year, here's why it seems to get easier and easier to pack on unwanted pounds: New research shows that as...
Distractions raise crash risk for newly licensed drivers
The risk of a crash or near-crash for newly licensed drivers is tripled or greater when they are eating, texting or rubbernecking, researchers report.
Is There A Cure for Psoriasis?
There's no cure for psoriasis yet, but there are many ways to get relief from the symptoms of this common skin disease.
Health care worker shortage looms as staff retire
Nova Scotia's new health minister is being warned the province could face alarming shortages across a range of professions in the health-care system as workers approach retirement, which includes a...
Graphene Oxide Halts Bacterial Growth On Water-Purifying Membranes
Water Treatment: Researchers prevent biofouling on membranes used for desalination and water treatment by attaching nanosheets of graphene oxide
Brain training works, but just for the practiced task
Search for “brain training” on the Web. You’ll find online exercises, games, software, even apps, all designed to prepare your brain to do better on any number of tasks. Do...
Congenital heart disease causes hypoglycemia
In a new study, scientists from University of Copenhagen document a connection between congenital arrhythmia and the bodies’ ability to handle sugar. The results can be of vital importance for...
Why My Parents have a Closet Full of Lightbulbs
My Mom stockpiles lightbulbs. One closet houses neatly stacked cardboard boxes of 60-watt and 100-watt bulbs, arranged by wattage and ready for use the moment an old bulb flickers. She...
Woman's Death Linked to Alternative Cancer Treatment
Alternative treatments for cancer should not be considered harmless, experts say. A Colorado woman died after taking a injection of cesium chloride as a treatment for her breast cancer, according...
Rhine water; linking young girls to sleeping pills (w/ Video)
Scientists from Delft University of Technology have become the first to link the presence of pharmaceutical residues in the Rhine to the demographic characteristics of people living along the Rhine....
Faster testing of new pharmaceuticals
To improve medical treatment, researchers test new drug ingredients on biological cells. By combining two microscopy techniques, the time required for testing can be reduced by 50 to 80 percent....
Hydrocephalus: sensors monitor cerebral pressure
If the pressure in a patient's brain is too high, physicians implant a system in the head that regulates the pressure. A sensor can now measure and individually adjust brain...
Op-Ed Contributor: Cold Turkey Isn’t the Only Route
More people would deal with their drinking if society was less rigid.
Ugly is in the eye of the beholder
Excessive fear of looking ugly? You may have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which is five times more prevalent than anorexia.
Stress in the orchestra: mood plays a part
Even professional orchestra musicians suffer from particular stress on the day of the concert and release more cortisol. For the first time, it has now been possible to demonstrate that,...
Gene therapy for human skin disease produces long-term benefits
Researchers evaluated a patient with a genetic skin disorder known as epidermolysis bullosa nearly seven years after he had undergone a gene therapy procedure as part of a clinical trial....
Concussion history associated with risk of alzheimer's disease
A new study suggests that a history of concussion involving at least a momentary loss of consciousness may be related to the buildup of Alzheimer’s-associated plaques in the brain.
Alcohol, tobacco, drug use far higher in severely mentally ill
Researchers have found that rates of smoking, drinking and drug use are significantly higher among those who have psychotic disorders than among those in the general population. The finding is...
Use of media can save lives in bad storms
The number and intensity of storms and other extreme weather events are on the increase all over the world. The latest study by the Medical University of Vienna in cooperation...
Can a Dietary Supplement Treat a Concussion? No
Exploiting the public’s rising concern about concussions, some companies are offering untested, unproven and possibly dangerous products that claim to prevent, treat or cure concussions and...
Multi-component therapy shown beneficial in treating PTSD in adolescent girls
Adolescents girls with sexual abuse-related post-traumatic stress disorder experienced greater benefit from prolonged exposure therapy (a type of therapy that has been shown effectiveness for adults) than from supportive counseling,...
Adding cognitive behavioral therapy to treatment of pediatric migraine helps relieve symptoms
Among children and adolescents with chronic migraine, the use of cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in greater reductions in headache frequency and migraine-related disability compared with headache education, according to a...
Proportion of opioid treatment programs offering on-site testing for HIV, STIs declines
A survey of opioid treatment programs finds that the proportion offering on-site testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) declined substantially between 2000 and 2011, despite...
Montreal Heart Institute hits milestone with new surgical technique
A surgical team at the Montreal Heart Institute recently operated on its 500th patient using a minimally invasive technique that it predicts will revolutionize heart surgery.
Justice delays health law's birth control mandate
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has thrown a hitch into President Barack Obama's new health care law by blocking a requirement that some religion-affiliated organizations...