Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Attention Baby Boomers: Get Screened for Hepatitis C
People born during 1945 through 1965 are five times more likely than other adults to be infected with hepatitis C. If you were born during these years, talk to your...
First Vaccine To Help Control Autism Symptoms Developed
A first-ever vaccine for gut bacteria common in autistic children may also help control some autism symptoms, according to a new paper in Vaccine. Autism diagnoses have increased almost sixfold over...
Melatonin delays ALS symptom onset and death in mice
Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study.
Facebook says audit finds privacy practices sufficient
Facebook says that an independent audit found its privacy practices sufficient during a six-month assessment period that was part of a settlement with federal regulators.
Public-Private Effort Seeks to Expedite Discovery of Autism Drugs
The University of California will lead a $9 million effort financed by the National Institute of Mental Health to identify promising drugs for autism and conduct early tests.
U.S. Issues Guidelines for Medical Exams in Sexual Assault Cases
The revised recommendations emphasize that the victim’s physical and emotional needs should take precedence over criminal justice considerations.
Boston Bomb Victims’ Hidden Injury: Hearing Loss
Hearing loss from “acoustic trauma” can be temporary or permanent, depending on whether the harm was to the eardrum or the delicate hairs of the inner ear.
Dogma among researchers exaggerates threat of resistance to best anti-malarial drugs, says malaria expert
Exaggeration over the extent of the malaria parasite’s resistance to the ‘wonder drugs’ artemisinins could jeopardise the fight against the disease, according to a leading expert.
Material loss protects teeth against fatigue failure
Scientists have digitally analysed modern human teeth using an engineering approach, finite element method, to evaluate the biomechanical behavior of teeth under realistic loading. They report results showing that very...
Drinking one 12oz sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 22 percent
Drinking one (or one extra) 12oz serving size of sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can be enough to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, a...
Gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke
A microbial byproduct of intestinal bacteria contributes to heart disease and serves as an accurate screening tool for predicting future risks of heart attack, stroke and death in persons not...
Damage from mild blast brain injury similar to that of Alzheimer's
PITTSBURGH, April 24 (UPI) -- Mild traumatic blast injuries can cause changes in the brain similar to those in Alzheimer's disease and other memory-processing disorders, U.S. scientists say.
Stroke Risk: Why Health Habits Matter in Children, Teens
A study of people who lived in the "stroke belt" during their teens may shed light on the role these years play in the risk of stroke later in life.
Intractable seizures halted with experimental treatment for rare pediatric 'pretzel syndrome'
With a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that cause a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in the Old Order Mennonite population, referred to as Pretzel syndrome, a new study reports that five...
ScienceShot: Heavy Stubble Makes Men More Attractive
Ten-day growth rated better looking than full beard or clean-shaven looks
Harvard Medical School to Shutter Primate Research Center
After nearly 50 years, the New England Primate Research Center will "wind down" because of financial pressures, officials say
Hospitals slow to learn from own mistakes
Anyone can make a mistake, but when the person making it is a doctor or nurse, it can cost you your life. Despite such high stakes, hospitals have generally not...
Tropical Medicine Researcher to Lead Wellcome Trust
Jeremy Farrar, head of Oxford research unit in Vietnam, takes over at $1 billion agency
Costs to treat heart failure expected to more than double by 2030
By 2030, you — and every U.S. taxpayer — could be paying $244 a year to care for heart failure patients, according to a new policy statement.
England’s libel laws reformed in a victory for science campaigners
Concerns remain over 'chilling effect' of potential legal costs on defendants.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2013.12874
Chernobyl follow-up study finds high survival rate among young thyroid cancer patients
More than a quarter of a century after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, many children and teenagers who developed thyroid cancer due to radiation are in complete or near remission, according...
After brain injury, new astrocytes play unexpected role in healing
The production of a certain kind of brain cell that had been considered an impediment to healing may actually be needed to staunch bleeding and promote repair after a stroke...
Link between inherited endocrine tumor syndrome and much-studied cell pathway
The protein menin suppresses signaling in the much-studied Hedgehog pathway in endocrine organs. Menin mutations lead to increased Hedgehog signaling and cell proliferation. Researchers found that inhibiting proteins in the...
Fighting bacteria with new genre of antibodies
In an advance toward coping with bacteria that shrug off existing antibiotics and sterilization methods, scientists are reporting development of a new family of selective antimicrobial agents that do not...
Microscopic dust particles found in underground railways may pose health risk
New research from the University of Southampton has found that working or travelling on an underground railway for a sustained period of time could have health implications.
Guidance issued for US Internet research
Institutional review boards may need to take a closer look at some types of online research.Nature 496 411 doi: 10.1038/496411a
Cancer cells' Achilles' heel revealed
Scientists from the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR) have discovered why a particular cancer drug is so effective at killing cells. Their findings could be used to aid...
Drug and a syphilis test offer hope of yaws eradication
A diagnostic test targeting syphilis and an oral antibiotic could be used together to help eradicate yaws disease, a WHO meeting was told.