Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Synthetic marijuana dangerous for kidneys
Nephrologists have reported for the first time in medical literature cases of acute kidney injury directly linked with synthetic marijuana use.
More Subsidies Needed: Premiums For Public Health Insurance Will Still Be Too High
Requiring individuals to pay a premium for public health insurance coverage will counteract the coverage effects of expanding eligibility for public health insurance programs to higher income families, according to...
Lower drinking ages lead to more binge drinking
People who grew up in states where it was legal to drink alcohol before age 21 are more likely to [...]
Mixing diet drinks with alcohol adds to impairment
Mixing alcohol with diet drinks can increase intoxication, U.S. researchers are warning consumers.
Quiet deaths don't come easy
A study finds that Medicare patients near death are increasingly choosing hospice or palliative care over heroic measures in their last days — but that many go through futile hospitalizations...
Air pollution primes children for asthma-related cockroach allergy
An allergic reaction to cockroaches is a major contributor to asthma in urban children, but new research suggests that the insects are just one part of a more complex story....
Study identifies skiers who can be successfully treated without surgery after an ACL tear
Roughly a quarter of recreational skiers who tear their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while hitting the slopes can be successfully treated without surgery, according to a new study.
Gut Bacteria Liberate Hidden Toxins Found In Grains
Toxicology: The masked toxins currently slip past food safety monitoring
Genetic privacy needs a more nuanced approach
Because confidentiality of health data cannot be guaranteed, people should consider both the risks and advantages of sharing them, argues Misha Angrist.Nature 494 7 doi: 10.1038/494007a
Diagnosing bacterial growth
Scientists in Japan have designed a micro device for the rapid determination of the effect antibiotics have on a sample of bacteria
New Glasgow woman fights for insulin pumps for kids
A Nova Scotia woman has started a petition to convince the provincial government to pay for insulin pumps for children, which can cost thousands of dollars each.
Tennis elbow? Steroid shots not best long-term fix
Commonly used steroid shots may worsen tennis elbow in the long run and increase chances that the painful condition will reappear, a small study found.
Rare disease makes people look like a woman, with male genitals
University of Granada researchers have designed a guideline for physicians and patients on the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), a rare [...]
Translational research: Medicine man
As director of the NIH's bold new translational research centre, Christopher Austin has to show that he can jump-start a tortuous drug-discovery process.Nature 494 24 doi: 10.1038/494024a
Gene protects Andean population against arsenic
Andean indigenous people carry a gene that protects them from health risks associated with rapid excretion of arsenic from drinking water, says a study.
New study examines community role of Ireland's rural pubs
Researchers from the University of York are exploring the role village pubs play in local communities in Ireland and ways of halting their decline.
German research minister’s doctoral thesis revoked in plagiarism row
University of Dusseldorf concludes that Annette Schavan copied large portions of her doctoral dissertation
Leonard Apt dies; UCLA pediatric ophthalmologist was 90
Apt established the first division of pediatric ophthalmology at a U.S. medical school at UCLA and was one of the five founders of the Jules Stein Eye Institute.During the first...
Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s
The number of congenital anomalies, or birth defects arising from multiple births has almost doubled since the 1980s, suggests a new study.
Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease
A father's obesity is one factor that may influence his children's health and potentially raise their risk for diseases like cancer, according to new research. The study is the first...
Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles
Tourists coming into contact with sea turtles at holiday attractions face a risk of health problems, according to research published today by JRSM Short Reports. Encountering free-living sea turtles in...
ACE inhibitor for PAD may improve pain-free walking
Among patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication (pain in the calf that comes and goes, typically felt while walking), 24 weeks of treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)...
Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures
A series of studies found that steroid drugs, known for inducing bone loss with prolonged use, actually help suppress a molecule that’s key to the rapid bone loss process.
Newtown kids to be featured on Grammy preshow
A group of children from Newtown, Conn. who recently recorded a version of "Over the Rainbow" are preparing for a live appearance during Sunday's Grammy Awards broadcast....
Chemotherapy orders may be error-prone, study finds
Preparing chemotherapy for patients at Canadian hospitals is potentially prone to errors, say researchers who embedded themselves to suggest changes at pharmacies.
Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients
Researchers have identified a gene that may better predict survival for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The scientists conducted a study that...
Tories say Ontario must do more for mentally ill youth
The Progressive Conservatives say that Ontario is wasting millions of dollars each year sending young patients with mental illnesses south of the border for treatment, rather than expanding the capacity...
Can breakfast make kids smarter?
New research has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores.