Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Nobel winner Kohrana dies
CONCORD, Mass., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Har Gobind Khorana, who rose from poverty in rural India to become a Nobel Prize-winning giant of modern biology, has died at age...
U.S. population on track to getting even fatter
In 2020, the vast majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, according to new projections.
New study links excessive amounts of vitamin D to onset of atrial fibrillation
While previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, new research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute shows that too much vitamin D...
Delayed stem cell therapy following heart attack is safe but not effective
Stem cells obtained from bone marrow, known as BMCs, can be safely injected into people two to three weeks following a heart attack, reports a new clinical trial. However, while...
Uncovering a key player in metastasis
About 90 percent of cancer deaths are caused by secondary tumors, known as metastases, which spread from the original tumor site. Cancer biologists are determining how platelets in the bloodstream...
Following the clues
Researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Children’s Hospital Boston have retraced the evolution of an unusual bacterial infection as it spread among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients by sequencing scores of samples collected...
More lung cancer patients would survive for longer if surgery rates increased
Many more lung cancer patients would survive for longer if they had surgery to remove the disease, according to research published in the European Journal of Cancer.
Health Care Is Changing, Despite Federal Uncertainty
No matter what the Supreme Court decides, health care in America has changed in ways that will not be easily undone.
Parkinson's disease linked to solvent TCE
Parkinson's disease risk may be higher among those exposed to an industrial solvent, an international team of researchers has found.
Impact of cutting co-pay on meds
The use of specific medications following a heart attack has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events and mortality; however, while highly effective, the rate of adherence to these medications is poor. Researchers from...
Eradicating cane toads with 'their own medicine'
Sydney University biologists have discovered cane toad tadpoles (Bufo marinus) communicate using chemicals excreted into the water, a finding that may help to impede the Cane Toad invasion of the...
Study unlocks mystery of dystonia with advanced imaging
An estimated 300,000 people in North America are afflicted with dystonia, a disorder characterized by a progressive loss of motor control. Patients with generalized dystonia grapple with involuntary muscle spasms...
Sugary Drinks Hurt Even Skinny Women's Hearts
Many women in the study saw expanding waistlines, even if they did not gain weight.
Educating Teens, Parents May Reverse Lack of Vaccinations
Vaccinations rates have improved , but are still lower than the coverage goal.
Poor sleep habits linked to increased risk of fibromyalgia in women
Researchers from Norway have uncovered an association between sleep problems and increased risk of fibromyalgia in women. The risk of fibromyalgia increased with severity of sleep problems, and the...
New analytical method enhances the possibility of selecting optimal cancer treatment
For a cancer treatment to be adapted to each individual patient, a large number of tumor samples need to be examined carefully. Collaboration between a company and Uppsala University has...
Healthy ageing more important than aged care, expert says
Deep-seated ageism is at the core of our culture and at the heart of an unproductive government approach to healthy ageing, says Professor Hal Kendig, Director of the Ageing, Work...
Researchers develop tools to resolve fitness dilemma for Canadians with spinal cord injuries
For most Canadians, finding a way to get fit is simple. Exercise equipment is readily available, and advice on workout routines and fitness guidelines are easy to find.
White pediatric heart transplant patients more likely than non-whites to survive long term
White heart transplant patients under the age of 18 are more than twice as likely to be alive a decade after surgery as their African-American counterparts, new Johns Hopkins research...
Wearable defibrillator can prevent death in people with arrhythmias, research finds
A wearable defibrillator can prevent sudden death in people with dangerous heart arrhythmias, according to new research.
Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants may affect weight and size of newborn
A higher exposure to xenoestrogens -- a type of environmental pollutants acting as hormones -- might affect neonatal weight and size in term infants. Researchers have found a correlation between...
New approaches may prevent certain side effects in BRAF mutation-positive melanoma
Findings from preclinical studies in a skin cancer model showed that next-generation BRAF inhibitors used alone, or first-generation BRAF inhibitors used in combination with an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor,...
Improved memory efficiency seen after aerobic exercise in fibromyalgia patients
Areas of the brain responsible for pain processing and cognitive performance changed in fibromyalgia patients who exercised following a medication holiday, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center. They say...
A more flexible window into the brain
Scientists have developed and tested a new high-resolution, ultra-thin device capable of recording brain activity from the cortical surface without having to use penetrating electrodes. The device could make possible...
New way to target – and kill – proliferating tumors
Researchers have identified a new drug discovery approach enabling the destruction of the most highly proliferative tumors. The discovery points to an effective, alternative method for killing fast-growing cancer cells...
Heavy drinking in pregnancy can alter unborn babies' brains, study shows
People born to alcoholic mothers at risk of problems ranging from poor brain development to loss of hearing and visionHeavy drinking during pregnancy could alter the genetic makeup of unborn babies' brains, causing...
Combination therapy shows potent tumor growth inhibition in preclinical studies
Combining the investigational agents REGN910 and aflibercept yielded statistically significant improvements in antitumor effects in animal models compared with either agent alone, according to results presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International...
Researchers develop more effective way to discover and test potential cancer drugs
Researchers have created a new phenotypic screening platform that better predicts success of drugs developed to prevent blood vessel tumor growth when moving out of the lab and onto actual...