Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Hospitals of last resort deliver lower quality of lung cancer care, study suggests
A new study finds that patients treated in hospitals that care for a high percentage of uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients were significantly less likely to undergo surgery that was intended...
New twist in diabetes drugs could reduce life-threatening side effects
Researchers have created prototype drugs that have powerful anti-diabetic effects and are free of dangerous side effects plaguing some current diabetes medications.
New York crime lab still working on the 9/11 case
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Forensic scientists are continuing to identify remains from 9/11 victims, and they could still be working on the case 10 years from now.
Mother’s diet influences baby’s allergies — new research
A possible link between what a mother eats during pregnancy and the risk of her child developing allergies has been identified in new research published in this month’s The Journal...
Researchers work to develop screening method for superbug: Pharmacologists study first drug-resistant strain of pneumonia to enter Texas
A team of researchers is working to develop improved screening methods to detect a potentially lethal, drug-resistant superbug -- commonly called CRKP -- that has made its way to Texas.
Disrupting a cancer gene
Scientists at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have successfully disrupted the function of a cancer gene involved in the formation of most human tumors by tampering with the gene’s “on” switch and growth signals,...
Changes to distribution of livers for transplant proposed
Transplantation specialists have proposed changes to the allocation and distribution of organs used for liver transplants. The recommended policy modifications take into account the scarcity of available organs, ensuring rapid...
Dalhousie preaches alcohol safety to students
Dalhousie University in Halifax, with Nova Scotia's largest population of first-year students, is working to keep its students safe from drinking too much alcohol.
Body clock found to regulate platelet function
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have demonstrated that the circadian system, the body's internal clock, regulates human platelet function and causes a peak in platelet activation corresponding to...
Hormone that predicts premature death in kidney patients identified
Researchers have discovered a hormone that can predict early death in kidney patients.
Popular flu medication's neurologic side effects in children studied
Oseltamivir is the weapon of choice for preventing influenza infection from taking hold, but like any other drug, it also has the potential for adverse effects. Children in particular are susceptible...
Telepsychiatry initiative shows promising results
A statewide telepsychiatry initiative in South Carolina is changing the way that emergency psychiatric patients are treated, and preliminary results are encouraging.
Mold removal in homes, offices could cut respiratory illness
A new evidence review finds that ridding homes and offices of mold and dampness can help reduce respiratory infections and troubling symptoms for asthma sufferers across the globe; however, the...
Safe and scientifically sound
In August, federal officials sent a letter to Yale University formally criticizing its safety practices in connection to the accidental death of a student.
Stopping meds during pregnancy does not increase risk of depression
(Medical Xpress) -- Women who discontinue using antidepressants during pregnancy do not appear to have greater risk of having a depressive episode during and after term than those who continue...
Green Blog: Impasse Persists on Drugs in Drinking Water
Federal agencies have failed to determine exactly what health risks are posed by pharmaceuticals in water supplies, a G.A.O. report says.
Plain packaging removes cigarettes' appeal
Removing branding and wrapping cigarettes in plain packaging helps remove the appeal of smoking according to new a Cancer Research UK-funded study published in Tobacco Control.
Researchers find chemical signals that initiate the body's immune response
(Medical Xpress) -- University of Florida researchers have identified two key steps required to activate the bodys innate immune system, its first line of defense against infection.
Sexually-transmitted infections up on P.E.I.
Doctors on P.E.I. are seeing more cases of two sexually-transmitted diseases, and the province's chief health officer says the problem is people aren't protecting themselves.
'Boobie' bracelets spark controversy
A bracelet advocating awareness about breast cancer has sparked controversy in the Kennebecasis Valley, just outside Saint John.
Sewage-tainted floodwaters threaten public health
(AP) -- Nasty floodwaters from the remnants of Lee and Irene - tainted with sewage and other toxins - threaten public health in parts of the Northeast by direct...
Worrying rise in alcohol related deaths among patients with diabetes
Alcohol has become an important cause of death among patients with type 1 diabetes since the 1980s, concludes a study published on BMJ website today.
Vegetable Gardens Are Booming in a Fallow Economy
Rural residents are relying more on locally grown food to save money — or earn it. Some see health benefits, too.
The recently sick avoid disfigured faces
We know that in keeping the body physically healthy, the mind both conscious and unconscious is a principle actor. Indeed, research has shown that the biological, or physiological, immune system...
Combination therapy rids common infection from implanted medical devices
Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a therapy for a potentially deadly type of infection common in catheters, artificial joints and other "in-dwelling" medical devices. Their findings appear...
Concurrent chemo and radiation therepy improves long-term survival for inoperable stage III lung cancer
Nearly 50,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with stage III or locally advanced NSCLC, for which surgery is usually not a viable treatment option. Optimizing nonsurgical treatment strategies for these...
New limits on physician training hours could prove costly for US teaching hospitals
The new limits on hours that physicians-in-training can work will prove costly for USteaching hospitals, which will need to spend up to $1.3 billion a year, and possibly more, to...
The New Old Age Blog: A Big Risk in the Health Care Handoff
A large study in Canada finds that prescriptions for older patients are often fumbled in the move from one doctor to the next.