Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Clinical trial finds intensive treatment highly effective for children with high-functioning autism
A new program has been found to be highly effective for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs).
Sleeping pill doses to be lowered in U.S.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring makers of Ambien and similar sleeping pills to lower the dosage of their drugs, based on studies suggesting patients face a higher...
Proving health benefits of a new class of compounds extracted from seaweed faces regulatory hurdles
Seaweeds are a traditional accompaniment to many Asian dishes. They have also become increasingly popular across the world as an exotic delicacy. And not only do they taste wonderful, but...
Flu, Whooping Cough and Vomiting Virus: What's Going On?
There is no connection between this year's outbreaks of flu, whooping cough and norovirus.
Best Ways to Study for a Test Found
Researchers say they've pinpointed the most and least effective ways to prepare for a test.
Research revisiting the safety of GM weevil-resistant peas in mice contradicts previous risk assessment findings
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have conducted feeding trials with mice to investigate the allergenicity of genetically modified (GM) weevil-resistant peas. Development of the peas was discontinued in...
Is there a period of increased vulnerability for repeat traumatic brain injury?
Repeat traumatic brain injury affects a subgroup of the 3.5 million people who suffer head trauma each year. Even a mild repeat TBI that occurs when the brain is still...
New Rules Tackle Bacteria in Drinking Water
New national drinking water rules are expected to lead to fewer dangerous pathogens coming out of the tap. [More]
New tool to help brain surgeons one step closer to operating room
A new tool that could allow for faster, more comprehensive testing of brain tissue during surgery successfully identified the cancer type, grade and tumor margins in five brain surgery patients.
Positive spin and bias in breast cancer trials uncovered
Not all patient drug trials published in even the most prestigious of medical journals can be taken as gospel, say researchers, who have found a high proportion of "spin" in...
Overweight begins in the womb: Lifestyle of mother shapes disposition for subsequent weight
A disposition for overweight is shaped even before birth, according to new research. The study reveals that children with a birth weight of more than 4,000 grams are twice as...
IUD best treatment for heavy periods, major trial shows
The hormone-releasing Mirena coil intrauterine device (IUD) is a better treatment for heavy menstrual periods than other conventional medical approaches, according to results of a major clinical trial in the...
Study identifies infants at highest risk of death from pertussis; Early and repeated white blood cell counts are a critical tool
A new study has found that taking early and repeated white blood cell counts is critical in determining whether infants have pertussis and which of those children are at highest...
Surgeons may use hand gestures to manipulate MRI images in OR
Doctors may soon be using a system in the operating room that recognizes hand gestures as commands to tell a computer to browse and display medical images of the patient...
Decline in available liver transplants expected
A new study has found that the non-use of donor livers climbed through 2010 due to a worsening of donor liver quality, primarily from donation following cardiac death.
Human hearts generate new cells after birth; Findings could lead to novel approaches for treating heart failure in children
Researchers have found, for the first time, that young humans (infants, children and adolescents) are capable of generating new heart muscle cells. These findings refute the long-held belief that the...
Limiting polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in pregnancy may influence body fat of children
Researchers have demonstrated that mothers who have higher levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in cooking oils and nuts, during pregnancy have fatter children.
Mexico City murders blamed on pack of wild dogs
Official explanation of marauding wild dogs for deaths of five people found with horrific flesh injuries prompts public backlashCrime scene tape strung between trees in a hilly park in the working class Mexico...
The New Old Age Blog: Help for Planning End-of-Life Care
A new Web site helps the elderly designate a "medical decision maker" and clarify preferences for health care.
Neurologists Describe the Most Feared and Devastating Strokes
Among the most feared and devastating strokes are ones caused by blockages in the brain’s critical basilar artery system. When [...]
High costs tied to fewer shock treatments
Horrific images from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest notwithstanding, modern electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains one of the safest and [...]
The antioxidant myth is too easy to swallow | Henry Scowcroft
People are hooked on the fallacy that antioxidants are a byword for healthy – perhaps because the truth is less appealingWhen the press release arrived in our inboxes, we knew what would...
Indonesia to add photo warnings to cigarette packs
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Indonesia has issued regulations that will require cigarette packets to bear graphic photographic warnings, a long-delayed measure in a country with one...
New protein to treat damaged bones uncovered
Researchers believe that the 'DJ-1 protein' can be used to promote the formation of new bone tissue in patients suffering from osteoporosis by improving communication between bone making cells (osteoblasts)...
Technology detects flu in 1 hour, not days
CHICAGO, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Physicians at a Chicago-area hospital say during flu season they can detect if a patient has influenza, a cold or another respiratory illness in...
Collagen translates as healthy eyes
A team of Australian researchers has identified the collagen genes that influence corneal thickness.
A rapid test for fungus that caused injection deaths
A rapid detection assay has been developed to Exserhilum rostratum, the fungus primarily responsible for 39 deaths among patients injected last year with a contaminated steroid medication. The test can...
Unnecessary antimicrobial use increases risk of recurrent infectious diarrhea
A new study found that many patients with Clostridium difficile infection are prescribed unnecessary antibiotics, increasing their risk of recurrence of the deadly infection. The retrospective report shows that unnecessary...