Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Keeping to your New Year's resolutions with PiFace
After a festive period of excess, a January diet is one of the most common New Year resolutions for many people.
'Spear phishing' attacks target networks
ATLANTA, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Corporate networks are at risk from "spear phishing," a cyberattack using specific knowledge about employees and their organizations, U.S. researchers say.
Differences: Female Athletes Get More ACL Ruptures, What Surgeons Need To Know
Female athletes are three times more likely than men to suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures, one of the most common knee injuries. Studies have found that pre-season and...
Stem cell materials could boost research into key diseases
Stem cell manufacturing for drug screening and treatments for diseases such as Huntington's and Parkinson's could be boosted by a new method of generating stem cells, a study suggests. Scientists...
Fussy babies spend more time in front of the TV
Moms, especially those who are obese, are more likely to use TV to entertain and soothe infants who are more fussy and active, according to researchers. The finding adds to...
New marker of drug response may speed pace of lung cancer prevention trials
Testing medicines to prevent lung cancer requires treating many thousands of high-risk individuals and then waiting five, 10 or 15 years to discover which of them develop cancer and which,...
Obesity drops among children enrolled in NY state Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program
New York children participating in a federal nutrition program had healthier eating behaviors and lower rates of obesity two years after improvements to the program were undertaken, according to a...
Why obese people have higher rates of asthma
A new study has found that leptin, a hormone that plays a key role in energy metabolism, fertility, and bone mass, also regulates airway diameter. The findings could explain why...
Simulated Mars mission reveals body's sodium rhythms
Researchers report that -- in contrast to the prevailing dogma -- sodium levels fluctuate rhythmically with 7-day and monthly cycles. The findings, which demonstrate that sodium is stored in the...
Prescription drug misuse remains a top public health concern
Prescription drug misuse is second only to marijuana as the nation’s most prevalent illicit drug problem, with approximately 22 million persons nationwide initiating nonmedical pain reliever use since 2002, according...
Postpartum depression prevalent in under-developed countries, could impact baby health and mortality
Two-thirds of mothers with sick babies in Ghana at risk of depression, which could put babies at higher health risks such as low birth weight and poor nutrition.
Teens susceptible to hepatitis B infection despite vaccination as infants
New research reveals that a significant number of adolescents lose their protection from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, despite having received a complete vaccination series as infants. Results suggest teens...
First study of Oregon's Hmong reveals surprising influences on cancer screenings
Cervical cancer rates for Hmong women are among the highest in the nation, yet past research has shown that cervical and breast cancer screening rates for this population are low...
Spit test 'improves' asthma care
A simple spit test could identify thousands of children with asthma who are taking medication which will never work for them, scientists say.
Ontario eyes changing health needs of aging population
The Ontario government is taking steps to ensure that all senior citizens have access to the health professionals who can provide them with the care they need in their advancing...
Brief class on easy-to-miss precancerous polyps ups detection
Most people know a colonoscopy requires some preparation by the patient. Now, a physician suggests an additional step to lower the risk of colorectal cancer: Ask for your doctor’s success...
Most physicians don't meet quality reporting requirements, study finds
A new study shows that fewer than one-in-five healthcare providers meet Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) requirements.
‘Rehab’ helps errant researchers return to the lab
As cases of misconduct rise, ethicists test an approach for reforming offenders.Nature 493 147 doi: 10.1038/493147a
Delivering Bifidobacterium
Some years ago, I was a bit mystified as to the distinction between prebiotics and probiotics. These days, one can easily look them up on Wikipedia, and find that prebiotics...
New target for common heart condition identified
Researchers have found new evidence that metabolic stress can increase the onset of atrial arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally...
XL Foods warned 6 times over lapses before E. coli outbreak
An Alberta meat-processing plant at the centre of Canada's largest beef recall was ordered to address serious problems six times in the months leading up to an E. coli outbreak...
Meteorology needs bold leadership to build public trust in climate research | Bob Ward
The Royal Meteorological Society must step forward to demonstrate the leadership that the profession so badly needsClimate researchers have suffered from a very severe loss of public confidence and trust in their competence...
Nutrisystem improves arterial function in obese, postmenopausal women, study finds
Researchers in Florida report that they have found that Nutrisystem, with or without low intense resistance exercise, improves arterial function in obese, postmenopausal women.
Rumour research can douse digital wildfires
Work on how rumours arise and spread could help to dampen the effects of damaging misinformation circulating on the Internet, says Nicholas DiFonzo.Nature 493 135 doi: 10.1038/493135a
To make brighter LEDs, scientists mimic fireflies
The nighttime twinkling of fireflies has inspired scientists to modify a light-emitting diode (LED) so it is more than one [...]
Enzyme discovery may lead to better tests for tuberculosis
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health have identified an enzyme that will trigger the rapid breakdown of several mycobacteria species, including the bacteria known...
Mapping the heatwave toll
A study identifying those Australians who are most vulnerable to extreme heat will inform new ways to help communities manage the risks associated with heatwaves.
Wine feels the effects of a changing climate
The signs of climate change are universally evident, but for French winemakers, already feeling the effects of competition from other countries, the year of volatile weather does not bode well....