Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Tiny shocks help schizophrenics
Very mild electrical brain stimulation could be used as a treatment for people with schizophrenia, says researchers.
'Cellphones Don't Increase Kids' Cancer Risk' Study Flawed, Experts Say
A new study concludes that there is no link between cellphone use and brain cancer among children and adolescents. Experts say it is biased and actually does show evidence of...
Researchers turn on, then off, social awkwardness in mice
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have been able to switch on, and then switch off, social-behavior deficits in mice that resemble those seen in people with autism and...
Plastic surgeons should be aware of patients with 'excessive concern' about appearance
Moderate to severe symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) - excessive concern about appearance that interferes with daily life - are found in 33 percent of patients seeking plastic surgery...
Common Korean surname tells tale of nationhood
The most common surname in Korea -- Kim -- has been traced back 1,500 years using a statistical model, providing evidence of a strong, stable culture that has remained intact...
Peer-review 'needs improvements'
MPs report the process of reviewing scientific research should become more transparent, and recommends an oversight body to ensure integrity.
Growing up on livestock farm linked to increased risk of blood cancers
Growing up on a livestock farm seems to be linked to an increased risk of developing blood cancers as an adult, indicates research published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Walter Reed Hospital Holds Closing Ceremony
Patients from the Washington hospital, which opened in 1909, will be moved to facilities in Maryland and Virginia.
Norwegians Concede a Role in Chilean Salmon Virus
A Norwegian aquaculture company endorsed a scientific study that found salmon eggs shipped from Norway to Chile are the “likely reason” for a devastating virus outbreak in 2007.
FEATURE: Deconstructing penicillin to save a medical miracle
Swinburne researchers have joined the global effort to find the secrets of penicillin, Mandy Thoo reports.
Cost of Treating Veterans Will Rise Long Past Wars
Though the withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq and Afghanistan will save the nation billions of dollars, the cost of caring for veterans is projected to grow for decades...
MS vein therapy scrutinized in Alberta study
Alberta is spending up to $1 million to track the experience of people with multiple sclerosis, particularly those who have had the controversial procedure introduced by an Italian doctor.
Total disc replacement helps with range of motion, expert says
Knee and hip replacements have been common for decades, offering patients who suffered from degeneration a full range of pain-free movement. But spines and backs have been more problematic. Spinal...
New therapy may help people with unexplained symptoms of pain, weakness and fatigue
A new type of therapy may help people with symptoms such as pain, weakness, or dizziness that can't be explained by an underlying disease, according to a new study. These...
Better transplants through centrifuging
Removing some antibodies from blood of kidney recipients can improve post-op outlook
Food supplements airlifted into famine-hit Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- A plane carrying 10 tons of urgently needed nutritional supplements to treat malnourished children has landed in famine-hit Somalia, a U.N. official...
Popular mammography tool not effective for finding invasive breast cancer
Computer-aided detection (CAD) technology is ineffective in finding breast tumors, and appears to increase a woman's risk of being called back needlessly for additional testing following mammography, a large UC...
Gastric bypass surgery changes food preferences so that they eat less high fat food
Gastric bypass surgery alters people's food preferences so that they eat less high fat food, according to a new study. The findings suggest a new mechanism by which some types...
Calgary's hospitals put ER wait times online
Waiting times for Calgary's hospital emergency rooms and urgent care centres are now available online.
Astronomy Discovery Could Help Treat Cancer Patients
Astronomers are applying their knowledge of stars and black holes to medical treatment.
Doctors for all still a P.E.I. target
P.E.I. is at an all-time high with 96 family doctors in the province, and the government isn't giving up on its goal of a doctor for every Islander, says Health...
First global estimates of celiac disease and its mortality burden: 42,000 children may die every year
Researchers from Sweden and South Africa have compiled the first global estimates of celiac disease and associated mortality. These estimates suggest that around 42,000 children may die every year from...
New technique for restoring heart rhythm
A high-amplitude, and often painful, electrical shock is the only currently available method for treating certain cases of chronic cardiac arrhythmia. But now a new technique using much weaker impulses...
CT shows changes in lungs associated with COPD flare-ups
Using computed tomography, researchers have identified two types of structural changes in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that are associated with frequent exacerbations, or episodes when...
How memory is lost: Loss of memory due to aging may be reversible
The neural networks in the brains of the middle-aged and elderly have weaker connections and fire less robustly than in youthful ones. Intriguingly, the research suggests that this condition is...
Yoga boosts stress-busting hormone, reduces pain
A new study finds that practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia. The study is the first to look at the effects...
Researchers work to take the pressure off newborns' lungs
Children born with heart defects that pummel their lungs with up to three times the normal blood volume quickly find their lungs in jeopardy as well.
Sexually victimized girls with PTSD not more likely to binge drink later
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common outcome of sexual assault among many teenage girls, but they do not necessarily cope by binge drinking, a new study finds. When they...