Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Virus might fight brain tumours better if armed with bacterial enzyme, study shows
New research shows that oncolytic viruses, which are engineered to destroy cancer cells, might be more effective in treating deadly brain tumours if equipped with an enzyme that helps them...
New therapies for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease identified
A new study reveals underlying causes for the degeneration of synapses in Alzheimer's disease and identifies promising pharmaceutical solutions for the devastating condition.
MicroRNAs could increase the risk of amputation in diabetics
New research has found one of the smallest entities in the human genome, micro-RNA, could increase the risk of limb amputation in diabetic patients who have poor blood flow...
UBC-VCH researchers find critical link between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered that the genetic mechanism which destroys brain cells is responsible for early development of Alzheimer's...
Customer representatives mean increased efficiency in radiology
Adding customer service representatives to a computerised radiology workflow management system means improved patient and referring physician satisfaction and increased radiologist efficiency, an analysis of a program at Children's Hospital...
Elastography helps identify patients who need biopsy
A new ultrasound technique is proving valuable in distinguishing malignant from benign breast lesions in some patients - results that could mean fewer unnecessary breast biopsies, a new study shows...
New insight into neuronal survival after brain injury
A new study identifies a molecule that is a critical regulator of neurone survival after ischaemic brain injury. The research, published by Cell Press in the January 13 issue of...
Some heart attack rates declining and survival improving
Coronary syndromes vary in severity, ranging from unstable angina, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most severe diagnosis. Little data exist about changing...
First genetic test for predicting IVF success
A researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has helped to develop the first genetic blood test for predicting the chances that in vitro fertilization (IVF) will...
Study: Consumers not fazed by DNA health results
Consumers who get their DNA tested for health risks take the results in stride, says the first major study of how people react to commercial genetic testing.
'Thirdhand smoke' may be bigger health hazard than previously believed
Scientists are reporting that so-called "thirdhand smoke" -- the invisible remains of cigarette smoke that deposits on carpeting, clothing, furniture and other surfaces -- may be even more of a...
Energy drinks don't blunt effects of alcohol, study finds
While marketing efforts that encourage mixing caffeinated "energy" drinks with alcohol often try to sway young people to believe that caffeine will offset the sedating effects of alcohol, a new...
Tinnitus is the result of the brain trying, but failing, to repair itself
Tinnitus appears to be produced by an unfortunate confluence of structural and functional changes in the brain, say neuroscientists.
Scientific evidence supports effectiveness of Chinese drug for cataracts
Scientists are reporting a scientific basis for the long-standing belief that a widely used non-prescription drug in China and certain other countries can prevent and treat cataracts, a clouding of...
Asthma on the rise in U.S.
A national survey in 2009 shows 8.2 per cent of Americans have asthma. The rate had been holding under eight per cent for the previous four years.
Blinking Bacteria
E. coli bacteria are engineered to blink on and off in synchrony, which could be used to track pollutants or the release of drugs into the body.
A plague in both these novels: why does disease make such infectious fiction?
Since nothing so tests a community as disease, it's no wonder novelists, from Boccaccio to Roth, are drawn to the themeWhy is the novel infectious? Or to put it another way, why...
'Bacillus anthracis and Anthrax': The past, present and future of anthrax research
Few strands of bacteria have achieved such a central place in public consciousness as Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria which causes Anthrax. While today it is a feared weapon of bioterrorism...
Researchers investigate estrogen to prevent depression and cardiovascular disease
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have launched a new clinical trial to determine if estrogen replacement therapy may help prevent depression and cardiovascular illness in...
Measles virus, a weapon against cancer?
When most people in the developed world think of measles, what comes to mind is only a dim memory of a vaccination at a paediatrician's office. But while childhood vaccination...
Well: Nurse and Doctor, Neighbor and Friend
In the hospital, doctors and nurses build walls, and maintain them, to buttress authority and prevent being challenged by staff from other floors.
Sleep-disordered breathing comes at a heavy cost
In one of the largest studies of its kind, Danish sleep researchers have examined the socio-economic consequences of the sleep disorders snoring, sleep apnea, and obesity-related respiratory difficulties (obesity hypoventilation...
Opinion: Medical training in critical condition
Prof. Robinson writes about the shortcomings of current training protocols for medical graduates, including a lack of internship places.
US family physicians miss opportunities to discuss IUDs with patients
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) for contraception are safe and effective, but only a small fraction of women in the United States use them...
'Yo-yo' effect of slimming diets explained
If you want to lose the kilos you've put on over Christmas, you may be interested in knowing that the hormones related to appetite play an important role in your...
Roll-your-own tobacco could be more addictive
Research carried out at Victoria University suggests smokers of roll-your-own tobacco may be more intensely addicted to the habit than those who puff on manufactured cigarettes.
New drug uses stealth to stop cancer cell reproduction
A new investigational drug designed to stop cancer cells from reproducing may offer hope for patients with advanced solid tumor cancers. Clinical trials of TKM-PLK1 for qualified patients are now...
No authority over abusive workers: N.S. Health
Nova Scotia's Department of Health says it does not have the authority to order disciplinary action for two nursing home workers who were found to have abused residents.