Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Fat around hips may ward off diabetes
It helps to improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar, researchers find. ...
Genes And The Environment Contribute Differently To Drinking Among Young Adolescents
A 2001/2002 report by the World Health Organization found that, among young people in western countries who began drinking before 16 years of age, the average age of initiation was...
Protein 'Nixes' Mitochrondria, Prompts Maturation Of Red Blood Cells
A process of self-digestion called autophagy prompts the maturation of red blood cells. Without a protein called Nix, the cells would not effectively rid themselves of organelles called mitochondria and...
Elderly often forget dying wishes
Many elderly patients change their mind about end-of-life treatments, such as CPR, over a year, with many forgetting their original wishes, research has shown.
Mutation makes bubonic plague more lethal
CHICAGO, May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say bubonic plague bacteria might be more virulent than other illness-causing bacteria because of a genetic mutation.
Mothers Less Likely To Pursue HPV Vaccination For Youngest Daughters
Because the first national study of its kind has found that US mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus, even though...
The Particle Whisperers
As many parents know, it's often easier to keep your kids under control by exerting less authority rather than more. A child who fidgets uncontrollably in a confining booster seat,...
Bacterial slime helps cause serious disease
Leptospirosis is a serious but neglected emerging disease that infects humans through contaminated water. Now research published in the May issue of the journal Microbiology shows for the first time...
Scientists find trick to fast metabolism
Researchers have learnt how to manipulate fat cells in a way that speeds up metabolism, aids weight loss and prevents diabetes.
Opinion: ECT - what no one is talking about
ECT, or electro-convulsive therapy, is used as a treatment for people with depression. The trouble is, not much is known about it, writes Sam Westgarth.
Smoking causes gum disease
Smoking causes almost a third of all gum disease cases in Australia, often resulting in tooth loss, according to latest University of Adelaide research.
Step closer to safer cancer treatment
The discovery of a protein, which can be targeted by cancer drugs, could lead to treatments that only kill tumour cells and leave healthy ones intact.
Fat cell numbers stay constant through adult life
Even serious weight loss doesn't reduce your overall number of fat-holding cells.
Getting wise to the influenza virus' tricks
Influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and health organisations around the world. The worry is the potential for highly virulent bird flu strains, such as H5N1, to develop...
Scientists identify genomic 'fingerprint' for alcohol-induced heart failure
A person with dilated cardiomyopathy has an enlarged and stretched heart cavity, usually too weak to pump normally; most people will go on to develop heart failure. While clinicians...
Young Children Hospitalized For Flu Associated With Higher Costs And Higher Risk Illness
The high costs of hospitalizing young children for influenza creates a significant economic burden in the United States, underscoring the importance of preventive flu shots for children and the people...
Premature Infants Benefit From Diets Rich In Protein, Study Suggests
More than 12 percent of babies are born prematurely, up more than 20 percent from 1990*, and as premature birth rates continue to climb, neonatologists at Nationwide Children's Hospital are...
Alcoholism Is Not Just A 'Man's Disease' Anymore
A new examination of data on similarly aged groups, compared across decades, has found substantial increases in drinking and alcohol dependence among women. Increases were particularly notable among white and...
Feature: Taking medicine back to nature
From reptile blood to green tea, medical researchers are borrowing from the natural remedies of the past to improve health today, writes Catherine Madden.
Timber workers risk respiratory disease
Timber workers have high dioxin levels in their blood and many are heavily exposed to PCP, resulting in an increased risk of respiratory disease, a study has found.
24 Chinese children die of virus; other countries affected
(AP) -- A common illness that typically causes little more than a fever and rash has killed 24 children in China, and health officials fear the worst may be yet...
Part II: Straining to progress, as family challenges mount
(AP) -- Day 1 at Project Walk fell on their 13th wedding anniversary. In years past, John and Marci Pou might have gone to dinner. Instead, in a strange place...
Vitamin D eased his chronic pain
I've had chronic pain in my lower back, pelvis, hips and legs for nearly four years. Lying flat was agony, so I slept propped up in a love seat.
Engineer Develops Thermosuit For Rapid Cooling Of Critically Ill Patients
A biomedical engineering professor has launched a company to market a unique system he co-invented that rapidly reduces one's body temperature in emergency situations to aid in recovering from heart...
Hospital data left open online
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3 (UPI) -- A security breach may have exposed patients at a California university hospital to medical identity theft, an expert on privacy issues says.
Part I: Hunting for a miracle, grasping at a chance
(AP) -- It was only a chair, but it had become his purgatory. Each day that John Pou spent in the wheelchair, his spirit seemed to die a little more....
Poor sanitation 'increases risk' of bacterial disease
Lack of sanitation increase the risk of the bacterial infection Leptospirosis, a Brazilian study has found.
Study identifies rapid obesity increase in Jamaica
A study has identified rapid increases in obesity in Jamaica, compared with Nigeria and the United States.