Popular Science articles about Health & Medicine

Testosterone improves verbal learning and memory in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women had better improvement in verbal learning and memory after receiving treatment with testosterone gel, compared with women who received sham treatment with a placebo, a new study found.

New compound excels at killing persistent and drug-resistant tuberculosis

An international team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has identified a highly...

Healthy, full-term babies use a different stress hormone than their mother

A University of Calgary researcher has identified how a steroid hormone may indicate infant distress during labour and delivery. The study, published by PLOS ONE this month, suggests that a...

Osteoporosis drug stops growth of breast cancer cells, even in resistant tumors

A drug approved in Europe to treat osteoporosis has now been shown to stop the growth of breast cancer cells, even in cancers that have become resistant to current targeted...

Discovery of how a gene that regulates factors involved in bacteria pathogenicity acts

In a piece of work carried out by the Carbohydrate Metabolism Research Team of the Institute of Agrobiotechnology (a centre jointly owned by the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre, the Spanish...

Scan predicts whether therapy or meds will best lift depression

Pre-treatment scans of brain activity predicted whether depressed patients would best achieve remission with an antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Chlamydia protein has an odd structure, scientists find

A protein secreted by the chlamydia bug has a very unusual structure, according to scientists in the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio....

Association between hypoglycemia, dementia in older adults with diabetes

A study of older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) suggests a bidirectional association between hypoglycemic (low blood glucose) events and dementia, according to a report published Online First by JAMA...

Mice give new clues to origins of OCD

Columbia Psychiatry researchers have identified what they think may be a mechanism underlying the development of compulsive behaviors. The finding suggests possible approaches to treating or preventing certain characteristics of...

Drug prevents post-traumatic stress-like symptoms in mice

When injected into mice immediately following a traumatic event, a new drug prevents the animals from developing memory problems and increased anxiety that are indicative of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

First dual-action compound kills cancer cells, stops them from spreading

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in...

Directed in vitro technique may increase insulin resistance among offspring

A special type of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, may increase the risk for insulin resistance among children conceived in this way, according to a new study from Greece.

Artificial sweetener a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease

Mannitol, a sugar alcohol produced by fungi, bacteria, and algae, is a common component of sugar-free gum and candy. The sweetener is also used in the medical field -- it's...

New way to improve antibiotic production

An antibiotic has been found to stimulate its own production. The findings, to be published in PNAS, could make it easier to scale up antibiotic production for commercialisation.

Researchers explode the myth about running injuries

If you are healthy and plan to start running for the first time, it is perfectly all right to put on a pair of completely ordinary 'neutral' running shoes without...

Lab experiments question effectiveness of green coffee bean weight-loss supplements

A major ingredient in those green coffee bean dietary supplements -- often touted as "miracle" weight-loss products -- doesn't prevent weight gain in obese laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet...

Saliva proteins may protect older people from influenza

Spit. Drool. Dribble. Saliva is not normally a topic of polite conversation, but it may be the key to explaining the age and sex bias exhibited by influenza and other...

Partial livers from deceased donors saving the lives of infants

New research reveals that transplantation of partial livers from deceased adult and teen donors has become less risky for infants and young children, helping to save these young lives. Findings...

Designated drivers don't always abstain, UF study finds

Maybe better call that cab, after all: A new University of Florida study found that 35 percent of designated drivers had quaffed alcohol and most had blood-alcohol levels high enough...

Over 120,000-year-old bone tumor in Neandertal specimen found

The first case of a bone tumor of the ribs in a Neanderthal specimen reveals that at least one Neanderthal suffered a cancer that is common in modern-day humans, according...

Formula-feeding linked to metabolic stress and increased risk of later disease

New evidence from research suggests that infants fed formula, rather than breast milk, experience metabolic stress that could play a part in the long-recognized link between formula-feeding and an increased...

Test to improve stem cell safety

CSIRO scientists have developed a test to identify unsafe stem cells. It is the first safety test specifically for human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) -- as published today in...