Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Cilia control eating signal
Little hairlike appendages in brain cells control weight by sequestering an appetite hormone
Kidney and pancreas transplant now available to HIV-infected patients
Kidney and pancreas transplants are now being offered to HIV positive patients with advanced kidney disease and diabetes.
Fatty livers are in overdrive
When our livers become loaded with fat, it isn't because they are slacking. A new study of human patients in the December Cell Metabolism shows that fatty livers actually burn...
Devastating 'founder effect' genetic disorder raced to defective mitochondria in cerebellar neurons
Defective mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses of the cell, trigger an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that first shows itself in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk, Canadian scientists reported at...
Bile acids may hold clue to treat heart disease
Heart disease is a major cause of death in industrialised countries, and is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes. Many scientists believe that what links these conditions is a chronic,...
Feds crack down on homeopathic weight loss remedy
(AP) -- Federal regulators are ordering several companies to stop selling an unproven weight loss remedy that uses protein from the human placenta.
Is obesity a ciliopathy, triggered by malfunctioning primary cilia?
Is obesity a ciliopathy, a disorder such as polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which is triggered by a defect in the microscopic hair-like cilia that protrude from virtually every cell of...
Vasodilator hormone improved kidney function, blood flow in PKD model
After a four-week course of the vasodilator hormone relaxin, kidney function and blood flow immediately improved in lab rats genetically altered to model polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a life-threatening genetic...
Blasting Cancer from the Inside Out
Even when surgical tumor removal is combined with a heavy dose of chemotherapy or radiation, there’s no guarantee that the cancer will not return. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University...
Research finds many women not receiving recommended breast cancer adjuvant treatment
A first-of-its kind study led by Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Public Health at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, reports that a significant number of women are...
Promising MS drug increases neuroprotection
Laquinimod is an orally available synthetic compound that has been successfully evaluated in phase II/III clinical studies for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The...
Acupuncture may help cancer treatment pain
Acupuncture may help ease the severe nerve pain associated with certain cancer drugs, suggests a small preliminary study published in Acupuncture in Medicine. Cancer patients treated with taxanes,...
Scooters save lives of snakebite victims
Nepal project achieves dramatic drop in deaths by using motorbike helpers to rush the stricken to hospital
Stopping dangerous cell regrowth reduces risk of further heart attacks
"After an arterial injury, the inner layer of cells in the artery begins to regrow. In the long term, this usually causes more harm than good", says Maria Gomez.
Hockey fights 'may' increase risk of degenerative brain disease
Researchers at Boston University say it's important not to over-interpret results from a study of former NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard's brain that show early signs of a neurodegenerative disease linked...
E. coli evade detection by going dormant
When stressed, bacteria can temporarily turn comatose and dodge germ-screening tests
War on hospital infections drags on
At a time when most new moms are bonding with their babies, Cheri Stout-Robinson was hospitalized for treatment of flesh-eating bacteria.
Scientists make advances in neuroscience and vision research
Thanks to a new study of the retina, scientists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a greater understanding of how the nervous system becomes wired during early development.
Caesium found in Japan baby milk
Japanese milk powder maker Meiji recalls its baby formula after finding radioactive caesium in the product.
Pass on the cardigan and go for the grabber
For the 133 million Americans living with chronic conditions, the best holiday gift is something that will make navigating her daily routine easier. There are almost 40 million people age...
Study finds increased education lowers crime
New research from The CIBC Centre for Human Capital and Productivity at The University of Western Ontario shows that education, and related education-based initiatives, can reduce crime rates, improve health,...
Prescriptions Blog: Researchers Question Coverage for a Spine Procedure
Even though studies did not find clear benefits for patients, Medicare and other insurers continue to pay for the treatment.
Researchers test a drug-exercise program designed to prevent type 2 diabetes
(Medical Xpress) -- Kinesiology researcher Barry Braun of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleagues recently reported unexpected results of a study suggesting that exercise and one of the most...
Kids born just a few weeks early at risk of behavioural problems
Children born just a few weeks too early are significantly more likely to have behavioural and/or emotional problems in the pre-school years, suggests research published online in the Archives of...
Trends in quality of care and health care spending for depression examined in new study
Over a 10-year period, spending for Medicaid-enrolled patients with depression increased substantially but only minimal improvements in quality of care were observed, according to a new study.
Prevalence of conduct disorder among families of Mexican migrants in the U.S. examined in new study
The prevalence of conduct disorder appears to have increased substantially across generations of the Mexican-origin population after migration to the United States, however this increase was observed more for nonaggressive...
Factors associated with discrimination in specialty care access for children with public insurance examined in new study
In a study in which researchers posing as mothers attempted to schedule appointments for children at specialty clinics, affiliation of the clinic with an academic medical center was associated with...
OPINION: Do more children have autism now than before?
There is no single environmental factor that substantially contributes to the rise of autism diagnoses, Andrew Whitehouse writes.