Latest science news in Health & Medicine
New study supports claim that breast screening may be causing more harm than good
A new study published on bmj.com today supports the claim that the introduction of breast cancer screening in the UK may have caused more harm than good.
Unique genetic marker may improve detection of recurrent ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a major health concern for women and the identification of sensitive biomarkers for early detection and/or monitoring of disease recurrence is of high clinical relevance. New work...
Common bone drug may extend life of replacement joints
People who take bisphosphonates after joint replacement surgery are less likely to need a repeat operation, finds a new study published in the British Medical Journal today.
Chinese go online to vent anger over pollution
Millions of Chinese went online Tuesday to vent their anger over the thick smog that has blanketed Beijing in recent days, raising health fears and causing hundreds of flights to...
New sugar curbs heart disease
A new combination of sugar and seleno can prevent reactive acids from damaging the heart, new research shows.
Naked mole rat: Even its sperm is weird
For any other animal, sperm like the naked mole rat's would be considered faulty and infertile, new research suggests. Only about 0.1 percent of the sperm are fast, active swimmers.
Inhibitors of infamous Ras oncogene reported by Genentech researchers at ASCB annual meeting
A drug discovery team at Genentech, Inc., has uncovered a chink in the molecular armor of Ras, the most commonly occurring oncogene, which is a gene that when mutated has...
Low vitamin D levels may contribute to development of Type 2 diabetes
A recent study of obese and non-obese children found that low vitamin D levels are significantly more prevalent in obese children and are associated with risk factors for type 2...
Mercks Get Mixed Up In Facebook
Germany’s Merck sues social-networking website for confusing it with U.S.-based Merck.
Agency Toughens Scrutiny Of Plants
Government: Targeted inspections of chemical facilities aim to prevent serious accidents
A Hit In Silico
Drug Discovery: Computer-assisted design leads to synthesis of a potent anti-HIV compound
Childhood disorder prompts study of infection link to mental illness
Cases of children suddenly exhibiting obsessive-compulsive disorder after strep has led to studies that reinforce the belief that some mental illnesses can be triggered by an immune response.Brody Kennedy was...
Dr. Lloyd J. Old, Cancer Researcher, Dies at 78
Dr. Old made seminal discoveries about the relationship between cancer and the immune system and promoted the development of vaccines that use the body’s ability to fight disease.
New gene study of ADHD points to defects in brain signaling pathways
Pediatric researchers analyzing genetic influences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found alterations in specific genes involved in important brain signaling pathways. The study raises the possibility that drugs acting on...
Siddhartha Mukherjee: 'A positive attitude does not cure cancer, any more than a negative one causes it'
How, exactly, do you go about writing a prize-winning book about cancer? Siddhartha Mukherjee, who has just won the Guardian First Book award for The Emperor of All Maladies, explainsIt is the convention...
Discovery of a new reprogramming mechanism for tumor cells
Barcelona, 1st December, 2011.- A study by researchers Raúl Méndez, ICREA Research Professor at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and Pilar Navarro at the IMIM (Institut de...
Bacteria turn drugs to toxins
A chemical used in pharmaceutical drugs is turned into a toxin when it interacts with bacteria during water treatment, new research shows.
The readers' editor on… kind hearts and a cruel illness
Is it so surprising where desperate parents will turn in the search for a cure for their terminally ill child?It is the stuff of nightmares. While her mother was undergoing chemotherapy for...
Medical marijuana jeopardizes liver transplant
A cancer patient is removed from the transplant list at Cedars-Sinai for using medical marijuana and for failing to show up for a drug test. He is hoping the hospital...
Team claims $50,000 for decoding shredded messages
Future of Tech: A team of San Francisco-based sleuths claimed a $50,000 prize from the Pentagon today for correctly reconstructing a series of five shredded documents.
'Smart' brain device treats Parkinson's
MILAN, Italy, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Italian researchers say they've developed a "smart" implantable brain pacemaker to help reduce symptoms in Parkinson's disease sufferers.
Asthma rates double for WTC first responders
The American Journal of Industrial Medicine recently published a study showing that World Trade Center (WTC) responders suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of the general U.S....
Doctor's diagnosis: On second thought . . .
A second opinion may wind up confirming a first diagnosis or treatment recommendation, but that doesn't mean it was a waste. A second opinion can be helpful for clarification or...
FDA sets path for key new diabetes device
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new guidelines to medical device makers developing a potentially revolutionary device for type 1 diabetes, saying they should speed its delivery to patients.
Plotting the demise of AIDS
Scientists, physicians, activists, and others on the front lines of the 30-year fight against AIDS gathered on Harvard’s Longwood Campus on World AIDS Day Thursday to plot a strategy to achieve something that...
Pathology review announced at Edmonton hospital
Alberta health officials have ordered a review of nearly 1,600 tests done by one pathologist after 29 prostate biopsies were found to have 'significant discrepancies.'
Cruise death prompts warning on ships' medical care
An Ontario woman believes her husband might still be alive if not for a series of misdiagnoses and missteps by staff on a cruise ship.
Drug Resistance Loiters on Antibiotic-Free Farms
Livestock may still harbor dangerous bacteria years after farmers stop giving drugs