Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Study examines link between sperm quality and light from devices at night
Men might want to think twice before reaching for their smartphone at night. A new study found correlations between electronic media use at night and poor sperm quality.
Neighborhoods with high walk and bike scores also have greater crash risks
Neighbourhoods with high bikeability and walkability scores actually present higher crash risks to cyclists and pedestrians in Vancouver, according to new research.
Gout treatment may aid patients with congenital heart disease
A drug used to treat gout, probenecid, may improve heart function in individuals with a particular heart defect, according to results from a small pilot study. Individuals with congenital univentricular...
Cochlear implants should be recommended for adults more often
An international group of hearing specialists has released a new set of recommendations emphasizing that cochlear implants should be offered to adults who have moderate to severe or worse hearing...
Search for COVID-19 drugs boosted by SARS discovery
An extensive search and testing of current drugs and drug-like compounds has revealed compounds previously developed to fight SARS might also work against COVID-19.
Beating HIV and COVID-19 may depend on tweaking vaccine molecules
In a new study, researchers show that one way to improve the body's immune response to vaccines is to factor in antigen valency. Valency refers to the number of antibody...
Phase 1 human trials suggest breast cancer drug is safe, effective
A new type of breast cancer drug can help halt progression of disease and is not toxic, according to phase 1 clinical trials.
50 percent drop in patients attending cardiology services during coronavirus lockdown
The number of NHS patients presenting to cardiology services for serious heart problems more than halved while the number of heart attacks diagnosed fell by 40 percent at one center...
U.S. hospital admissions for stroke fell by almost a third during lockdown
Almost a third fewer cases of stroke and mini-stroke (TIA) were seen in U.S. hospitals during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic between March and April this year compared to...
Water flossers that get between your teeth
Add to your nightly routine. (Matheus Ferrero via Unsplash/)If you’ve had braces, you likely know about water flossers. These dental care appliances shoot a pinpoint jet of water at teeth to dislodge any...
What is cerebral venous thrombosis? Study finds blood clot condition on the rise
Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the veins in the brain, preventing blood from draining out of the brain. A new analysis has...
American Academy of Sleep Medicine calls for elimination of daylight saving time
Public health and safety would benefit from eliminating daylight saving time, according to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Interventions stem antibiotic prescribing rates in telemedicine
Two different interventions both worked to significantly reduce the rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions made by physicians in a telemedicine practice, a new study shows. The finding could offer a...
Yoga could calm atrial fibrillation, early findings suggest
People with the heart-rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, may ease their symptoms with the help of a slower-paced yoga, a preliminary study finds.
Cochlear implants improve hearing in older adults, with no side effects, study finds
Cochlear implants offer improvement over hearing aids in both hearing and quality of life for adults 65 years old and older with hearing loss, a study published by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head...
The CDC’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines could make the pandemic worse
Experts worry that the decision is based more in politics than scientific fact. (Photographer: James Gathany/)Follow all of PopSci’s COVID-19 coverage here, including tips on cleaning groceries, ways to tell if your symptoms...
Vertebral body tethering shows clinical success as treatment for scoliosis
Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity affecting pediatric patients. A posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is the gold standard treatment for patients with curves exceeding 45 degrees, but the procedure's...
Zika virus infection enhances future risk of severe dengue disease
The Zika pandemic sparked intense interest in whether immune interactions among dengue virus serotypes 1 to 4 (DENV1 to -4) extend to the closely related Zika virus (ZIKV). We investigated prospective pediatric cohorts...
Serial interval of SARS-CoV-2 was shortened over time by nonpharmaceutical interventions
Studies of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have reported varying estimates of epidemiological parameters, including serial interval distributions—i.e., the...
New tool identifies which cancer patients are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy
A new diagnostic tool that can predict whether a cancer patient would respond to immunotherapy treatment has been developed. This advance in precision medicine will allow clinicians to tailor treatments...
Toronto dentist charged with sexual assault of patients allowed to keep practising with conditions
More than two months after a Toronto dentist was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault allegedly involving patients and children among the victims, Ontario’s dental regulator has imposed conditions...
Amazon debuts Halo fitness band app to scan body fat and emotion
Amazon unveiled Thursday its Halo fitness band, which monitors physical and mental health measures.
'Tips' campaign helped more than 1M in U.S. quit smoking, CDC says
More than 1 million American adults quit smoking between 2012 and 2018 after seeing messages from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Tips From Former Smokers" campaign, according...
High walk and bike scores associated with greater crash risk
Neighborhoods with high bikeability and walkability scores actually present higher crash risks to cyclists and pedestrians in Vancouver, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.
A government program that reduces mortgage defaults
Lower-income households that received mortgages through state affordable mortgage programs were less likely to default or foreclose than similar households that received conventional financing, a national study found.
Vaping rates not associated with with outbreaks of lung injury, study finds
Higher rates of e-cigarette and marijuana use in U.S. states did not result in more e-cigarette or vaping-related lung injuries (known as EVALI), a new study from the Yale School...
Type 2 Diabetes Drugs Work Better in Tethered Combination Therapy
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have shown that the efficacy of a two-pronged type 2 diabetes treatment increases when the drugs are linked by a heat-sensitive tether rather than simply...
Artificial pancreas effectively controls type 1 diabetes in children age 6 and up
A clinical trial at four pediatric diabetes centers in the United States has found that a new artificial pancreas system — which automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose levels —...