Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Discovery leads to effective treatment of painful skin condition
Researchers have discovered a remarkable treatment for a rare, yet debilitating, skin condition.
New device enables early detection of cancerous skin tumors
Researchers are developing a new device that detects cancerous skin tumors, including melanomas that aren't visible to the naked eye. The OSPI instrument (Optical Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging) revealed new textures of...
Exposure to both traffic, indoor pollutants puts some kids at higher risk for asthma later
New research presents strong evidence that the "synergistic" effect of early-life exposure to both outdoor traffic-related pollution and indoor endotoxin causes more harm to developing lungs than one or the...
Healthy man dies of swine flu in N.S.
A man in his 40s with no underlying medical conditions is Nova Scotia's sixth death related to the H1N1 influenza virus.
Gene may help drugs fight cancer
GRANADA, Spain, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Spanish scientists say they have found a gene that leads to the death of tumor cells derived from breast, lung and colon cancer.
New data emerges on liver transplant survival rates
Researchers compared the outcomes of cirrhotic patients who underwent liver transplants for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) versus alcoholic liver disease (ETOH) and found no statistically significant differences in post-transplant survival rates...
High unexpressed anger in MS patients linked to nervous system damage, not disease severity
People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) feel more than twice as much withheld anger as the general population and this could have an adverse effect on their relationships and health, according...
A sticky solution for identifying effective probiotics
Scientists have crystallised a protein that may help gut bacteria bind to the gastrointestinal tract. The protein could be used by probiotic producers to identify strains that are likely to...
It can be predicted the reaction obese patients will have to a diet
The presence of increased body fat, and therefore higher levels of inflammatory substances in the blood, hinders the loss and maintenance of body weight; as shown by a research project...
Drop in HIV infections and deaths
Greater access to anti-retroviral drugs has helped cut the deaths from HIV by 10% over the past five years, latest figures show.
Involving family in medical rounds benefits both family and medical team
Involving family members of pediatric cancer and hematology patients in medical rounds benefits both the family and the medical team, according to a new Indiana University School of Medicine study.
A coating for life: Biodegradable fibers advance stent technology and brain surgery, then disappear
Stents that keep weakened and flabby arteries from collapsing have been true life-savers. But after six months, those stents are no longer needed -- once the arteries are strengthened, they...
20 Reasons To Be Thankful (Medical Advances)
The Wall Street Journal published a list of 20 medical advances for which we should be thankful. WSJ says that amid all the bad news about medicine in the media...
HIV epidemic peaked in 1996: UN
The number of people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS has remained virtually unchanged for the last two years, United Nations experts say.
Clinical trials of spray-on skin to start in US
(PhysOrg.com) -- Clinical trials comparing a spray-on skin product with skin grafts will start in the US in December. The trials, which are partly funded by a US army grant...
New tool for helping pediatric heart surgery
A team of researchers has developed a way to simulate blood flow on the computer to optimize surgical designs. It is the basis of a new tool that may help...
Alarming trend: Antiviral therapy to treat hepatitis C is declining in the US
Researchers have determined that only 663,000 of the approximately 3.9 million Americans with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection received antiviral therapy between 2002 and 2007. If this disturbing trend continues,...
MRSA on the rise in hospital outpatients, new study finds; Seven-fold increase in potentially lethal superbug
The community-associated strain of the deadly superbug MRSA -- an infection-causing bacteria resistant to most common antibiotics -- poses a far greater health threat than previously known and is making...
Helmets remain optional at Atlantic ski hills
The use of helmets will remain voluntary at Atlantic skill hills this year because there are no models approved by the Canadian Standards Association, say hill operators.
'Comfort food' a stress killer: Australian study
A high-fat, high-sugar diet could have the same effect on brain chemistry as mood-altering drugs, giving scientific support to the craving for "comfort food", Australian researchers said Tuesday.
Red tape harms nurse practice
A recent study found that many nurse practitioners are hindered by the prescribing system – almost a third waiting to get approval at all.
Against expectations, genetic variation does not alter asthma treatment response
(PhysOrg.com) -- Studies have suggested that asthma patients with a specific genetic variation might not respond as well to certain treatments as those with a different variation. But a new...
Kepler Mission Manager Update
(PhysOrg.com) -- Kepler experienced a safe mode event on Nov. 18, 2009.
A 2nd Loss for Pfizer in Drug Suits
The drug maker has been ordered to pay punitive damages to two women whose breast cancer was diagnosed after they used hormone drugs.
Swine Flu Vaccinations Rise While Infections Remain Low
Because demand for the vaccine was lower than anticipated, the weekend clinics, originally intended for middle- and high-school students, were opened to a larger group of people considered high risk.
Public Database Is Urged to Monitor Drug Safety
A study proposes a broad model for monitoring drug safety that would consist of detailed publicly available data that independent researchers could freely analyze.
Insecticide-treated Bed Nets Reduce Infant Deaths In Democratic Republic Of Congo, Study Finds
Giving insecticide-treated bed nets to nearly 18,000 mothers at prenatal clinics in the Democratic Republic of Congo prevented an estimated 414 infant deaths from malaria, researchers conclude.
Mosquito Screens Found To Be Cheap And Effective In Malaria Prevention
Trials of a screen-based malaria prevention programme in 500 homes in The Gambia, Africa, have led to a 50 per cent reduction in malaria transmission and anaemia in children. A...