Latest science news in Health & Medicine
New Cause for Alzheimer Disease
Scientists have discovered that a precursor to nerve growth factor (pro-NGF) may play a pathogenic role in Alzheimer disease.
Systems biology approach provides insulin resistance insights
Researchers recently offered the sharpest-yet picture of how core biochemical pathways in skeletal muscle cells and fat cells are altered in people who suffer from insulin resistance -- a primary...
Flaxseed oil may reduce osteoporosis risk
Animal studies suggest that adding flaxseed oil to the diet could reduce the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and women with diabetes.
Flu and children: RSV causes far more hospitalizations than seasonal flu
Influenza, particularly H1N1, has understandably captured the public spotlight. However, a new analysis shows that another virus -- respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) -- takes a substantially greater disease toll among...
Some watermelons recalled in Texas, Calif.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of some large seedless watermelons in California and Texas due to possible bacterial contamination.
Burnout and mental distress strongly related to errors by US surgeons
Major medical errors self-reported by American surgeons are strongly related to both burnout and depression. Those findings appear today in the online edition of Annals of Surgery. The Mayo Clinic-led...
Drug side effects a key factor in reduced quality of life for kidney transplant patients
People who have kidney transplants need longer-term support than most friends, relatives or even healthcare professionals realise, according to a study of 160 patients published in the December issue of...
New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialised cell types, which suggests they may be...
Research reveals exactly how coughing is triggered by environmental irritants
Scientists have revealed how environmental irritants such as air pollution and cigarette smoke cause people to cough, in research published today in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care...
In Type 2 Diabetes, Mitochondrial Damage Kills Insulin-Producing Cells
Over time, patients with type 2 diabetes lose insulin-producing cells, a difficulty that aggravates their disease. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have identified a mechanism that triggers the problem,...
Skin germs aid in normal healing: researchers
U.S. researchers say bacteria that normally live on the skin actually help the body to heal itself by calming down overactive immune responses.
ADHD tied to tobacco, lead exposure
More than a third of cases of ADHD in children age eight to 15 could be reduced by eliminating pregnant mothers' exposure to tobacco and children's exposure to lead, a...
Doctors review hemicorporectomy procedures
DALLAS, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. surgeons say a review of cases in which surgeons had to remove the lower portion of the body from the waist down casts...
Better TB, malaria and AIDS tests urged
MONTREAL, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A Canadian-led team of researchers is urging creation of better quality diagnostic studies for tuberculosis, malaria and human immunodeficiency virus tests.
Researchers track down protein responsible for chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps
A protein known to stimulate blood vessel growth has now been found to be responsible for the cell overgrowth in the development of polyps that characterize one of the most...
Housing first for mentally ill homeless
More than 1,300 homeless people across Canada will be provided housing as part of a massive four-year project to study the link between mental health and homelessness.
H1N1 costs P.E.I. $5M
Delivering the vaccine and other preparations for swine flu have cost P.E.I. about $5 million so far, says Health Minister Doug Currie.
Night shifts a culprit
Don't blame Starbucks: Police may have poorer health due to the late shifts and overtime they often work. The resulting sleep deficits may cause them to develop metabolic syndrome, a...
Options to Advil for pain relief
I have taken Advil for years for inflammation or pain. I have stopped because I began to have ringing in the ears, ear pain, dizziness and loss of hearing. This...
Brief intervention works for drivers who persist in driving while intoxicated
Researchers comparing the effectiveness of two interventions on driving-while-impaired re-offenders with alcohol problems found that one -- Brief Motivational Interviewing (BMI) -- was more effective. While both interventions led to...
Bladder cancer risks increase over time for smokers
Risk of bladder cancer for smokers has increased since the mid-1990s, with a risk progressively increasing to a level five times higher among current smokers in New Hampshire than that...
Compound that boosts anti-inflammatory fat levels created
Pharmacology researchers have discovered a way to boost levels of a natural body fat that helps decrease inflammation, pointing to possible new treatments for allergies, illnesses and injuries related to...
Imaging techniques may help predict response to head and neck cancer treatment
A combination of imaging tests conducted six to eight weeks after patients complete chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer may help identify patients who will respond to treatment and those...
Multiple sclerosis is more aggressive in children but slower to cause disability than in adults
Magnetic resonance images of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in childhood show that pediatric onset multiple sclerosis is more aggressive, and causes more brain lesions, than MS diagnosed in adulthood,...
News Analysis: Deal Will Turn a Los Angeles Hospital Private
The Martin Luther King Jr. hospital is entering a public-private partnership for more cost-effective operations.
N.F.L. to Shift in Its Handling of Concussions
Teams will soon be required to receive advice from neurologists while treating players with brain injuries.
Diet products make anorexics sick
Ingredients found in diet products are more likely to upset the stomachs of eating disorder patients than healthy adults, research has found.
Newspaper circulation may be worse than it looks
(AP) -- While U.S. newspapers are losing subscribers at a staggering rate, a few dailies stand out because their circulation is rising. But they aren't necessarily selling more copies.