Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Mask on? Mask off? In United States, use of face masks against flu not widespread
Americans have not developed a modern face-mask culture. Just ask those who have walked through an airport wearing a mask since swine flu first appeared. They likely will tell you...
Norman Borlaug (1914-2009)
How may lives have you saved? I've maybe two or three to my credit. Norman Borlaug needed people to estimate for him, with complex statistical formulations. The Wikipedia estimate is...
Smoking pregnant increases baby's asthma risk: study
Smoking during pregancy increases the risk of a baby developing asthma up to sixfold, said a Swedish study published at the European Respiratory Society's annual congress on Monday.
Better informed consent needed for tanning beds: doctor
People need to be better informed of the risks they take when they use tanning beds, says a P.E.I. doctor.
Vaccine skepticism is in the air
With the healthcare debate storming on, a study on attitudes over the flu vaccine shows a clear distrust in government. For some, such as blacks and immigrants, suspicions have deep...
Artificial intelligence helps diagnose cardiac infections
Mayo Clinic researchers say that 'teachable software' designed to mimic the human brain may help them diagnose cardiac infections without an invasive exam. Those findings were presented at the Interscience...
Sebelius: Swine flu shots may start early October
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's first round of swine flu shots could begin sooner than expected, with some vaccine available as early as the first week...
City Critic: What Not to Wear When Worrying About the Swine Flu
Donning a jumpsuit, mask, goggles and gloves, the City Critic journeys around town to test New Yorkers’ reactions in a time of viral terror.
Canada overhauls food inspection system
OTTAWA, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Canada has earmarked $75 million to prevent a recurrence of a listeriosis outbreak that killed 22 and sickened hundreds more, authorities said.
University of Hawaii at Manoa CRCH scientists report adulthood body size associated with cancer risk
A team of scientists led by researcher Brenda Hernandez, Ph.D., M.P.H. -- an assistant professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i -- has reported...
When someone is raised female and the genes say XY
(AP) -- It's the birth defect people don't talk about. A baby is born not completely male or female. The old term was hermaphrodite, then intersex. Now it's called...
Jury Deadlock Ends a Trial Over Merck’s Bone Drug
Jurors sent the judge desperate hand-scrawled notes saying they were deadlocked over a verdict in the trial, which had been monitored as a bellwether for hundreds of other similar lawsuits...
Cornell Student, 20, Dies of Swine Flu
About 520 students at the upstate New York campus have reported a flu-like illness, Cornell’s president said, but those cases were mild.
Dole, Politics Aside, Pushes for Health Care Plan
Bob Dole, who left the Senate in 1996, is now working behind the scenes to pass an overhaul of the health care system.
Review of Patient Deaths After Hurricane
Questions remain about whether doctors at a New Orleans hospital hastened the deaths of patients in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Beliefs: In Health Care Battle, a Truce on Abortion
Both sides of the abortion debate seem to want an abortion-neutral bill on health care overhaul, but they disagree on what “abortion neutral” means.
Schools and swine flu Q & A
Schools now have plans to face swine flu without simply closing their doors. When the novel H1N1 flu strain first appeared in the U.S. this past spring, hundreds of schools closed their doors...
What to do if you have the flu
The flu tends to come on suddenly -- you're fine in the morning and aching and shivering that night -- while a cold usually develops gradually over the course of...
Reglan can cause tardive dyskinesia
The FDA has warned that metoclopramide, prescribed for digestive-tract problems, can cause permanent side effects. ...
The flu and exercise don't play nice
Exertion during illness will likely make you sicker. The solution: Take a timeout. Far be it for die-hard fitness buffs to let a little fever stop them from doing their regular workout --...
Hand sanitizer kills flu germs too
Wash your hands early and often. That's standard advice for preventing the flu. But that's not always practical.
N.L. cut X-ray, lab services to save money: letters
The provincial government cut medical services in rural Newfoundland to save money, according to documents released by the Health Department.
NO Good: Nitric Oxide May Be Key to Overcoming Antibiotic Resistance
Researchers may be a touch closer to eliminating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) and anthrax, thanks to a troublesome air pollutant --nitric oxide (NO). [More]
Automatic Cuts Could Help Push Past a Health Hurdle
Automatic triggers have not proved effective in the past, but advocates of them insist that this time would be different.
President’s Speech Allays Some Fears in the Health Insurance Industry
Analysts say that the proposed overhaul of the system is “moving away from the worst case” for insurers and that the tone has shifted.
Hispanics Face Higher Cancer Risk from Breathing Household Chemicals
Elena Rios still remembers going into the bathroom as a child and smelling a pungent odor from the big, round air freshener hanging on the back of the toilet. [More]
Feds to follow listeriosis advice
All 57 recommendations made by a probe into last year's fatal listeriosis outbreak will be acted on, the federal government said Friday.
Flu already widespread, nearly all swine variety
(AP) -- Health officials say influenza is circulating unusually early this year with cases in every state - and nearly all the infections are swine flu.