Latest science news in Health & Medicine
IVF twins have tougher start
According to recent research, twins born using assisted reproductive technology are more likely to get ill in their first three years.
DNA Deletion Makes Swedish Chlamydia 'Invisible'
Scientists are aiming to improve the diagnosis of chlamydia, the most common cause of sexually transmitted infection globally. Researchers investigated a genetic deletion that matches the region targeted by the...
Face Protection Effective In Preventing The Spread Of Influenza, Study Suggests
A new article assessed various ways in which aerosol transmission of the flu, a central mode of diffusion which involves breathing droplets in the air, can be reduced. Results show...
Tourists May Have Spread HIV
A new map of the spread of HIV infection in Europe indicates that the virus traveled from major holiday destinations -- Greece, Portugal and Spain -- to northern European countries,...
Down's syndrome reveals one key to fighting cancer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People with Down's syndrome rarely get most kinds of cancer and U.S. researchers have nailed down one reason why -- they have extra copies of a gene...
Glutamine Supplements Show Promise In Treating Stomach Ulcers
The amino acid glutamine, found in many foods as well as in dietary supplements, may prove beneficial in offsetting gastric damage caused by H. pylori infection.
Competency of suspended Sask. radiologist questioned 2½ years ago
Questions of competency were raised 2½ years ago about the radiologist whose work has led to an uprecedented review of 70,000 medical images, a spokesman for the College of Physicians...
Protein from algae shows promise for stopping SARS
A protein from algae may have what it takes to stop Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infections, according to new research. A recent study has found that mice treated with...
Vitamin D may halt lung function decline in asthma and COPD
Vitamin D may slow the progressive decline in the ability to breathe that can occur in people with asthma as a result of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) proliferation, according...
Small evolutionary shifts make big impacts - like developing night vision
In the developing foetus, cell growth follows a very specific schedule. In the eye's retina, for example, cones - which help distinguish colour during the day - develop before the...
Side discrepancy errors in radiology reports rare but often clinically significant
Side discrepancy errors in radiology reports do occur and it is important that radiologists, referring physicians and patients communicate well to help prevent errors in clinical management, according to a...
Combination of aspirin and an anti-clotting drug reduces risk of dialysis access failure
For the first time, a combination of aspirin and the anti-platelet drug dipyridamole has been shown to significantly reduce blockages and extend the useful life of new artery-vein access grafts...
Mechanism that allows influenza virus to evade the body's immune response uncovered
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified a critical molecular mechanism that allows the influenza virus to evade the body's immune response system...
Immunotherapy Effective Against Neuroblastoma In Children
A phase III study has shown that adding an antibody-based therapy that harnesses the body's immune system resulted in a 20 percent increase in the number of children living disease-free...
Can a mop fight swine flu? Docs say probably not
(AP) -- In scores of schools across the United States, the mop has been the weapon of choice in the fight against swine flu. Schools from New York to...
NIH announces new program to develop therapeutics for rare and neglected diseases
The National Institutes of Health is launching the first integrated, drug development pipeline to produce new treatments for rare and neglected diseases. The $24 million program jumpstarts a trans-NIH initiative...
Strong immune response to new siRNA drugs in development may cause toxic side effects
New Rochelle, NY, May 20, 2009—Small synthetic fragments of genetic material called small interfering RNA (siRNA) can block production of abnormal proteins; however, these exciting new drug candidates can also...
Spreading serious message, giant colon travels north of 60
The 12-metre-long, pink inflatable colon was hard to miss in Inuvik, N.W.T., this week, as northern residents were invited to find out more about colorectal cancer.
An advance in solving the mysterious machine-workers' disease
Scientists in Ohio are reporting a long-awaited advance toward making the workplace safer for more than one million machinists in the United States who may be exposed to disease-causing bacteria...
Why Are Doctors Such Luddites?
Doctors who grew up in an earlier era are likely to cling to their notepads and pens until the day they retire their stethoscopes. For their younger colleagues, by contrast,...
The Breakdown: Defying Death at the Gym
Who isn't amused by the rare and impressive science-savvy party trick? One that involves the potential to risk death death by flinging yourself Superman-like at a bouncy training ball, only...
10,000 cases of swine flu reported worldwide: WHO
The confirmed tally of swine flu cases worldwide has risen to 10,243, including 80 deaths, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Plastics industry warns of health risks of reusable bags
Consumers will want to wash their reusable bags more frequently after reading the results of a study commissioned by the plastics industry warning of health risks associated with the bags.
Are Selenium Levels Linked to Diabetes?
Americans with diabetes have high levels of selenium in their bodies, prompting some health experts to suspect that it could contribute to development of the disease. In response to their...
New Target To Combat Cancer? Defects In Pathway Underlying Fanconi Anaemia Can Cause Cancer In Non-FA Patients
In patients with Fanconi anaemia (FA), one of the DNA repair mechanisms that normally protects us against cancer no longer works adequately. A Dutch researcher set out to find the...
Sprained Ankle Rehab Complicated By Delayed Muscle Response, Study Finds
Experiments on ankle stability find that people with a history of injury have a delayed and diminished response in a leg muscle that normally provides a protective response.
Instant insight: Squashing cancer cells
Could stretching cells be the way to diagnose cancer? Claudia Brunner takes a biomechanical approach to medicine
Teeth regrown in the mouth
A researcher has devised a way to re-grow decayed tooth enamel in a patient's mouth, repairing damage caused by tooth decay.