Latest science news in Health & Medicine
FDA panel rejects experimental weight loss pill
(AP) -- A panel of federal health experts dealt a surprising setback Thursday to a highly anticipated anti-obesity pill from Vivus Inc., saying the drug's side effects outweigh its...
What could go wrong in oil cap tests?
BP will proceed with a key pressure test of the blown-out Gulf of Mexico oil well, after safety concerns delayed the tests.
'Test and treat' won't stop HIV/AIDS epidemic, study finds
Implementing a program of universal HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral treatment (ART) for infected individuals could have a major impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, DC, but a new study by led...
Canada pioneers new heart treatment
TORONTO, July 13 (UPI) -- Doctors at a Toronto hospital are the first in North America to use a breakthrough technology to treat patients with irregular heartbeats, observers say. ...
1 in 4 not covering coughs, sneezes
Approximately 1 out of every 4 people observed in a public setting failed to cover their mouth when they coughed or sneezed according to research presented today at the International...
Why Parkinson's disease patients aren't walking tall
Many of the symptoms of Parkinson disease can be alleviated with drugs that target dompamine, a chemical in the brain that is involved in nerve cell communication and therefore known...
Whether a Child Lights Up, or Chows Down
Efforts to fight childhood obesity may have overtaken those to fight teenage smoking.
Factory Efficiency Comes to the Hospital
Seattle Children’s Hospital says it has improved patient care, and its bottom line, by incorporating practices made famous in manufacturing.
Climategate shows the need for openness by scientists
In the age of the blogosphere, blocking facts means science is damaged and public trust lost"Like it or not, this [demand for openness] indicates a transformation in the way science has to...
Gear: vibration platforms
Ways to shake up your exercise routine. Vibration platforms, which purportedly provide a host of bone, muscle, circulatory, flexibility and injury-rehab benefits by shaking your body 20 to 50 times a second as...
Whooping cough risks, symptoms and vaccine
Health officials are urging people to get the vaccination because everyone is vulnerable to infection. ...
NOAA: Gulf seafood tested so far is safe to eat
(AP) -- Shrimp, grouper, tuna and other seafood snatched from the fringes of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico are safe to eat, according to a federal agency...
An HPV vaccine cheap enough for the developing world? Could be
Vaccine manufacturers in India and other developing countries may be able to produce a lower-cost HPV vaccine in spite of the complicated array of patent protections on the technology, say...
Fish oil salemen find EU in the way | Ben Goldacre
It's tough wading through health claims for food supplements, but Brussels has rejected 80% of 900 examined so farThis week the food and nutrition pills industries are complaining. They like to make health...
Marijuana derivative could be useful for pain treatment
A new compound similar to the active component of marijuana (cannabis) might provide effective pain relief without the mental and physical side effects of cannabis, according to a new study.
Antibody may help treat and prevent influenza outbreaks
Researchers have discovered a monoclonal antibody that is effective against "avian" H5N1, seasonal H1N1 and the 2009 "swine" H1N1 influenza. Scientists have shown that this antibody potently prevents and treats...
Good Vibrations are Good for your Brain
Elisa Konofagou, a bioengineer at Columbia University, believes ultra sound technology could become be a vital component in treating and perhaps curing degenerative brain diseases such as Cancer, Alzheimers and...
Understanding Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs
In today's Patient Money column, Walecia Conrad explains the difference between insurance co-pays and co-insurance, and what you need to consider when choosing an insurance.
Transplant H1N1 patients helped by antivirals
Organ transplant recipients who became infected with H1N1 seemed to do better if they were treated early with antivirals, researchers say.
Disease detection in the palm of your hand
ALBUQUERQUE, July 9 (UPI) -- University of New Mexico researchers brought sci-fi technology to the doctor's office by creating a device that can diagnose a number of ills in...
New perspective in ion channel indicates treatment potential
Scientists researching a toxin extracted from the venom of the honey bee have used this to inform the design of new treatments to alleviate the symptoms of conditions such as...
Hormonal Contraceptives Have Mixed Success Among Overweight Women
As obesity continues to be a worldwide health risk, one of its `side effects` could include less effective birth control for overweight and obese women who use hormonal contraceptives.
Preliminary Highlights of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) 52nd Annual Meeting
At the 52nd meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), which convenes from July 18 - 22, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA, thousands of scientists and board-certified health...
Scientists use computer algorithms to develop seasonal flu vaccines
CORAL GABLES, FL (July 9, 2010) — Defeating the flu is challenging because the virus responsible for the disease undergoes frequent changes of its genetic code, making it...
Of mice and men: The ecological disasters–Deepwater Horizon and the Dust Bowl
The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy From the Scots poem by Robert Burns, 1785 To a Mouse, on Turning...
Home Births Increase Risk for Babies
Babies born at home have greater risk of dying than those born in hospitals.
Medicare policy may account for growing length of hospice stays in nursing homes
Hospice care, certified and reimbursed by Medicare, offers specialized end-of-life care in the nursing-home setting. A new study finds that the average length of hospice stays is growing and has...
Control Group: Patients Take Biomedical Research into Their Own Hands
Cathy Wolf read the report carefully. She had every right to be skeptical--in the 13 years since her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis, she'd read dozens like it: Celebrex ;...