Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Study explains how exercise helps patients with peripheral artery disease
BOSTON -- Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects 5 million individuals in the U.S. and is the leading cause of limb amputations. Doctors have long considered exercise to be the...
WHO's New Guidelines on HIV Care Call For Earlier Treatment
The World Health Organization is now advising health care professionals to start patients with HIV on antiretroviral drugs earlier in the course of their infection, as part of new...
Sunscreen saves lives, money
Research has found that providing people with sunscreen not only prevents cancer, but can save the government $126 million a year.
Opinion: Why pharmacy's importance is growing
According to Dr Joseph Tucci, the role of the pharmacist is shifting from simply manufacturing medicine to providing clinical care.
The Real Science and History Vampires
The public's thirst for vampires seems as endless as vampires' thirst for blood. But where's it all stem from?
Parent mentors can improve the asthmatic care of minority children, UT Southwestern researchers find
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that informed adults can help families stave off complications associated with asthma. The findings, available online and in the December issue of Pediatrics,...
Kangaroos may hold skin cancer cure: study
Kangaroos may provide the key to a potential treatment to prevent skin cancer, Australian scientists said Monday.
The Finger: Amaze And Astound With Multiplication!
Have trouble multiplying the numbers six through ten? Looking for an abstruse way to accomplish this task that is likely much more difficult than passing yourself off as a third-grade...
Patients say 'no thanks' to risky medical treatments
A recent study suggests that increasing patient responsibility for making medical decisions may decrease their willingness to accept risky treatment options. Details of this proof-of-concept study appear in the December...
Connection between depression and osteoporosis detailed
Research carried out among thousands of people has shown a clear connection between depression and a loss of bone mass, leading to osteoporosis and fractures.
Demand for cosmetic and surgical procedures in dermatologic surgery rising rapidly
Researchers have found that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of procedures performed and patient demand for dermatologic health care since 2000. The findings parallels the growth...
Stents can be coated with dissolvable drug-eluting fibers
Scientists have developed a new patent-pending dissolvable fiber platform that can be used to coat both metal stents, which are currently available, and biodegradable stents now in development.
New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response
Researchers have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people. The study bucks the general belief that...
Autism treatment works in kids as young as 18 mos.
CHICAGO (AP) -- The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve...
L-carnitine might not be the boost for you
Claims stem from studies of vascular and heart disease. But it's unclear if it helps lift the healthy at all. ...
New disease among HIV-infected gay men
A rare parasitic disease, which normally only is transmitted by contaminated water, has been shown to be transmitted by gay sex between hiv-positive men. In the industrial world the disease...
Long-term testicular cancer survivors at high risk for neurological side effects
Long-term survivors of testicular cancer who were treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy had more severe side effects, including neurological side effects and Raynaud-like phenomena, than men who were not treated with...
High salt intake directly linked to stroke and cardiovascular disease
High salt intake is associated with significantly greater risk of both stroke and cardiovascular disease, concludes a new study.
Health Physics Society recommends considering action for indoor radon below current guidelines
Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that is produced by the radioactive decay of radium. Radium is a product of uranium decay and is found in trace amounts...
Osteoarthritis increases aggregate health care expenditures by $186 billion annually
Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent disease, raised aggregate annual medical care expenditures in the U.S. by $185.5 billion according to researchers from Stony Brook University. Insurers footed $149.4 billion...
More rural Medicare beneficiaries elect joint replacement surgery than urban recipients
Southern Illinois University researchers determined Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas were 27% more likely than urban recipients to have total knee or hip replacement surgeries. Researchers found women...
Beverage can stay-tabs pose swallowing risk
Three decades ago, a study revealed that beverage can pull-tabs were being swallowed by children, prompting a switch by U.S. manufacturers to stay-tabs. But a study presented today at the...
Unindicated CT series result in unnecessary radiation exposure for patients
A large proportion of patients who undergo abdominal/pelvic computed tomography (CT) receive unindicated and unnecessary additional image acquisition resulting in excess, avoidable radiation exposure, according to a study presented today...
Elastography reduces unnecessary breast biopsies
Elastography is an effective, convenient technique that, when added to breast ultrasound, helps distinguish cancerous breast lesions from benign results, according to an ongoing study presented today at the annual...
A Tax on Nips and Tucks Angers Patients, Surgeons
Legislation in the Senate would levy a 5-percent tax on elective plastic surgery procedures.
New stress-related gene modulates high blood pressure in mice and men
Does stress increase blood pressure? This simple question has been the focus of intense research for many years. New Stress-related gene Modulates High Blood Pressure in Mice &...
Gay men not protected from AIDS
Developing countries fail to give homosexual men information that could protect them from contracting AIDS, a new report has revealed.
Economic crisis could boost HIV
A new study has revealed that the effects of the global economic crisis could cause HIV infections to jump by 35 per cent over three years.