Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Number Of Fat Cells Remains Constant From Teenhood In All Body Types
The radioactive carbon-14 produced by above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and '60s has helped researchers determine that the number of fat cells in a human's body, whether lean or...
Climate change puts koalas at risk
CANBERRA, Australia, May 8 (UPI) -- An Australian scientist contends global warming is putting the country's koala population at serious risk.
Mental disorders cost society billions in unearned income
Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health`s National Institute of...
Passage of time reduces smoking mortality risk for women who quit
Women who quit smoking significantly reduce their risk of death from coronary heart disease within 5 years and have about a 20 percent lower risk of death from smoking-related cancers...
Autism risk to linked distance from power plants, other mercury-releasing sources
A newly published study shows a statistically significant link between pounds of industrial release of mercury and increased autism rates. It also shows—for the first time in scientific literature—a statistically...
Study: Anesthetics may curb nerve regrowth
AUSTIN, Texas, May 7 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists using a worm model say they've found nerves can regenerate up to 12 times faster when they are severed without...
Folic Acid, B Vitamins Not Linked To Reduced Risk Of Cardiovascular Events In High-risk Women
Women at high-risk of cardiovascular disease who took a daily supplement of folic acid and vitamin B6 and B12 for seven years did not have an overall reduced rate of...
Steroids Provide No Survival Benefit For Children With Bacterial Meningitis, Study Shows
Corticosteroids given to children who are hospitalized for bacterial meningitis do not provide a benefit in survival or in reduced hospital stays, according to a large multicenter study by pediatric...
Researchers target tumors with tiny 'nanoworms'
Scientists at UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and MIT have developed nanometer-sized “nanoworms” that can cruise through the bloodstream without significant interference from the body`s immune defense system and—like...
Stem Cell Researchers Demonstrate Safety Of Gene Therapy Using Adult Stem Cells
A new study provides evidence that methods using human bone marrow-derived stem cells to deliver gene therapy to cure diseases of the blood, bone marrow and certain types of cancer...
Elucidating Iron Transport Mechanisms In Tuberculosis Bug Identifies New TB Drug Targets
It is pathetically true that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB is still thriving the test of scientific interventions despite affecting almost one -third of the worlds' population. The...
Don't ask, don't tell: Financial disclosure lacking in literature on stents
Most published research about coronary stents does not reveal information about authors` financial relationships that might bias their interpretation of scientific data, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
Flood risk fear over key UK sites
Hundreds of power substations and sewage plants are potentially at risk from flooding, the BBC learns.
Healthcare costs pinch employers
Study suggests that manufacturers have limited resources to offset rising fees. ...
Incidence Of Group B Strep Has Decreased Among Newborns, But Has Increased Among Adults
Group B streptococcus, a major cause of serious infections, declined about 25 percent among infants younger than 7 days from 1999 to 2005, but increased nearly 50 percent among persons...
Researchers Find Way To Make Tumor Cells Easier To Destroy
Radiation oncology researchers found that tumors have a built-in mechanism that protects them from heat damage and most likely decreases the benefit of hyperthermia and radiation as a combined therapy....
Naturally-occuring Protein May Be Effective In Limiting Heart Attack Injury And Restoring Function
Researchers have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin, a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect...
Charges dropped against doctor over autistic boy's death
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Criminal charges were dropped Tuesday against a doctor accused of causing the death of a 5-year-old autistic boy by incorrectly administering the wrong drug for him....
Estimated 750,000 problem gamblers among America's youth
Gambling activity is widespread among U.S. adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo`s Research Institute on Addictions...
China accuses US of shoddy probe into tainted heparin
(AP) -- China's drug safety agency accused the United States on Tuesday of blocking Beijing's inquiry into a blood thinner linked to 81 deaths by refusing to provide details...
Q & A: Long Live the Amaryllis!
When my nephew was born 16 years ago, his mother received a white amaryllis, which is about to bloom once again. How long does an amaryllis live?
Vital Signs: Prognosis: Kidney Decline Difficult to Stop
A new study indicates how challenging it remains to treat kidney disease, and suggests that other factors besides high blood pressure need to be addressed.
Vital Statistics: E.R.’s Are Busy, but Fewer Patients Are Uninsured
A new study suggests that while the number of uninsured people nationwide rose, the proportion of uninsured people using E.R.’s declined.
Global Update: Blood Pressure Is Most Lethal in Poor and Middle-Income Countries
A new study has found that about 80 percent of the world’s deaths from high blood pressure occur in poor and middle-income countries.
Evidence a High-Fat Diet Works to Treat Epilepsy
A new study indicates that a high-fat diet has proved effective in reducing seizures in children whose epilepsy does not respond to medication.
Lasers May Treat Cancers of the Larynx
A new outpatient laser procedure could eliminate the need for radiation treatment for cancer of the larynx if the tumors are detected early.
Redefining Disease, Genes and All
A growing band of researchers is trying to redefine how diseases are classified — by looking at their genetic underpinnings.
Cell phones bring medicine to remote areas
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 6 (UPI) -- U.S. and Brazilian researchers have developed an inexpensive system to provide advanced medical services to remote areas using ordinary cell-phone cameras.