Latest science news in Health & Medicine
'Broken' heart breakthrough: Researchers reprogram cells to better battle heart failure
Patients with heart failure often have a buildup of scar tissue that leads to a gradual loss of heart function. In a new study, researchers report significant progress toward a...
Common blood test may predict risk for second stroke
Stephen FellerCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., March 2 (UPI) -- A common blood test for coronary artery disease could be used to predict the risk for having a second stroke, researchers found in...
Scientists grow functioning human breast tissue
Stephen FellerCAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 2 (UPI) -- Scientists used a novel scaffold to grow functioning human breast tissue, which appeared to produce milk, and is hoped to benefit cancer research.
Essure Birth Control Controversy: 5 Things You Should Know
A permanent birth-control implant called Essure will need to be labeled with a stronger warning that lists potentially serious risks of the device, the Food and Drug Administration announced this...
Impact of climate change on public health
Doctors warn of the impending public health crisis brought on by climate change and call for action to help prepare the world for what is ahead.
Abuse, poverty in childhood linked to adult health problems
HealthDay News Childhood abuse and poverty may raise the risk of health problems in adulthood, a new study suggests.
Blocking inflammation prevents cell death, improves memory in Alzheimer’s
Using a drug compound created to treat cancer, University of California, Irvine neurobiologists have disarmed the brain’s response to the distinctive beta-amyloid plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease....
Lower income Ontario seniors less likely to access newly approved drugs, study suggests
Wealthier seniors in Ontario were prescribed a new blood thinner for a common heart rhythm abnormality 1.5 times more often than poorer seniors when the drug was first approved by...
Single dose of trastuzumab kick starts immune response in certain breast cancers
A tumor's immune response to a single dose of the HER2 inhibitor trastuzumab predicted which patients with HER2-positive breast cancer would respond to the drug on a more long-term basis,...
Sleep loss boosts hunger, unhealthy food choices
Cutting back on sleep boosts levels of a chemical signal that can enhance the pleasure of eating snack foods and increase caloric intake, report investigators. It may be part of...
'Informed consent' states often give women considering abortions inaccurate information
Women considering abortions are getting medically inaccurate information nearly a third of the time in states that require doctors to provide informed consent materials to their patients, according to a...
Cancer patients with limited finances are more likely to have increased symptoms and poorer quality of life
If you're a lung or colorectal cancer patient, what's in your wallet could determine your level of suffering and quality of life during treatment, according to a new study.
Diabetic management: Subcutaneous insulin therapy fails to protect against oxidative stress and inflammation
Today, the gold standard for insulin therapy is the subcutaneous injection of insulin (CSII), despite a non-physiological route of administration with suboptimal glycemic control showed in some patients. Inability of...
Forensic botany uses plant DNA to trace crimes
Dr. David Gangitano is an associate professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Sam Houston State University. Sam Houston State University is advancing the field of forensic botany...
Yale Scientists Identify Gene That Regulates the Growth of Melanoma
Yale Cancer Center researchers have identified a gene in melanoma that can dramatically affect the growth of the disease. The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, provide new insight...
New insights into how antiarrhythmic drugs work
If you suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF)—a condition where disorganized electrical signals cause the heart's upper chambers to contract quickly and irregularly—your doctor may prescribe an antiarrhythmic drug. While these...
Study finds 5x increase in hand sanitizer use when located in hospital
Placing alcohol-based hand sanitizers (AHS) in the middle of a hospital lobby floor in front of the visitor entrance increased visitor usage by 528 percent, according to a new study.
Metabolic phenotyping of blood plasma allows for the detection of lung cancer
Metabolic phenotyping of blood plasma by proton nuclear magnetic resonance identified unique metabolic biomarkers specific to lung cancer patients and allowed for the accurate identification of a cohort of patients...
What Caused This Man's Bladder to Be Encased in Calcium?
A parasitic worm infection can lead to some pretty unusual effects, a new case report reveals.
Homeopaths and skeptics battle new Health Canada labelling policy
As Health Canada moves closer to a deadline forcing changes in labelling certain homeopathic remedies directed at children, The Current looks at the rift between trust and science in treatment.
Bart Starr: Green Bay Packers legend was victim of hazing incident at Alabama
The Sports Xchange The wife of Bart Starr has revealed the Green Bay Packers legendary quarterback suffered from back issues throughout his career because he was beaten in a hazing...
Boy's story about 'special medicine' leads police to marijuana plants
Ben HooperWINDSOR, Vt., Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Police in Vermont said an 8-year-old's story of helping his mother's boyfriend grow "special medicine" led to the discovery of dozens of marijuana...
Women under-represented in world’s science academies
Fewer than half of academies have policies in place to boost gender equality in membership.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2016.19465
Ballooning 10 billion world population drives moderate-to-high worries, study finds
Risk analysts have gathered new evidence that the public sees a medium-to-high risk that worldwide population growth could lead to food and water shortages, species extinctions, and other disasters, pointing...
Mutated gene associated with colon cancer discovered in 18th-century Hungarian mummy
A new discovery suggests that a genetic predisposition to cancer preceded the advent of modernization -- and, in a bizarre twist, they discovered this evidence in an 18th-century Hungarian mummy.
Why did so many California kids get whooping cough despite being vaccinated?
When California had its biggest pertussis outbreak in more than half a century in 2010, the kids who fell sick most were 10- and 11-year-olds. That struck public health experts...
L.A. County health officials want you to eat smaller portions at restaurants
We’ve all heard it before: Too many Americans, more than one out of three, are obese, making them more likely to suffer from diabetes, stroke and heart disease. But what can...
Birth control pills without prescriptions, coming soon to California under new law
Under a law expected to go into effect by April, women in California will be able to stop by their neighborhood pharmacy and buy birth control pills without a prescription....