Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Fresh blood for UK science as popular minister quits
Greg Clark, the minister for cities and local growth, will take over from the highly-regarded David Willetts as universities and science ministerNature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2014.15563
Bonuses for doctors do little to improve cancer screening in Ontario
Ontario spent nearly $110 million dollars between 2006 and 2010 on bonuses to motivate family doctors to screen more of their patients for cancer but these bonuses were associated with...
No anti-clotting treatment needed for most kids undergoing spine surgeries
Blood clots occur so rarely in children undergoing spine operations that most patients require nothing more than vigilant monitoring after surgery and should be spared risky and costly anti-clotting medications,...
How gardens could help dementia care
Gardens in care homes could provide promising therapeutic benefits for patients suffering from dementia, a study has shown. The research critically reviewed the findings from 17 different pieces of research,...
Cholesterol activates signaling pathway that promotes cancer, study shows
Everyone knows that cholesterol, at least the bad kind, can cause heart disease and hardening of the arteries. Now, researchers describe a new role for cholesterol in the activation of...
New hope for treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Role of genetic variant may delay onset
A relatively frequent genetic variant actually conveys significant protection against the common form of Alzheimer's disease and can delay the onset of the disease by as much as 4 years,...
Four Lessons for Effective, Efficient Research in Health Care Settings
By taking into account the real-world constraints of the systems in which providers deliver care and patients receive it, researchers can help speed results, cut costs, and increase chances that...
U.S. officials purge biosafety board in midst of anthrax crisis
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal officials, amid the worst U.S. biosafety crisis in years, have dismissed 11 eminent scientists from a 23-member panel that advises the government on how and...
UPDATE: Moscow metro crash death toll at least 20, hundreds more injured
Aileen GraefMOSCOW, July 15 (UPI) -- At least 20 people are dead and more than 100 are injured after a train derailed on the Moscow metro due to a "technical...
New combo drug controls tumor growth and metastasis in mice
Researchers at UC Davis, University of Massachusetts and Harvard Medical […]
Pre-diabetes label ‘unhelpful and unnecessary’
Labelling people with moderately high blood sugar as pre-diabetic is […]
Google's smart contact lens moves one step closer to your eye
Swiss drugmaker Novartis has struck an agreement with Google to develop "smart" contact lenses that would help diabetics track their blood glucose levels or restore the eye's ability to focus.
Progress in allergic asthma research after ingestion of fruits
Researchers at the UPM suggest that the interaction between two proteins can be the responsible for the allergic asthma episodes after eating an infected fruit.
Welcome back: 'Serial pooper' up to old tricks in Harris County
Evan BleierHOUSTON, July 15 (UPI) -- A suspected "serial pooper" is back on the loose in Houston, Texas.
Medieval Italian Skeleton's Surprising Diagnosis: Livestock Disease
An Italian skeleton from the middle ages gets a diagnosis 700 years too late: The man had brucellosis, a livestock-transmitted disease that causes pain and reoccurring fevers, and, occasionally, death.
Study: US Alzheimer's rate seems to be dropping
The rate of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias is falling in the United States and some other rich countries - good news about an epidemic that is still growing simply...
Health of Gay & Straight People Compared in 1st National Survey
A new national report takes a first look at health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual people compared with straight people.
Triazole Fungicides Linked To Fungal Drug Resistance In UK
Crop spraying on British farms could be aiding a life-threatening fungus suffered by tens of thousand of people in the UK each year. New research by British and Dutch scientists has...
An E.R., Not a Hospital, Is Set to Open at St. Vincent’s Site
A free-standing emergency room, Lenox Hill HealthPlex, is part of a trend that provides acute care but also helps a hospital’s bottom line.
Potential Alzheimer's disease risk factor and risk reduction strategies become clearer
Participation in activities that promote mental activity, and moderate physical activity in middle age, may help protect against the development of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in later life, according to...
Reactions: AIDS 'Cures,' Sharing Therapy Notes, Examining the Physical Exam
Letters to the editor and online comments.
Well: Drug Shows Promise for Common Cause of Infertility
Researchers have found a more effective treatment for infertility caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Hard Cases: Saying Sorry, but for What?
Amid the emphasis on making quick and heartfelt apologies for medical errors, what about cases when it is more bad luck — a bad rash from a great drug; a...
Global Health: New Contraceptive Shot Being Released in Africa
A new form of the contraceptive Depo-Provera is being introduced in four African countries this year, and its backers hope that its simplicity may eventually allow women to inject themselves.
The Doctor's World: Ticking Viral Bombs, Left in Boxes
The recent discovery of vials of the smallpox virus points to the need for greater safety precautions.
Well: Pelvic Exercises for Men, Too
Kegel routines, long considered valuable to women, can help men with incontinence and perhaps sexual dysfunction, studies have found.
Well: Study Discounts Testosterone Therapy for Early Prostate Cancer
A large new analysis has concluded that therapy to suppress the production of testosterone does not extend the lives of early-stage patients.
Portia de Rossi reportedly recorded fights with wife Ellen DeGeneres
Veronica LinaresLOS ANGELES, July 14 (UPI) -- Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres' marriage drama continues with new reports claiming de Rossi threatened to release tapes of her fights with...