Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Well: The Shelf Life of Donor Blood
Some research suggests that changes in stored blood, which currently can be kept up to 42 days, may be harmful to patients.
Ovarian Cancer Study Finds Widespread Flaws in Treatment
Most women with ovarian cancer, which kills 15,000 Americans a year, receive inadequate care and miss out on treatments that could add a year or more to their lives, a...
Combination therapy of CPAP and weight loss for obstructive sleep apnea is effective for lowering blood pressure in obese patients
New research has shown that the combination of CPAP and weight loss for patients with OSA can help lower blood pressure better than either therapy alone.
Mummy CT scans show preindustrial hunter gatherers had clogged arteries
Like nearly 4.6 million Americans, ancient hunter-gatherers also suffered from clogged arteries, revealing that the plaque build-up causing blood clots, heart attacks and strokes is not just a result of...
Can hormone help treat multiple sclerosis long-term?
A new study suggests that treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) may be helpful for people whose multiple sclerosis (MS) is not well-controlled through their regular treatment.
A new drug reduces heart damage, study suggests
A single dose of an investigational anti-inflammatory drug called inclacumab considerably reduces damage to heart muscle during angioplasty (the opening of a blocked artery), according to a recent international clinical...
Selectively manipulating protein modifications
Protein activity is strictly regulated. Incorrect or poor protein regulation can lead to uncontrolled growth and thus cancer or chronic inflammation. Scienitsts have now identified enzymes that can regulate the...
Sudden death in young athletes: Important causes not ID’d by the screening process
Even though young athletes are required to receive health screens to be cleared to play sports, those tests failed to detect important cardiovascular abnormalities in cleared players, and many were...
Study: low-salt diets realistic
A study has found it's easy and cheap for people to reduce salt intake and cut the risk of heart disease, stroke and stomach cancer.
Coronary intervention procedures: Validated pre-procedure risk score reduces bleeding complications and can shorten stays
A clinical decision support tool helped physicians identify patients at high risk of bleeding complications prior to undergoing a coronary intervention procedure and helped guide the use of bleeding avoidance...
Coronary artery disease: Hybrid revascularization has similar rate of adverse events as stenting, study suggests
The first multicenter study of hybrid revascularization shows that the emerging procedure for treating coronary artery disease has a similar rate of major adverse events in the first year, compared...
Mortality for acute aortic dissection near one percent per hour during initial onset
The belief among medical professionals in the 1950s that the mortality rate for type A acute aortic dissection during the initial 24 hours was one to two percent per hour...
Exposures: Life’s Unequal Beginnings
A photographer looks at the struggle to provide women with safe, respectful care during child birth.
Stroke Prevention Device Misses Key Goal in Study
Boston Scientific’s Watchman may not be better than a drug that is used now to prevent strokes, heart-related deaths and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation in the long...
Childbirth: why I take the scientific approach to having a baby
Deciding where to have your baby can be tough – especially when evidence on the safety of home versus hospital birth is interpreted differently by advocates of eachI am an anatomist. I...
Newly recognized heart cardiomyopathy is not always benign
Even though a newly recognized cardiomyopathy, which mainly impacts women, is typically treatable, Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy can also be deadly when compounded by other co-morbidities, such as heart failure, according to...
Appetite suppression pills: Good or bad?
There are endless opportunities to spend a small fortune on a box of pills promising to ease hunger and help lose weight – but they may not be as safe...
Heel pain 'epidemic,' but doctors show steps to deal with plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis. If you haven't had to deal with it personally, just ask around. Chances are you know lots of people who can describe it in great detail: stabbing heel...
Female drinking on the rise as alcohol companies target women
Experts suggest women may be catching up to their male peers when it comes to alcohol consumption.
Red Wine's Link to Health Gains Support
The discovery that a compound in red wine may provide a healthier and longer life had guaranteed popular appeal, but the suggestion has been attacked from all sides. One such...
Rush Scientists Identify Buphenyl as a Possible Drug for Alzheimer's Disease
Studies in mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have shown that sodium phenylbutyrate, known as Buphenyl, successfully increases factors for neuronal growth and protects learning and memory, according to neurological researchers...
San Francisco's Bay Bridge Becomes Public Art
San Francisco's iconic commuter bridge gets a new look at night as 25,000 LED lights turn it into a piece of public art.
Heart institute warning residents about CPR training fraud
The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is warning residents that some people are going door-to-door selling CPR training, fraudulently claiming to be affiliated with the institute.
ER doctors declare emergency in B.C. hospitals
$10 million required to ease pressure in many B.C. emergency rooms, doctors say
Flu Shots Keep Older People Out of the Hospital
Flu vaccination significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization with the flu, especially for older adults.
Leishmaniasis drug fails a fifth of patients
High failure rate of front-line therapy puts eradication campaign at risk.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2013.12553
Less stress, more living
The effects of stress on health, well-being, and even creativity were the focus of the Forum at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) this week. In collaboration with the Huffington Post, the March...
Health Canada warns against Sensipar use in children after U.S. death
Health Canada is warning doctors and consumers that the drug Sensipar should not be used by people under the age of 18