Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Controversial bird flu research to resume
Bird flu researchers end a yearlong moratorium on experiments to determine whether the H5N1 virus can mutate and spread among humans. The work, which was deemed risky, won't resume yet...
Quitting smoking prolongs life at any age
Kicking the smoking habit can add years of life even in one's 60s, new research in the New England Journal of Medicine shows. Younger smokers can gain a whole decade...
NYC's sugary drink limits tested in court
New York City defended its size limit on sugary drinks as an imperfect but meaningful rein on obesity, while critics said it would hurt small and minority-owned businesses while doing...
FDA: Better Food Labeling Could Stem Obesity
Can improved labeling on food products help consumers make healthier choices?
New way to identify 'smoked' grapes and wines
With climate change sparking concern about an increased risk of wildfires, scientists are reporting development of a way to detect grapes exposed to smoke from those fires, which otherwise could...
More efficient way to make popular prescription medication
In a demonstration of the power of green chemistry, scientists are reporting development of a new and more efficient process for making one of the most costly and widely used...
Women with PCOS Support Name Change
Many doctors and patients think polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, should have a new name.
Free clinics reduce emergency department visits
People who receive primary care from free clinics are less likely to use the emergency department for minor issues, according to a team of medical researchers.
Personal epigenetic 'signatures' found consistent in prostate cancer patients' metastases
In a genome-wide analysis of 13 metastatic prostate cancers, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found consistent epigenetic “signatures” across all metastatic tumors in each patient. The discovery...
Oxygen chamber can boost brain repair years after stroke or trauma
Through the use of hyperbaric, oxygen-rich chambers, medical researchers have found a way to restore a significant amount of neurological function in brain tissue thought to be chronically damaged by...
New research may aid treatment of multiple myeloma patients
A new study may help predict which patients with multiple myeloma will respond better to certain treatments.
Flu Researchers Say: Let Us Get Back To Work Studying Risky Mutations
Flu Research In A BSL3 Lab A virologist studies avian influenza in a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory. Taronna Maines and Greg Knobloch/CDCVirologists are ending their worldwide bird-flu research hiatus, but they need approval...
Emerging antibiotic resistance in Listeria discovered in frozen burger patties
Researchers have revealed the presence of multidrug-resistant strains of Listeria monocytogenes in frozen burger patties taken from supermarkets and other retail shops in Malaysia.
Work resumes on lethal flu strains
Study of lab-made viruses a ‘public-health responsibility’.Nature 493 460 doi: 10.1038/493460a
Scientists Research New Way to Battle Bacteria
Scientists at SUNY-ESF are developing a way to disrupt the process by which bacteria become virulent. The work could have widespread implications for human health.
New strategy to fight deadly infection in cystic fibrosis
New research suggests that lowering excessive levels of a protein in immune system cells could be a strategy to clear an infection that is deadly to patients with cystic fibrosis...
High blood calcium levels may indicate ovarian cancer
A new study reports that high blood calcium levels might predict of ovarian cancer, the most fatal of the gynecologic cancers.
Central Valley physicians dispense more than medical care
For three decades, Drs. Marcia and Oscar Sablan have cared for generations in rural Firebaugh, providing a level of hands-on care not found in larger communities.FIREBAUGH, Calif. — On a...
Residents near Chinese e-waste site face greater cancer risk
Residents living near an e-waste recycling site in China face elevated risks of lung cancer.
Astrocytes identified as target for new depression therapy: Starry brain cells used to mimic sleep deprivation
Neuroscientists have found that our star-shaped brain cells may be responsible for the rapid improvement in mood in depressed patients after acute sleep deprivation. The researchers report that the findings...
Candidate dengue vaccine shows promise in early-stage trial
A candidate dengue vaccine has been found to be safe and to stimulate a strong immune response in most vaccine recipients, according to results from an early-stage clinical trial.
International aid projects come under the microscope
Clinical-research techniques deployed to assess effectiveness of aid initiatives.Nature 493 462 doi: 10.1038/493462a
Flu restricts visits at Cape Breton hospitals
The Cape Breton District Health Authority has imposed visitor restrictions at all of its hospitals, community health centers and continuing care facilities as a precaution against the flu.
Light in the womb controls eye development | Mo Costandi
New findings could improve understanding of diseases that cause blindness in premature babiesProper brain development is highly dependent upon sensory experiences in early life. From the minute you are born, the light entering...
Weird: Immune Perfume Could Lure Sexual Partners
Perfumes with chemicals that mimic a person's unique immune fingerprint could be used to lure the most evolutionarily compatible mates
Report assesses risks facing EU
Earlier action can cut the impact of environmental threats in Europe but "bureaucratic silos" are causing delays, a report suggests.
Medicaid Patients Could Face Higher Fees Under a Proposed Federal Policy
Millions of low-income people could be required to pay more for health care under a proposed federal policy that would give states more freedom to impose additional charges on Medicaid...
The Science Of Colin Kaepernick
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is going to take the field in two hours and it won't just be a vindication of the decision by coach Jim Harbaugh to...