Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Genes prove impact of birth weight
Four new genetic regions that influence birth weight have been discovered, providing further evidence that birth weight is linked to adult health.
Heart plaque tied to inflammation
Fifteen new genetic regions associated with coronary artery disease have been identified by a large, international consortium of scientists — [...]
Heat helps 'heal' flash memory
A brief jolt of searing heat can "heal" flash memory and stop it wearing out, researchers in Taiwan have found.
Scientists find 'bully' genes in common childhood tumor
In a genome sequencing study of 74 neuroblastoma tumors in children, scientists have found that patients with changes in two genes, ARID1A and ARID1B, survive only a quarter as long...
Cell surface transporters exploited for cancer drug delivery
A protein known as monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), which is highly expressed in a subset of metabolically altered cancer cells, is needed for the entry of the investigational cancer drug...
Women often lose their health insurance when divorced
Each year, almost 115,000 women in the U.S. will lose their health insurance in the months following a divorce, finds a new study.
Less than 25 percent of Americans walk for more than ten minutes continuously in a typical week
Many people in the U.S. do not walk, bike or engage in other forms of active transportation, missing an important opportunity to improve their cardiovascular health, concludes a new study.
Scientists discover how two proteins help keep cells healthy: Implications for cancer drug development
Scientists have determined how two proteins help create organelles, or specialized subunits within a cell, that play a vital role in maintaining cell health. This discovery opens the door for...
Childhood Obesity Can Be Predicted By The Mother's Job, Says Study
An online calculator says it can predict at birth a baby's likelihood of becoming obese in childhood, according to a paper in PLOS ONE. They estimate the child's obesity risk based...
A need to know the worst news you will ever hear
More and more people are taking genetic tests that can tell if they are likely to die or suffer from an incurable disease
Opinion: A Health Insurance Detective Story
How much will my medication cost me next year? Does anybody know?
Unboxed: Stand-Up Desks Gaining Favor in the Workplace
As more research finds health hazards in sitting for prolonged periods, more manufacturers are offering desks that let workers stand, or even walk, while toiling at the keyboard.
Steroid injection linked with significant bone loss in postmenopausal women treated for back pain
Postmenopausal women suffered significant bone density loss in their hip after they were treated with an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief, according to a new study. Bone density...
Lung cancer patients with pockets of resistance prolong disease control by 'weeding the garden'
This study of 65 patients showed that continuing either crizotinib or erlotinib after the treatment of resistant pockets with focused radiation ("weeding the garden") was associated with more than half...
Extended sleep reduces pain sensitivity
A new study suggests that extending nightly sleep in mildly sleepy, healthy adults increases daytime alertness and reduces pain sensitivity.
Listeria scare prompts Costco veggie burger recall
The Veggie Patch brand Ultimate Meatless Burger is being pulled off store shelves because of possible Listeria contamination.
US scientists challenge scares about food links to cancer
American research finds cancer food scares don't stand up to scrutiny with most culprit ingredients showing little or no increased risk of diseaseThey are mainstay stories of tabloid newspapers and women's magazines, linking...
Aboriginal HIV infections a growing problem in Canada
Aboriginal AIDS activists in Canada say they are trying to lower the high rate of HIV infections among First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
Sod the scientific warnings – here's why I'll keep on running | Kerry McCarthy
New studies warn your heart might not appreciate too much running. But if it makes you feel better, then job doneBloody science. For a discipline that's supposed to be all about accuracy...
South Africa makes progress in HIV/AIDS fight
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- In the early 90s when South Africa's Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on...
Doctors Who Work for Hospitals Face a New Bottom Line
With fewer providers competing aggressively for health care business, doctors who sell their practices are feeling pressed to meet financial targets.
Controversial HIV study begins in Montreal
Montreal researchers are rounding up possible recruits for a controversial study on HIV that has already made headlines overseas.
'Fecal transplants' used to treat C. difficile cases in Hamilton
Doctors have been using stool donations to treat patients who aren't responding to traditional therapy.
Man-made Bacteria Fights Man-Made Chemical Mess
Researchers have developed a bacteria to fight this long-lasting man-made pollution.
Another Supreme Review of Human Gene Patents
Myriad breast cancer gene case to get second hearing
Emerging vector-borne diseases create new public health challenges
West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and plague are examples of "vector-borne zoonotic diseases," caused by pathogens that naturally infect wildlife and are transmitted to humans by vectors such...
Immune disease an added blow to fungus-ridden bat populations
Rare immune complication previously seen only in people devastates animals that had appeared to evade white nose syndrome
‘Stem cell tourism’ growing trend
Internet sites offer help for people suffering from a dizzying array of serious conditions, including: Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, atherosclerosis, autism, brain damage, cancer, cerebellar ataxia, cerebral palsy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Crohn’s, diabetes,...