Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Welcome to Fall: Today Is Autumnal Equinox
Today's equinox marks the time of year when day and night are equally long.
Proposals Aim to Improve Kidney Transplant System
The committee that oversees kidney transplants in the United States proposed a series of changes aimed at making better use of the desperately inadequate supply of organs.
Predictors for Inpatient Pain identified
Researchers have identified reliable predictors of pain by surveying patients throughout their hospital stays about the severity of their pain and their levels of satisfaction with how their pain was...
Survival of safety-net hospitals at risk
Many public safety-net hospitals are likely to face increasing financial and competitive pressures stemming in part from the recent Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, according to researchers.
Treating disease by the numbers
Advances in mathematical modeling are allowing medical professionals to better understand the risk factors that lead to disease.
New strategies needed to combat disease in developing countries
So-called lifestyle diseases are gaining ground with epidemic speed in low-income countries. The traditional health focus in these countries has been to combat communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV and...
New York State’s Decision on Hydrofracking Will Await Health Review
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration now says its decision on whether to allow hydrofracking in New York State will have to wait until it conducts a review of the potential...
In heterosexuals, transmitted HIV strains often resemble original infecting virus
A new study has found that even though HIV diversifies widely within infected individuals over time, the virus strains that ultimately are passed on through heterosexual transmission often resemble the...
Battles between steroid receptors to regulate fat accumulation
The androgen receptor in human cells inhibits fat accumulation, but its activity can be sabotaged by glucocorticoids, steroids that regulate fat deposition and are known drivers of obesity and insulin...
Walking to the beat could help patients with Parkinson's disease
Walking to a beat could be useful for patients needing rehabilitation, according to a new study. The findings demonstrate that researchers should further investigate the potential of auditory, visual, and...
Calif. bullet train gets federal approval
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- California has received the first formal federal approval of its plan to construct a high-speed train between Los Angeles and San Francisco, officials...
Cause of diabetes may be linked to iron transport
Scientists have been trying to explain the causes of diabetes for many years. Researchers have now shown that the increased activity of one particular iron-transport protein destroys insulin-producing beta cells....
As painkiller overdoses mount, researchers outline effective approaches to curb epidemic
Prescription painkillers are responsible for more fatal overdoses in the United States than heroin and cocaine combined. And while most states have programs to curb abuse and addiction, a new...
Brain study reveals the roots of chocolate temptations
Researchers have new evidence in rats to explain how it is that chocolate candies can be so completely irresistible. The urge to overeat such deliciously sweet and fatty treats traces...
A mother’s nutrition–before pregnancy–may alter the function of her children’s genes
Everyone knows that what mom eats when pregnant makes a huge difference in the health of her child. Now, new [...]
Obese Can Be Metabolically Healthy and In Good Shape
A person can be obese and metabolically healthy at the same time, which means that this person will have the [...]
Nutrient in eggs and meat may influence gene expression from infancy to adulthood
Consuming greater amounts of choline -- a nutrient found in eggs and meat -- during pregnancy may lower an infant's vulnerability to stress-related illnesses, such as mental health disturbances, and...
Researcher argues moral duty of participation in biobank research
We all need medical advances. Biobank research can benefit both current and future patients, but it requires participants. So what can we do to promote research? On October 6, Joanna...
Phagevet-P: Applying viruses to treat bacterial diseases
The quest for enhanced food safety has driven research into novel treatments for bacterial diseases in livestock. A European consortium proposed the use of bacteriophages (bacteria-targeting viruses) to treat salmonella...
Roswell Park Scientists Publish Findings About Novel Anticancer Agent
A team led by Fengzhi Li, PhD, assessed the antitumor effects of FL118 in preclinical studies and found that this camptothecin analog generated strong anticancer activity with no apparent toxicity.
New Method To Understand The Effects Of Drinking Water By-products On Human Health
Pollutants: Researchers combine chemical and biological assays to reveal preliminary link to pregnancy outcomes
COPD patients experience poorer sleep quality and lower blood oxygen levels
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience poorer sleep quality than people of a similar age without COPD, according [...]
Scientists: overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture endangers humans
Former FDA commissioner is among 150 scientists and 50 farmers calling on Congress to regulate antibiotic useThe overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture and medicine is putting human lives at unnecessary risk and...
The politics of making and watching news
(Phys.org)—In a world-first, a team of University of Queensland researchers has developed a laboratory aimed at unpacking and understanding the political implications of news television programs.
Estimate Rises on Health Insurance Penalty
Congressional Budget Office analysts said that by 2016 nearly six million Americans would face a charge for not having insurance.
Washington State Makes It Harder to Forgo Immunizations
The share of kindergartners whose parents have opted out of state immunization requirements more than doubled in the decade that ended in 2008, raising alarm among public health experts.
BG-12 Pill Shows Promise in Suppressing Multiple Sclerosis Relapses
Clinical trials indicate that BG-12, developed by Biogen Idec, may be safer and more effective than existing treatments for patients in the early stages of the disease.
Improved brain tumor diagnosis
New method of brain tumor diagnosis offers hope to tens of thousands of people.