Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Legionnaires' disease cases not easily prevented
Quebec City's outbreak of legionnaires' disease has led to calls for an inquiry and preventive steps, but health officials say there is no way to predict where cases will develop...
Diabetes drug could help fight Alzheimer's disease, study reveals
A drug designed for diabetes sufferers could have the potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, a new study reveals.
Why Americans' Prescriptions Are Going Unfilled
A new survey finds that an increasing number of people cannot afford their prescription medications.
In lung cancer, smokers have 10 times more genetic damage than never-smokers
Lung cancer patients with a history of smoking have 10 times more genetic mutations in their tumors than those with the disease who have never smoked, according to a new...
Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients
Chronic heart failure patients are less likely to have died a year after discharge if they are involved in a programme of active follow-up once they have returned home than...
Analysis casts doubt on benefits of omega-3 supplements
An examination of previous studies concludes that fish oil supplements do not lower risk of heart attack, stroke or premature death. But benefits may be seen for certain people. Is...
Parents of babies with sickle cell trait are less likely to receive genetic counseling
Parents of newborns with the sickle cell anemia trait were less likely to receive genetic counseling than parents whose babies are cystic fibrosis carriers, a new study shows.
Protein linked to therapy resistance in breast cancer; possible new oncogene and future therapy target
Researchers have identified the FAM83A protein as a possible new oncogene and linked it to therapy resistance in breast cancer. This discovery helps explain the clinical correlation between a high...
Renal transplantation is best treatment option for improving quality of life in people with late-stage chronic kidney disease
In people with late-stage chronic kidney disease, renal transplantation is the best treatment option to improve quality of life, but for those receiving dialysis, home-based automated peritoneal dialysis (in which...
Gene linking cataracts and Alzheimer's disease identified
In a recent study, researchers identified a gene linking age-related cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence showing that these two diseases, both associated...
Fasting makes brain tumors more vulnerable to radiation therapy
A new study is the first to show that controlled fasting improves the effectiveness of radiation therapy in cancer treatments, extending life expectancy in mice with aggressive brain tumors.
New Gene Treatment Offers Hope for 'Bubble Boy Disease'
A gene therapy treatment could help treat people with severe immune system deficiencies, once called "bubble boy" disease.
Science doesn't back singer Sheryl Crow's brain tumor worries
Singer Sheryl Crow says she believes her benign brain tumor was caused by frequent cellphone use, but the science to date does not support her theory.
Little difference in outcomes among strategies to adjust asthma therapy, research finds
Among adults with asthma controlled with low-dose inhaled corticosteroid therapy, the time to treatment failure was not significantly different among patients who received corticosteroid dose adjustment based on physician assessment,...
Improved nanoparticles deliver drugs into brain
The brain is a notoriously difficult organ to treat, but researchers report they are one step closer to having a drug-delivery system flexible enough to overcome some key challenges posed...
Inhaled pain relief in early labour is safe and effective, study suggests
Inhaled pain relief appears to be effective in reducing pain intensity and in giving pain relief in the first stage of labour, say researchers. These conclusions came from a systematic...
Why severely obese women have difficulty getting pregnant from IVF
One third of American women of childbearing age are battling obesity, a condition that affects their health and their chances of getting pregnant. Obese women often have poor reproductive outcomes,...
Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus has yielded key insights, scientists say
The genetic sequencing and reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide have advanced scientists' understanding of influenza biology and yielded important information on how to...
Report recommends cost-effective plan to strengthen U.S. defense against ballistic missile attacks
To more effectively defend against ballistic missile attacks, the United States should concentrate on defense systems that intercept enemy missiles in midcourse, a new report recommends.
American Physiological Society's October Conference Examines the Integrative Biology of Exercise
Upcoming conference on the integrative biology of exercise explores potential mechanisms behind the health benefits of exercise and latest research incorporating exercise in personalized medicine.
Trouble in paradise: Does nature worship harm the environment?
Consumers nurture romantic ideas of nature by engaging in practices that are often harmful to the environment, according to a new study. Could eco-friendly products provide a solution?
How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking
Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes....
Scientists develop technique to decipher the dormant AIDS virus concealed in cells
Scientists have gotten us one step closer to understanding and overcoming one of the least-understood mechanisms of HIV infection -- by devising a method to precisely track the life cycle...
Health in the balance
This is the first installment in a three-part Harvard Medical School series on childhood obesity. “Do you have a TV in your bedroom?” asks Elsie Taveras, associate professor of population medicine and pediatrics...
India moves to tackle antibiotic resistance
Drug regulator aims to restrict over-the-counter sales.Nature 489 192 doi: 10.1038/489192a
Europe on alert for flying invaders
Spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes prompts guidelines for boosting surveillance.Nature 489 187 doi: 10.1038/489187a
Severe pain in sexual assault survivors often not treated
A majority of sexual assault victims experience severe pain in the early aftermath of the crime but less than a third of these victims receive pain medications, according to research.
Pregnancy exposures determine risk of breast cancer in multiple generations of offspring
Researchers have demonstrated, in animals, that maternal exposure to a high-fat diet or excess estrogen during pregnancy can increase breast cancer risk in multiple generations of female offspring -- daughters,...