Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Op-Ed Contributor: More Noise, More Hearing Loss
Americans are increasingly aware of the dangers of noise but less aware of how it further handicaps those who already have hearing loss.
Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn Says It May Need State Bailout
The board chairman of Interfaith Medical Center blames Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, another ailing hospital, for delaying a rescue plan.
In Uganda, an AIDS Success Story Comes Undone
A new survey has found that the country is one of two in Africa with AIDS rates rising.
Leg ulcer spray hastens healing
Spraying leg ulcers with a skin cell mixture may speed up healing compared with the conventional treatment, American and Canadian doctors have found.
New target for treating diabetes and obesity
Researchers have identified a potential target for treating diabetes and obesity. Studying mice, they found that when the target protein was disabled, the animals became more sensitive to insulin and...
Target for potent first-strike influenza drugs identified
Compounds blocking an enzyme universal to all influenza viruses may allow development of new antiviral drugs that also avoid the problem of drug resistance.
Alzheimer’s cognitive decline slows in advanced age
The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is advancing age. By age 85, the likelihood of developing the dreaded neurological disorder is roughly 50 percent. But researchers say AD...
Plant-based compound slows breast cancer in a mouse model
The natural plant compound phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) hinders the development of mammary tumors in a mouse model with similarities to human breast cancer progression, according to a new study.
Enbridge faces new conditions on pipeline restart
A U.S. regulator has imposed new conditions that Enbridge will be required to meet before it is allowed the restart its Line 14 pipeline which ruptured last week, spilling 1,200...
Bacteria-immune system 'fight' can lead to chronic diseases, study suggests
Results from a study conducted at Georgia State University suggest that a "fight" between bacteria normally living in the intestines and the immune system, kicked off by another type of...
Turning white fat into energy-burning brown fat: New hope for new obesity and diabetes treatments
Medical researchers have identified a mechanism that can give energy-storing white fat some of the beneficial characteristics of energy-burning brown fat. The findings, based on studies of mice and of...
Genetic cause for body tremors found
People suffering from the “essential tremor” disorder can now be more easily diagnosed.
Critical tumor suppressor for cancer identified
Scientists have identified a protein that impairs the development and maintenance of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), but is repressed during the initial stages of the disease, allowing for...
Disorders of consciousness: How should clinicians respond to new therapeutic interventions?
New tools have confirmed high rates of misdiagnosis of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness, such as the vegetative state. An increasing number of patients' families wish to use these...
Timing of antibiotics important in reducing infections after C-section
Giving antibiotics before cesarean section surgery rather than just after the newborn's umbilical cord is clamped cuts the infection rate at the surgical site in half, according to new research.
The mother’s curse explains why women live longer than men
Women outlive men by about five to six years but why? By age 85 there are roughly six women to every four men and by age 100 the ratio is...
Heat-shock factor reveals its unique role in supporting highly malignant cancers
Researchers have found that an ancient, highly conserved cell survival factor drives expression of a specific set of genes that is strongly associated with metastasis and death in patients with...
'Unhealthy' changes in gut microbes benefit pregnant women
The composition of microbes in the gut changes dramatically during pregnancy, according to a new study. Although these changes are associated with metabolic disease under most circumstances, they could be...
Embryonic blood vessels that make blood stem cells can also make beating heart muscles
Stem cell researchers have found for the first time a surprising and unexpected plasticity in the embryonic endothelium, the place where blood stem cells are made in early development.
What sets allergies in motion?
Scientists have identified a group of proteins that determine how cells react to allergens, and two of them may hold the key to future preventative medications. When the chain of...
Pregnancy alters resident gut microbes
Third-trimester microbiota resembles that of people at risk of diabetes.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2012.11118
Report: Generic drugs saved $193 billion in 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Growing use of generic medicines has reduced U.S. health care spending by more than $1 trillion over the past decade....
Cancer May Result From Wrong Number of Genes
Early-onset testicular cancer tied to more or fewer copies of certain genes
Iced tea can contribute to painful kidney stones
Summer is the peak season for drinking iced tea, but the popular drink can contribute to painful kidney stones. Iced tea contains high concentrations of oxalate, one of the key...
CJD case in Saint John prompts letter to patients
Health care officials in Saint John are hoping to meet with nearly 150 surgical patients to reassure them they have not been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, despite a confirmed case...
Squabble Over NEJM Paper Puts Spotlight on Antishock Drug
Studies suggest starch derivatives may do more harm than good
New technologies 'can help reduce animal-borne disease'
The impact of animal-borne diseases on humans could be significantly cut through new technologies and greater awareness-raising, says report.
Immune Response For Rabies Discovered In The Amazon
Our immune systems are funny things. An American traveling to Taiwan, for example, might be warned to get a hepatitis vaccine - unless they grew up on a farm. Rabies...