Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Wildfire smoke has immediate harmful health effects
Exposure to wildfire smoke affects the body's respiratory and cardiovascular systems almost immediately, according to new research.
Investigators: Pilots and controllers at fault in PK8302 crash
A plane crash in Pakistan last month that killed nearly 100 people was largely the result of human error in both the cockpit and the control tower, investigators said Wednesday.
Slow-growing rotavirus mutant reveals early steps of viral assembly
Rotavirus is responsible for more than 130,000 deaths annually in infants and children younger than five years. The virus causes severe, dehydrating diarrhea as it replicates in viral factories called...
Existing drugs may limit damage caused by HIV
Yale researchers have identified four drugs that may help minimize the long-term health effects of HIV infection, they report June 23 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Antiretroviral therapy has proved...
Transgenic rice lowers blood pressure of hypertensive rats
In the future, taking your blood pressure medication could be as simple as eating a spoonful of rice. This "treatment" could also have fewer side effects than current blood pressure...
2.3M Americans purchase prescription drugs from foreign sources, study finds
Fewer than 2 percent of Americans purchase prescription medications from sources outside of the United States, despite recent reports of rising drug prices, according to a study published Wednesday by...
How will the COVID-19 pandemic end?
Viruses are not as smart as humans, but they are much more patient. And the coronavirus' track record suggests it won't simply burn itself out.
Reducing the damage of a heart attack
Cardiology researchers have discovered how a key protein can help the heart regulate oxygen and blood flow and repair damage.
Tongue microbes provide window to heart health
Microorganisms on the tongue could help diagnose heart failure, according to new research. 'The tongues of patients with chronic heart failure look totally different to those of healthy people,' said...
Current serotype of dengue virus in Singapore disguises itself to evade vaccines and therapeutics
Singapore saw 1,158 dengue cases in the week ending 13 June 2020, the highest number of weekly dengue cases ever recorded since 2014. The dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV3), which...
How will the COVID-19 pandemic end?
Viruses are not as smart as humans, but they are much more patient. And the coronavirus' track record suggests it won't simply burn itself out.
New test method to detect kidney cancers
A novel liquid biopsy method can detect kidney cancers with high accuracy, including small, localized tumors which are often curable but for which no early detection method exists, say scientists from...
Simple device monitors health using sweat
A device that monitors health conditions in the body using a person’s sweat has been developed by Penn State and Xiangtan University researchers, according to Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, assistant professor...
New York City Marathon canceled due to coronavirus
The 2020 New York City Marathon, scheduled for Nov. 1, was canceled Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Decisions from the 290th ESA Council meeting
Press Release N° 12–2020 The ESA Council met today in its 290th session and took some important decisions regarding the Executive’s senior management.
Elder Carole Dawson, champion of Indigenous health, dies from COVID-19 in Vancouver
Carole Dawson, a longtime champion of Indigenous health and rights in B.C., has died from COVID-19, according to the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC).
Integrating health and climate agendas
Climate change not only causes problems ranging from heat stress to increased transmission of infectious diseases; it also affects the social and environmental determinants of health, such as clean air,...
Blood transfusions from COVID-19 survivors safe treatment for patients
Blood plasma transfusions from people who have developed antibodies to the new coronavirus appear to be safe for many COVID-19 patients, a large study suggests.
Should police be on mental health calls?
Ejaz Choudry. D’Andre Campbell. Rodney Levi. In the last few weeks, several Canadians struggling with their mental health have been shot and killed by police after authorities were called. Today...
Turning alcohol into key ingredients for new medicines
Chemists have found a way to turn alcohol into amino acids, the building blocks of life.
Australia scrambles to prevent 2nd COVID-19 wave after 1st death in a month
Australia reported its first COVID-19 death in more than a month on Wednesday, as concerns about a second wave of infections saw thousands of people queue, sometimes for hours, to...
Pioneering research reveals certain human genes relate to gut bacteria
The role genetics and gut bacteria play in human health has long been a fruitful source of scientific inquiry, but new research marks a significant step forward in unraveling this...
New class of precision medicine strips cancer of its DNA defenses
A new precision medicine targeting cancer's ability to repair its DNA has shown promising results in the first clinical trial of the drug class. The new study, designed to test...
Getting a coronavirus test is becoming harder, frustrating anxious protesters
Los Angeles County residents struggle to schedule coronavirus tests even as officials report a troubling surge in people infected with COVID-19.
Watch live: Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, prosecutor who quit Roger Stone case, to testify in Congress
One of the federal prosecutors who tried political strategist Roger Stone -- and then quit the case after the Trump administration intervened to lessen his recommended punishment -- will testify...
Family doctor from Stratford, Ont. is YouTube hit with COVID videos
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned Stratford-based family physician Sean Blaine into an internet sensation of sorts — as a YouTube commentator with health tips.
Cancer drug tocilizumab may help curb severe COVID-19
Could a cancer drug spare hospital patients from the ravages of severe COVID-19? Yale doctors think it can after giving the medication, known as tocilizumab, to severely ill patients back...
Gear treated with 'forever chemicals' poses risk to firefighters
Researchers tested more than 30 samples of used and unused PPE from six specialty textile manufacturers in the United States and found them to be treated extensively with PFAS or...