Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Hormonal condition may contribute to high blood pressure, study suggests
Many people with high blood pressure may have an unrecognized hormonal condition driving their numbers up, a new study suggests.
Women with Neanderthal gene give birth to more children
One in three women in Europe inherited the receptor for progesterone from Neanderthals -- a gene variant associated with increased fertility, fewer bleedings during early pregnancy and fewer miscarriages.
Los Angeles opens its largest coronavirus testing site at Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles opens its largest coronavirus testing site at Dodger Stadium, where up to 6,000 people a day can be tested from their cars.
Newly identified ‘metabolic signature’ can help predict CVD risk
A newly identified “metabolic signature” can evaluate an individual’s adherence and metabolic response to the Mediterranean diet and help predict future risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to new research led by...
Harvard Dental graduate finds his purpose in serving others
This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. Jeffrey Taylor’s passion for art and science led him to the field of dentistry where he hopes to...
Harvard expert compares 1918 flu, COVID-19
This is part of our Coronavirus Update series in which Harvard specialists in epidemiology, infectious disease, economics, politics, and other disciplines offer insights into what the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak may...
Vaccines can protect against COVID-19 in animal models, study says
This is part of our Coronavirus Update series in which Harvard specialists in epidemiology, infectious disease, economics, politics, and other disciplines offer insights into what the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak may...
Pioneering AIDs researcher Max Essex on a frenzied search for answers
Life stories from Paul Farmer, Drew Faust, Howard Gardner, Annette Gordon-Reed, Martin Karplus, Toshiko Mori, Steven Pinker, E.O. Wilson, and many more, in the Experience series. During an earlier pandemic that even today is...
Dramatic drops in ER visits likely led to uncounted deaths
This is part of our Coronavirus Update series in which Harvard specialists in epidemiology, infectious disease, economics, politics, and other disciplines offer insights into what the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak may...
Christophe Millien returns to Haiti with a new mission
This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. When Christophe Millien finishes his graduate studies at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in May, he will return to his...
Pesticides harm honeybee nursing behavior, larval development, video shows
Using a new video technique, scientists have documented the ill effects of pesticides on the nursing behavior and larval development of honeybees.
Coronavirus 'silent spreaders' become a bigger risk as California reopens
There's increasing concern that people infected with COVID-19 who show no signs of illness are playing a large role in the transmission of COVID-19.
Coronavirus 'silent spreaders' become a bigger risk as California reopens
There's increasing concern that people infected with COVID-19 who show no signs of illness are playing a large role in the transmission of COVID-19.
HHS watchdog defends coronavirus report criticized by Donald Trump, urges independence
The former acting inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday defended a report she issued a month ago that detailed severe shortages of medical supplies.
Even natural products can be harmful for the unborn child
Plant products ingested by pregnant women through their diet are broken down by the intestinal microbiota into chemical substances, some of which can cross the placental barrier and reach the...
Op-Ed: Will Memorial Day 2020 be remembered as the holiday when COVID-19 got the upper hand?
In some parts of the country, COVID-19 is still surging. So why are we stopping measures we know work?
COVID-19 pandemic uniting Canadians like no other event in decades
A new study by researchers from McGill University and the University of Toronto finds a cross-partisan consensus on battling COVID-19 in Canada. Unlike in the U.S., this consensus is fostering...
Inexpensive retinal diagnostics via smartphone
Retinal damage due to diabetes is now considered the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. In low- and middle-income countries, an eye examination via smartphone could help to...
Dementia gene might increase risk for serious COVID-19, study says
A genetic mutation linked to dementia might increase a person's risk for serious illness from COVID-19, a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Gerontology said.
The first 3-D map of the heart's neurons
The normal functioning of our hearts is maintained by our body's control center—the brain—via an intricate network of nerves. When this communication is disrupted, it results in heart disease, including...
Scientists discover how cells respond to fasting
As modern life-styles and high calorie diets drive the UK's obesity levels up, researchers from the University of Warwick have found how cells respond to fasting and activate the process...
Humans have beneficial bacteria uniquely adapted for life in our noses
Beneficial strains of bacteria residing in our guts, genital tracts, and skin have been shown to play a role in human health, and now, researchers publishing May 26 in the...
Critical transition theory shows flickering in heart before atrial fibrillation
Affecting up to 4% of patients older than 65 years, atrial fibrillation ranks among the most common heart conditions. Described by health professionals as an "irregularly irregular" heart rhythm, episodes...
New Design Helps N95 Mask Wearers Breathe Easier
The device prevents oxygen deprivation in coronavirus-blocking respirators -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Physical jobs linked to more sick leave, earlier retirement
People with physically demanding jobs take more sick leave. They also have higher unemployment rates and shorter work lives, a new Danish study finds.
Merck working with non-profit IAVI to develop COVID-19 vaccine
U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck on Tuesday jumped into the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, announcing three separate efforts through collaborations and a corporate acquisition.
Is the coronavirus mutating? Yes. But here’s why you don’t need to panic
In novels and movies, infectious pathogens mutate and inevitably become more dangerous. In the blockbuster movie Contagion, for instance, a deadly virus acquires a mutation in Africa that causes the global death toll...
COVID-19 not very infectious 8 days after symptoms show up, Winnipeg study suggests
COVID-19 appears to be infectious only for the first eight days after patients experience symptoms, Winnipeg researchers conclude in a study that has implications for the way the disease is treated,...