Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Brain-dead pregnant woman removed from life support in Ireland
The case has exposed fear and confusion among doctors over how to apply Ireland's strict ban on abortion in an age of medical innovation.
Growing support for dietary restriction
Researchers identify health benefits beyond longer lifespans A new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers identifies a key molecular mechanism behind the health benefits...
New standards of care from the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is recommending a less stringent diastolic blood pressure target for people with diabetes and that all people with diabetes take either moderate or high doses of...
Fingertip use on smartphones changing our brain activity
Increasing use of smartphone touchscreens is altering brain activity in relation to fingertips, a new study says.
Business Briefing: Diabetes Drug Gains Approval for Treatment of Obesity
The first injectable drug approved for weight loss will be marketed for overweight adults who have weight-related health problems.
Genes show the way to better treatment of hepatitis A
One of the most common causes of hepatitis A (formerly known as infectious hepatitis) is a hepatitis C virus infection in the liver. The disease can be treated medically, but...
Buffer zone guidelines may be inadequate to protect produce from feedlot contamination
The pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 can spread, likely airborne, more than one tenth mile downwind from a cattle feedlot onto nearby produce, according to a new paper. "The high percentages...
Armed virus shows promise as treatment for pancreatic cancer
A new combination of two different approaches -- virotherapy and immunotherapy -- is showing 'great promise' as a treatment for pancreatic cancer, according to new research. The study investigated whether...
Greater risk of premature deaths in neighborhoods with high concentrations of check-cashing places
A new research paper suggests a relation between the density of both check-cashing places and alcohol outlets in a given neighborhood and the risk of premature death in people ages...
'July effect' does not impact stroke outcomes, according to new study
Patients with strokes caused by blood clots -known as acute ischemic strokes- who were admitted in July had similar outcomes compared to patients admitted any other month, according to a...
F.D.A. Lifting Ban on Gay Blood Donors
The agency will scrap a lifetime prohibition on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, but it will block donations by men who have had sex with other men in...
Echolocation acts as supplemental sense for the blind
Brooks HaysEDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- New research suggests echolocation can serve as a vision-like substitute sense for blind people.
Daniel Nocera Named Editor-in-Chief Of Chemical Science
Harvard professor will lead journal’s foray into open access publishing
564,000 Keurig coffee makers recalled in Canada due to burn risk
Keurig has recalled more than 6.6 million coffee makers in the U.S. and 564,000 in Canada because they may overheat and spray water during brewing - and more than 100...
How To Assess The Risks Of The Botanicals In Supplements Craze
Examples of poisonings due to people mistakenly picking and consuming poisonous botanicals in the wild made it clear that, contrary to claims by an alarming number of nutritionists and supplement...
Ebola raises profile of blood-based therapy
Convalescent plasma therapy is trialled to fight Ebola, but could also be used for new and emerging pathogens.Nature 517 9 doi: 10.1038/517009a
New video supports radiation dosimetry audits
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), working with the National Radiotherapy Trials Quality Assurance Group, has produced a video guide to support physicists participating in radiation dosimetry audits.
How did the chicken beat the infection?
A new Emmy Noether Group in LMU's Faculty of Veterinary Science is dedicated to understanding the mechanisms that underlie the operation of the immune system in chickens.
Wearable opportunities lie in chronic diseases
Wearable technologies such as smart watches that offer fitness information at a glance are part of a growing industry, but health technology experts say innovators should focus on where the...
Home sweet home at risk of bushfire
Home is where the heart is - and reminding yourself how much you love your home might ensure you prepare it for bushfires.
Using Lights to Illuminate Biology
Here’s a look at just a few of the ways new light-based tools have deepened our understanding of living systems and set the stage for future medical advances.
Diagnosing the past to predict the future of Salmonella infections
Different strains of Salmonella behave in different ways. Understanding how and why four closely related strains evolved to lead a more host adapted invasive life-style is at the heart of...
Mirror therapy may help to reduce the pain of arthritis
An optical illusion involving a mirror can trick the brain into reassessing a hand with arthritis as healthy and pain-free Continue reading...
New arthritis implant hailed as ‘magic’
Trial of electronic device leads to improvement in more than half of patients, raising hopes for an alternative to medicines Continue reading...
FDA going after sellers of pure caffeine powder
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration is building a legal case against companies that sell pure powdered caffeine, which can be fatal even in...
Use of Cholesterol-Lowering Meds on the Rise
The percentage of Americans taking medication to control their cholesterol levels has risen by a third over the past decade, a new study finds.
Drug resistance to kill 10 million a year by 2050
Developing nations will bear the brunt of burden caused by an ‘alarming’ rise in antimicrobial resistance.
Obama Administration to Investigate Insurers for Bias Against Costly Conditions
The administration said it had become aware of “discriminatory benefit designs” that discouraged people from enrolling because of age or medical condition.