Latest science news in Health & Medicine
New gene linked to congenital heart defects
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the UC San Diego School of Medicine and colleagues have identified a new gene, ETS-1, that is linked to human congenital heart defects. The landmark study,...
Painkiller undermines aspirin's anti-clotting action
Millions of Americans take Celebrex for arthritis or other pain. Many, if they are middle-aged or older, also take a low-dose aspirin tablet daily to reduce the risk of heart...
Reducing TV time helps adults burn more calories, study finds
Adults who used an electronic lock-out system to reduce their television time by half did not change their calorie intake but did expend more energy over a three-week period, according...
Discovery of new gene called Brd2 that regulates obesity and diabetes
The chance discovery of a genetic mutation that makes mice enormously fat but protects them from diabetes has given researchers at Boston University School of Medicine, USA, new insights into...
Intensive therapy for narrowed arteries linked to fewer heart events
Intensive medical therapy, including aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup in their carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) appears to...
Obesity epidemic taking root in Africa
The urban poor in sub-Saharan Africa are the latest victims of the obesity epidemic. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health claim that overweight and obesity are...
DC-SCRIPT found to have prognostic value in breast cancer
DC-SCRIPT, or dendritic cell-specific transcript, is a key regulator of nuclear receptor activity that may have prognostic value in breast cancer, according to a new study published online December 14...
Who gets expensive cancer drugs? A tale of 2 nations
The well-worn notion that patients in the United States have unfettered access to the most expensive cancer drugs while the United Kingdom's nationalised health care system regularly denies access to...
Parents: Be mindful of hazardous holiday ornaments
A new study from Children's Hospital Boston's Division of Emergency Medicine has found that holiday decorations, particularly glass ornaments, are one more safety hazard parents must consider during the season....
Influenza in Africa should not be ignored
Influenza is circulating in Africa, but virtually no information or attention is evident, says a new essay in this week's PLoS Medicine. Maria Yazdanbakhsh and Peter Kremsner argue that the...
A 'one health' approach to addressing emerging zoonoses: The HALI project in Tanzania
In this week's PLoS Medicine, Jonna Mazet (University of California, Davis) and colleagues describe their work in the Tanzania-based HALI Project, which adopts the "One Health" approach to address emerging...
Controlling key enzyme in brain offers clue for future obesity treatment
The Sirt1 enzyme in the body has generated enormous attention as a possible secret to living longer. Some scientists believe that fasting and drinking wine appear to aid in this...
Canadian first: The heart in telemonitoring
The electrophysiology team at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) recently performed the first implantation of a new type of cardiac pacemaker (Accent RF) in Canada. This landmark procedure was carried...
New research backs FDA ban on flavored cigarettes
New research showing that thrill-seeking teenagers are especially susceptible to fruit-flavored cigarettes is in line with the recent ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes by the U.S. Food and...
Sand playground surfaces reduce risk of arm fractures from falls, study shows
School playgrounds fitted with granite sand surfacing significantly reduce the risk of children fracturing arms in comparison with wood fiber surfaces, according to a randomized trial.
A radical treatment for Obsessive-compulsive disorder patients
Could Gamma Knife, a non-invasive brain surgery using radiation help OCD sufferers who can't be helped by more established treatments?'One of our first patients, just 17 years old, was brought to us in...
New Goal for the Obese: Zero Gain in Pregnancy
A study of weight gain by obese women in pregnancy will try to keep them from putting on any pounds.
In Surgery, a Tangled Tumor Meets Its Match
At NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia, surgeons spent 43 hours performing an ex vivo procedure on a man whose liver was engulfed by a cancerous tumor.
Scientists identify MRI safety risk
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers say they have identified a new magnetic resonance imaging safety risk for patients with pacemakers.
Well: When Lowering the Odds of Cancer Isn’t Enough
If someone invented a pill to cut a cancer risk in half, would you take it?
Really?: the Claim: Flu Viruses Live Longer on Surfaces Than Cold Viruses.
How long can a virus survive on your sink or doorknob?
Personal Health: Recipes to Set Teenagers on a Healthy Path
A new cookbook can be a resource to help steer adolescents away from fattening foods and toward a more wholesome diet.
Vital Statistics: Aviation Injuries, Aloft and on the Ground
Many hospitalizations result from accidents involving private planes and parachutists, researchers said.
Global Update: Antiretroviral Drugs Cut Suicide Rate in Swiss AIDS Patients, a Study Finds
Research showed a decline of more than 50 percent after patients started getting the medication in 1996.
HIV Outwits Yet Another Microbicide
Failure marks the end of the road for non-specific virus blockers [Read more]
Cognitive therapy key to tackling depression
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research from The University of Western Ontario shows why people suffering from depression may have a far greater hope of finding lasting relief by receiving cognitive therapy,...
Breast cancer gene test eligibility in Ont. misses some
About one per cent of Jewish women in Ontario carry a genetic mutation that makes them more susceptible to ovarian and breast cancer, but many are not on the Health...
New criteria to project preemies' time in hospital, says researcher
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have developed a new way to estimate when the tiniest preemies -- babies born months early -- will go home from the hospital.