Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Study reveals H1N1 unexpected weakness
The H1N1 influenza virus has been keeping a secret that may be the key to defeating it and other flu viruses as well. Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College...
New procedure cuts 2nd heart attack risk
FRANKFURT, Germany, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Swiss and German cardiologists say they've developed a procedure for heart attack survivors that might significantly reduce the risk of a second heart...
New sickle-cell therapy shows promise
BOSTON, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Children's Hospital Boston scientists say a new genetic approach to sickle-cell disease therapy is showing promise in animal studies.
Severity of H1N1 flu in US during current flu season may be less than feared
A new study projects that the severity of the H1N1 flu during the autumn-winter flu season in the United States will likely be less than previously feared.
HIV-related memory loss linked to Alzheimer's protein
More than half of HIV patients experience memory problems and other cognitive impairments as they age, and doctors know little about the underlying causes. New research suggests HIV-related cognitive deficits...
Young adults' blood lead levels linked to depression, panic disorder
Young adults with higher blood lead levels appear more likely to have major depression and panic disorders, even if they have exposure to lead levels generally considered safe, according to...
Defibrotide improves response rate in patients with severe veno-occlusive disease of the liver
Defibrotide, a novel drug which modulates the response of blood vessels to injury, was markedly more effective than standard treatment in post-stem cell transplant patients with hepatic veno-occlusive disease, a...
Not all parents place their babies 'back to sleep,' Yale research finds
Placing infants on their backs for sleep can help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). But a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues...
Spices halt growth of breast stem cells, U-M study finds
A new study finds that compounds derived from the spices turmeric and pepper could help prevent breast cancer by limiting the growth of stem cells, the small number of cells...
BMI and waist circumference
Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference are well known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but a new study reported in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation...
Higher risk for heart disease and diabetes associated with androgen deprivation therapy
Men of all ages treated for prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy, specifically with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH), have an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a...
Difficult childhood may increase disease risk in adulthood
Individuals who experience psychological or social adversity in childhood may have lasting emotional, immune and metabolic abnormalities that help explain why they develop more age-related diseases in adulthood, according to...
Isolation and stress identified as contributing to breast cancer risk
Social isolation and related stress could contribute to human breast cancer susceptibility, research from a rat model designed at the University of Chicago to identify environmental mechanisms contributing to cancer...
With amino acid diet, mice improve after brain injury
Neurology researchers have shown that feeding amino acids to brain-injured animals restores their cognitive abilities and may set the stage for the first effective treatment for cognitive impairments suffered by...
Self-destructing bacteria improve renewable biofuel production
An Arizona State University research team has developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing lower-cost, renewable biofuels. The team has programmed a photosynthetic microbe to self-destruct, making...
New platinum compound shows promise in tumor cells
Chemists have developed a new platinum compound that is as powerful as the commonly used anticancer drug cisplatin but better able to destroy tumor cells.
Antidepressants linked to major personality changes
A study finds steep drops in neuroticism, and increases of extroversion, among patients taking Paxil. Such traits had been believed to shift very little over a lifetime. ...
Well: Firm Body, No Workout Required?
Muscle-activating shoes claim to tone legs and buttocks while you walk. But do they bring results you can see?
Global Health: Guinea Worm: Campaign to Eradicate Guinea Worm in Hard-Hit Nigeria May Have Worked
The Carter Center, which has battled the worm for 20 years, says none have been found for 12 months in a row.
Really?: The Claim: High Blood Pressure Will Increase People’s Risk of Losing Their Hair.
THE FACTS Hypertension has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and early mortality. But hair loss?.
Vital Signs: Symptoms: Infections Lead to More Deaths in I.C.U.
A study involving 75 countries showed that those with infections were more likely to die in intensive care than those without infections.
Vital Signs: Hazards: ‘Stay-Tabs’ on Cans Aren’t Staying Out of Children
A radiologist in Cincinnati found that the replacement for pull tabs were not childproof.
Senator Grassley Seeks Financial Details From Medical Groups
Senator Charles E. Grassley has asked the American Medical Association and other major advocacy organizations about sources of income from drug and device makers.
Dutch PhD develops fast method for preparing flu vaccine
(PhysOrg.com) -- A shortage of flu vaccines may soon become a thing of the past. Researcher Manon Cox has designed an alternative process for producing large quantities of safe and...
Scientists chase deadly MRSA bacteria with new models
(PhysOrg.com) -- Ten years ago, Chicago hospitals were at ground zero when the deadly MRSA bacterium, till then confined to hospitals, learned some new tricks and spilled out into the...
Video: Hepatitis C 'Breakthrough'
Scientists in San Antonio, Texas say that they have been able to develop a new milestone drug which can help in the combat against the liver-ravaging Hepatitis C virus. ...
Lawyers fight to halt Ohio execution condemned as human experimentation
• Lethal injection involves anaesthetic used on pets• Change of method follows previous failures in stateLawyers acting for a prisoner on death row in Ohio were scrambling to delay his scheduled execution tomorrow...
Centre turns away from healing herbs
US research hub on complementary and alternative medicine shifts towards symptom management.