Marijuana seems to heighten the risk of heart attack in some people during the hour after which it is smoked. (p. 31)

People with the skin disorder psoriasis respond well to infliximab, a drug normally given to arthritis patients. (p. 31)

Insulin injections failed to prevent type I, or juvenile-onset, diabetes from developing in children and young adults predisposed to the disease. (p. 31)

Lack of sleep makes healthy adults somewhat resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin, suggesting it could predispose people toward type II, or adult-onset, diabetes. (p. 31)

Test-tube and mouse experiments show that nicotine induces angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels. (p. 6)

One gene appears to act as the master switch in embryonic heart formation. (p. 4)

Vitamin E aids immune system function and prevents growth declines in cattle, offering an alternative to potentially dangerous use of low-dose antibiotics. (p. 8)

Lack of a growth factor called IGF-1 has been implicated as a trigger for a disease that can cause vision problems, including blindness, in premature babies. (p. 8)

Copper and free radicals may initiate the brain damage of Alzheimer's disease long before its hallmark protein plaques have formed. (p. 406)

A glucocorticoid mimic may offer the autoinflammatory effects of steroids with fewer side effects. (p. 410)

Vitamin E may ward off osteoporisis—at least in mice. (p. 410)

A compound called sphingosine-1-phosphate preserves fertility in female mice given radiation treatment. (p. 410)

Very strict control of blood glucose concentrations helps limit atherosclerosis formation in people with type I, or juvenile-onset, diabetes. (p. 406)

Strictly controlling blood-sugar concentrations in critically ill patients can reduce deaths by a third. (p. 404)

Airline flight attendants with chronic jet lag have higher stress hormone concentrations and smaller temporal lobes (centers of short-term memory in the brain)than do more rested attendants. (p. 392)