All Stories by Nathan Seppa
- Health & Medicine
Childhood leukemia worsened by genetic mutations
Mutations in JAK genes make childhood leukemia more dangerous and may offer a target for drug manufacturers.
- Health & Medicine
Gene could matter in bladder cancer
Among people with a common form of bladder cancer, those with a variant of a certain gene survive twice as long as people with the common version of the gene.
- Health & Medicine
A urine test may predict lung cancer risk
A urine test that reveals levels of two tobacco-related compounds may identify which smokers are most prone to developing lung cancer, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Epilepsy drug might harm fetuses
Young children born to women who took the drug valproate for epilepsy during pregnancy have lower IQ scores, on average, than children whose moms used a different antiepilepsy medication.
- Health & Medicine
Hypoglycemia linked to dementia
Episodes of low blood sugar that require medical attention seem to increase a person’s risk of developing dementia in old age, a study in people with type 2 diabetes shows.
- Health & Medicine
Acid reflux link to asthma now in doubt
Heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors, commonly prescribed for asthma patients, don’t prevent breathing attacks.
- Health & Medicine
HPV screen beats Pap smear
A test for human papillomavirus outperforms the standard Pap smear in catching precancerous cervical lesions, a study of women age 30 and over shows.
- Health & Medicine
Parasites hinder immunity against cholera
Harboring intestinal parasites seems to limit a person’s ability to fend off cholera, a new study conducted in Bangladesh shows.
- Health & Medicine
Male circumcision fends off the most common STDs
Male circumcision prevents some genital herpes and human papillomavirus infections, a study in Ugandan adolescent boys and men shows.
- Health & Medicine
Early anesthesia may hinder kids’ learning
Young children who get general anesthesia more than once before age 4 may be at increased risk of developing a learning disability later in childhood, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Vaccine could protect against virus that causes birth defects
An experimental vaccine against cytomegalovirus has the ability to prevent infection half the time it’s administered, suggesting the vaccine might prevent birth defects the virus can cause.
- Health & Medicine
Gradual treatment of peanut allergies shows promise
A slow and incremental introduction of peanuts into the diet helps some children overcome an allergy to the food, but it takes time and close supervision.
