Nathan Seppa

Biomedical Writer (retired September 2015)

All Stories by Nathan Seppa

  1. Health & Medicine

    Double Duty: Diabetes drug protects reopened heart vessels

    A drug normally prescribed to hold blood sugar in check provides an unexpected benefit to heart patients.

  2. Health & Medicine

    MRI detects missed breast cancers

    Magnetic resonance imaging detects breast cancer better than does mammography and might be preferable for certain women at high risk.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Cancer vaccine gets first test in patients

    The first clinical test of a cancer vaccine that targets a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen shows promise.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Early cancer therapy and heart problems

    Pediatric cancer treatment with chest radiation or anthracyclines can cause a heightened risk of heart disease at an earlier age than previously believed.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Gene profiles might guide chemotherapy

    Profiles of genetic variations in cancer patients could help oncologists predict the outcome of chemotherapy.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Do zinc lozenges shorten common colds?

    People taking zinc to fight a cold report less coughing, less nasal discharge, and a shorter cold than do people getting a placebo.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Coffee linked to rheumatoid arthritis

    People who drink four or more cups of coffee per day appear more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis than are those drinking less.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Carotid surgery stands test of time

    Surgery to remove blockages from the carotid artery in the neck has lasting effects against stroke over several years and even provides some benefit when it's delayed.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Full-Length Pregnancy: Progesterone product may reduce premature births

    A drug related to the female hormone progesterone helps some pregnant women who are prone to premature birth extend their pregnancies.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Cancer Advance: Treatment combinations stall colorectal cancer

    Two experimental drugs can induce remission in colorectal cancer patients and extend their survival.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Gene therapy thwarts hepatitis C in mice

    Gene therapy that induces infected liver cells to self-destruct slows hepatitis C dramatically in mice.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Flawed Therapy: Hormone replacement takes more hits

    Elderly women taking estrogen and progestin are more likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and stroke than are women not taking the hormones.