Health & Medicine

  1. Chemistry

    Snot has the power to alter scents

    Enzymes in mice's nasal mucus can alter certain odors before the nose can detect them, a new study finds.

    By Laura Sanders
  2. Humans

    Vitamin D targets increased

    A panel advises raising the dietary allowance for the nutrient, but some scientists say the new recommendations are still woefully low.

    By Nathan Seppa
  3. Health & Medicine

    A few stray hairs

    Brain regions that sense the world can also flick a whisker, research in mice shows, suggesting that the organ’s division of labor is not so clear-cut.

    By Laura Sanders
  4. Health & Medicine

    Antiretroviral drugs may prevent HIV infection

    Gay and bisexual men who don’t have the AIDS virus can reduce their risk of getting it by taking a drug combination, a new study finds.

    By Nathan Seppa
  5. Humans

    Visor might protect troops from blasts

    Computer simulations show that the current military helmet lets explosive forces into the head through the face.

    By Rachel Ehrenberg
  6. Humans

    Extra weight in early childhood foretells later disease risk

    A study tracking kids from birth into young adulthood identifies ages 2 to 6 as most crucial for predicting later problems with metabolic syndrome.

    By Janet Raloff
  7. Health & Medicine

    New drug bumps up good cholesterol

    Anacetrapib raises beneficial HDL while lowering harmful LDL, a medical trial finds, suggesting it may be a powerful new weapon against cardiovascular disease.

    By Nathan Seppa
  8. Life

    Genes jump more in one type of autism

    A mutation that causes Rett syndrome also increases the activity of retrotransposons in the brain.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  9. Health & Medicine

    Mining fat tissue for cardiac repair

    Stem cells that are abundant in adipose tissue seem to boost the recovery of heart tissues in people who survive the big one, early research shows.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Jet lag makes hamsters dumb

    A new study highlights the perils of shifting time zones.

    By Laura Sanders
  11. Health & Medicine

    Flick of a whisker can prevent stroke damage in rats

    A new study in animals suggests sensory stimulation could potentially provide a nondrug method for protecting human patients.

    By Laura Sanders
  12. Health & Medicine

    Fish oil fails to hold off heart arrhythmia

    Atrial fibrillation patients who took capsules rich in omega-3 fatty acids had about as many episodes as those getting a placebo, a study finds.

    By Nathan Seppa