Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Diabetes drug might fight cancer

    A widely prescribed medication with few side effects shows promise in both mice and humans.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Health & Medicine

    Alzheimer’s trade-off for mentally active seniors

    Staying mentally active may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease but may also prompt rapid cognitive decline once symptoms appear.

    By Bruce Bower
  3. Health & Medicine

    Ovary removal proves beneficial for cancer-prone women

    BRCA mutation carriers who opt for surgery survive longer than those who forgo the operation, a new study shows.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Life

    Why starved flies need less sleep

    Low lipid levels keep the insects buzzing past bedtime, a new study finds, suggesting a role for metabolism in regulating sleep.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  5. Health & Medicine

    Wheat genome announcement turns out to be small beer

    The DNA sequence released by U.K. team still requires assembly.

    By Rachel Ehrenberg
  6. Health & Medicine

    Dairy foods may cut heart attack risk

    The reputations of milk, cheese and many other dairy products have taken a bit of a hit in recent years for their constituting a major dietary source of saturated fats — a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. How ironic, then, that a Swedish study now correlates intake of dairy fats with a reduced risk of heart attacks.

    By Janet Raloff
  7. Health & Medicine

    New drug fights metastatic melanoma

    A novel compound joins two other promising therapies to offer hope for patients with the advanced form of the skin cancer, who currently have poor treatment options.

    By Nathan Seppa
  8. Health & Medicine

    New gel seals wounds fast

    A synthetic material revs up blood clotting at low cost.

    By Rachel Ehrenberg
  9. Health & Medicine

    Amphetamine abusers face blood vessel risk

    The odds of sustaining aorta damage are more than tripled in people who abuse or are dependent on amphetamines, a review of hospital records finds.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Life

    Gene profiles may predict TB prognosis

    A molecular profile may help doctors predict who will get sick from TB infections.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  11. Health & Medicine

    Traffic may drive some people to diabetes

    Urban air pollution — especially the particles and gases emitted by heavy traffic — can increase a senior citizen’s risk of developing type-2 diabetes, according to a new German study. If confirmed, its authors say, pollution would represent a “novel and potentially modifiable risk factor” for the metabolic disorder.

    By Janet Raloff
  12. Health & Medicine

    Teen hearing loss rate worsens

    The percentage of adolescents with some decline has increased since the 1990s, a study shows.

    By Nathan Seppa