Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Medicinal Chocolate . . . Part 1

    Therapeutic? - Some health groups are touting the benefits of the antioxidants found in candy.

    By Janet Raloff
  2. Health & Medicine

    Pinning down malaria’s global reach

    A new survey and map of malarial areas worldwide show 2.4 billion people at risk.

    By Nathan Seppa
  3. Health & Medicine

    Sun, inflammation speed aging of skin

    Gene profiles show inflammation is the key to making skin age, and sun exposure speeds the process.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Health & Medicine

    Nurturing Our Microbes

    Nurturing the microbes living in the human body can pay dividends—from shortening the length of colds to fighting obesity and osteoporosis.

    By Janet Raloff
  5. Health & Medicine

    Doctors Without Borders

    A medical brain drain may leave many countries unable to care for their sick.

    By Janet Raloff
  6. Health & Medicine

    Eye Protection: Antibiotic knocks back blinding disease

    Twice-a-year administration of the antibiotic azithromycin to Ethiopian villagers greatly reduces cases of trachoma, a blinding eye disease.

    By Nathan Seppa
  7. Health & Medicine

    Benign—Not: Unexpected deaths in probiotics study

    Acute pancreatitis patients provided nutrition laced with supposedly beneficial gut microbes died at far higher rates than did patients who received just the nutrients.

    By Janet Raloff
  8. Health & Medicine

    Cancer drug limits MS relapses

    The anticancer drug retuximab inhibits nerve damage and relapses in multiple sclerosis patients.

    By Nathan Seppa
  9. Health & Medicine

    Drug Running: Bust nets suspects in counterfeit antimalaria trade

    Investigators have traced the source of counterfeit antimalarial pills in Southeast Asia to southern China, where suspects have been arrested and an illicit factory shut down.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Caffeine intake tied to miscarriage

    Intake of caffeine equal to two cups of coffee per day seems to double a woman's risk of miscarriage.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Weighty Evidence

    Connections between the family of insulin hormones and cancer have been suspected for more than 2 decades, and today, drug companies are testing anticancer drugs based on the actions of an insulin cousin.

    By Laura Beil
  12. Health & Medicine

    Pot Downer: Marijuana users risk gum disease

    Regular marijuana smoking is linked to gum disease in young adults.

    By Nathan Seppa