Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    The Antibiotic Vitamin

    Because vitamin D turns on a major germ killer in the body, a deficiency in the nutrient may leave people especially vulnerable to infections.

    By Janet Raloff
  2. Health & Medicine

    Abated Breath: Serotonin problems may contribute to SIDS

    Babies who die of sudden infant death syndrome show abnormalities in the regulation of the chemical serotonin in their brains.

    By Julie Rehmeyer
  3. Health & Medicine

    L’Chaim: Wine compound lengthens mouse lives

    A constituent of red wine appears to increase the life spans and boost the well-being of mice that haven't followed the healthiest of lifestyles.

    By Christen Brownlee
  4. Health & Medicine

    Helping Hands: Brief rehab method aids arm activity after stroke

    Stroke survivors who have difficulty using an arm or a hand experience lasting mobility gains after completing an unusual 2-week rehabilitation program.

    By Bruce Bower
  5. Health & Medicine

    Insulin can protect diabetic brains

    Staying on top of diabetes treatments may prevent some of the brain atrophy and cognitive deficits that typically accompany the disease.

    By Christen Brownlee
  6. Health & Medicine

    Pain follows cycle

    Estrogen fluctuations during a woman's menstrual cycle may change her perception of pain.

    By Christen Brownlee
  7. Health & Medicine

    The Cancer of Dorian Gray

    By studying mice that have been engineered to carry mutations in certain tumor-suppressing genes, researchers have identified a link between cancer and aging.

    By Ben Harder
  8. Health & Medicine

    Vanishing Devices: Doctors implant disappearing stents, heart patches

    Novel heart devices fashioned mainly from materials that the body can absorb or break down have made their debut in heart patients.

    By Ben Harder
  9. Health & Medicine

    Lung Scan: CT may catch some treatable cancers

    Computed tomography (CT) scans seem to catch lung cancer early in smokers, but questions remain about the screening procedure.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Protecting against a difficult microbe

    By using DNA from the bacterium Clostridium difficile, scientists have fashioned a vaccine against the microbe.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Flu vaccine seems to work for kids under 6 months of age

    Babies younger than 6 months appear fully capable of responding to a flu shot.

    By Nathan Seppa
  12. Health & Medicine

    Dengue strikes United States

    Texas has been hit with the first-ever outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the continental United States.

    By Nathan Seppa