Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Dangerous History

    The genome of the TB bacterium has small but significant pockets of diversity, giving scientists new targets for preventing and treating the disease.

    By Emily Sohn
  2. Health & Medicine

    Childhood Vitamin D—A New Benefit?

    Vitamin D may prevent symptoms of asthma in toddlers.

    By Janet Raloff
  3. Health & Medicine

    Cancer Risk—Understanding the Puzzle

    The news is filled with stories about cancer risk. Some of the information can be confusing and contradictory. How do you know what to believe? This new Web site from the National Cancer Institute cuts through the hype to help you understand the plain and simple truth about cancer risk. Go to: http://understandingrisk.cancer.gov

    By Science News
  4. Health & Medicine

    X-Ray Kin: Radiation risk is hereditary

    Susceptibility to radiation-induced tumors runs in families.

    By Brian Vastag
  5. Health & Medicine

    Slimming on oolong

    Rats absorb less dietary fat and gain less weight when their diets contain lots of oolong tea.

    By Janet Raloff
  6. Health & Medicine

    Embryos, please

    Almost half of Spanish couples who were asked recently to donate excess embryos for stem cell research did so.

    By Brian Vastag
  7. Health & Medicine

    Therapeutic sorghum?

    Sorghum's inflammation-fighting activity is comparable to that of a prescription arthritis medicine, animal research indicates.

    By Janet Raloff
  8. Health & Medicine

    Childhood Vitamin D—A Dark Side?

    Vitamin D may explain a child's summertime boost in lead absorption, new data indicate.

    By Janet Raloff
  9. Health & Medicine

    Risk Factor: Throat cancer linked to virus spread by sex

    Cancer of the throat and tonsils can arise from infection with a sexually transmitted virus.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    A smart pill for seniors?

    A dietary supplement combo boosts older adults' performance on simple mental tests.

    By Janet Raloff
  11. Health & Medicine

    This trick boosts cancer’s spread

    A compound that helps keep cells organized and stitched into tissues may play a role in the survival of cancer cells that have seeded distant tissues in the body.

    By Janet Raloff
  12. Health & Medicine

    More Than Bit Players: Snippets of RNA might sway pancreatic cancer

    Small pieces of genetic material called microRNA might provide a preview of pancreatic cancer's aggressiveness and offer targets for combating the usually deadly disease.

    By Nathan Seppa