Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Detecting cancer in a flash

    Instant identification of cancer cells may become possible following experiments demonstrating that healthy and cancerous cells alter laser light in different, and distinguishable, ways.

    By Peter Weiss
  2. Health & Medicine

    Improving Prospects for Functional Foods

    A new analysis recommends streamlining rules that govern the production and sale of foods that improve health.

    By Janet Raloff
  3. Health & Medicine

    Molecular decoy thwarts Alzheimer’s

    Biomedical engineers have developed polymer molecules that bind to and block the activity of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

    By Alexandra Goho
  4. Health & Medicine

    Still Hungry?

    New research indicates that diet and lifestyle can affect the body's production of a hunger hormone in ways that might unwittingly foster overeating.

    By Janet Raloff
  5. Health & Medicine

    Plants take bite out of deadly snake venoms

    A Nigerian pharmacologist has found in local plants a potential antidote to some of the world's most deadly snake venoms.

    By Janet Raloff
  6. Health & Medicine

    Flame retardants spark new concern

    Breakdown products in brominated flame retardants, traces of which circulate in the blood of most people, may perturb the normal production of reproductive hormones, a new test-tube study suggests.

    By Janet Raloff
  7. Health & Medicine

    Fowl News—Food Additive’s Extra Benefit

    Turkeys and people may both reap unusual benefits from diets supplemented with a preservative originally used to keep foods from going stale.

    By Janet Raloff
  8. Health & Medicine

    New protease inhibitor looks promising

    An antiretroviral drug under development may work in patients for whom existing drugs fall short.

    By Ben Harder
  9. Health & Medicine

    Vitamin E Loses Luster: Nutrient tests show disappointing results

    In people who have a history of heart disease or diabetes, vitamin E supplements don't improve overall health and might even boost heart-failure risk.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Hepatitis B link to cancer is clarified

    A kind of hepatitis B called genotype C is more likely to lead to liver cancer than are other genotypes of the hepatitis virus.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Tungsten-alloy shrapnel might cause cancer

    Wounds caused by shrapnel comprising tungsten alloyed with nickel and cobalt cause cancer in rats, raising questions about the wisdom of using tungsten in munitions.

    By Nathan Seppa
  12. Health & Medicine

    Anoint Them with Oil: Cheap-and-easy treatment cuts infection rates in premature infants

    Massaging premature babies with sunflower-seed oil can cut bloodborne infection rates.

    By Christen Brownlee