Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Progress Against Dementia: Drug slows Alzheimer’s in severely ill patients

    The drug memantine slows the progression of late-stage Alzheimer's disease in patients previously considered untreatable.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Another Way Saturated Fats Can Hike Heart Risks

    Physicians and health columnists have been exhorting the public for years to pare saturated fats from the diet. Numerous studies have linked heavy consumption of these fats to elevated cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease. Now, Johns Hopkins University researchers tie high-saturated-fat diets to a second risk factor for cardiovascular disease: abdominal fat. […]

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Passive smoking may foster kids’ cavities

    Young children exposed to tobacco smoke face a greatly elevated risk of developing cavities in their baby teeth.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Prenatal marijuana exposure may pose health risks

    Rats that were exposed to a marijuana-related chemical while in the womb show more memory lapses and hyperactivity than unexposed rats do.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    The Vaccinia Dilemma

    To inform the current debate on who should be vaccinated for smallpox given the possibility of—or in the event of—a bioterrorism attack, researchers are using mathematical models and data from vaccination campaigns and past smallpox outbreaks.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Cranberry Juice—A Cocktail for the Heart

    Chemist Joe Vinson has a passion for foods and the potentially beneficial antioxidants they bring to the dinner table. Cranberry-juice cocktail contains just 27 percent berry juice but still is the second-most potent source of antioxidants among popular fruit juices. Cranberry Institute Three years ago, for instance, he reported data showing that molecule for molecule, […]

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Morbid Mystery Tour: Epidemic from China is encircling globe

    An outbreak of deadly pneumonia that apparently began in southern China spread in March to at least two other continents, including North America.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Protein protects rat brains from strokes

    Neuroglobin, a protein related to hemoglobin, may protect the brain during strokes.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Molecule may protect against kidney damage

    People with a gene for the protein called apoE-IV are less likely to have the dangerous complication of kidney failure after a heart-bypass operation than are people who make other versions of the protein.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Plot thickens for blood pressure drugs

    A new study counters a recent report that diuretics taken for high blood pressure protect against heart problems better than newer, more expensive drugs.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    More than a Kick

    Nicotine ramps up activity throughout the body, making the drug a suspect in many tobacco-related ailments.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Perk Up Food Flavors with. . .Black Plastic? (with pesto recipe)

    Pesto, a zesty sauce for pasta and spread for crusty breads, typically derives much of its flavor from basil. The fresher this herb, the richer the pesto’s flavor–which is why many people with a pesto passion keep a basil patch outside the kitchen door. USDA scientists compare the yield and quality of identical crop cultivars […]

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