Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Two studies offer some cell-phone cautions
A British review of research gave cell-phone safety a guarded endorsement, while new findings indicate that radiation from older cell phones can trigger a stress-response gene, at least in animals.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Drug combination may fight breast cancer
Retinoic acid, when combined with a drug that reverses a process called methylation in breast tumor cells, may awaken a key cancer-fighting gene.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Federal Government Launches Organic Standards
Though for decades some foods have carried the label “organic,” consumers never could be sure exactly what the term meant. Action by the Department of Agriculture last week should clarify things. USDA USDA On Oct. 21, USDA implemented regulations governing the production and labeling of organic foods. Until now, bodies from state governments to trade […]
- Health & Medicine
Hidden Effect? Hypertension risk linked to common, over-the-counter pain relievers
Women who take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for headaches or inflammation boost their chances of developing high blood pressure.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
A hint at a healthful effect of beer
Beer consumption seems to boost concentrations of vitamin B6 in blood and coincides with lower concentrations of homocysteine, a risk factor for heart disease.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Bats may spread new Malaysian virus
A Nipah virus outbreak in Malaysia may have started when bats spread disease to pigs.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Sweet news about ginseng
When taken before or with meals, ginseng appears to help people with diabetes control the normal rise in blood sugar that accompanies eating.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
New gene-therapy techniques show potential
Two technologies for transferring genes, one that uses mobile DNA called transposons and another that uses a weak virus, have proved successful in overcoming genetic disorders in mice.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Cancer Net
Cancer.gov is a huge compendium of information on cancer assembled by the National Cancer Institute. You can find out the characteristics of different cancers, ponder treatment options, peruse statistics on cancer incidence, and check out support groups, coping strategies, and much more. The site offers access to scientific papers and lectures, along with a search […]
By Science News - Health & Medicine
Distressing Gut Symptoms May Trace to Sweets
U.S. diners are notorious for having a sweet tooth. It’s hard not to succumb to the pervasive siren calls of sugary confections. Television commercials bombard viewers with enticements for presweetened cereals, breakfast bars, sugar-laden soda pop, and fruit-flavored beverages–many containing, at best, only about 10 percent real juice. Grocery stores seduce consumers with aisle after […]
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Blood Booster: Growth signal shifts cord stem cells into high gear
A protein called Delta-1 stimulates stem cells in umbilical cord blood to proliferate in a lab dish, attach well to bone marrow when implanted into mice, and even proceed to the animal's thymus to become T cells.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
A different GI link to colon cancers
Diets rich in sweets and other quickly digested carbohydrates appear to increase an individual's risk of developing colon cancer.
By Janet Raloff