Health & Medicine
-
Health & Medicine
For Failing Hearts: Gene therapy stops decline in animals
Tests in hamsters have raised hopes for creating a gene therapy to stop the common downward spiral of chronic heart failure.
By Susan Milius -
Health & Medicine
Heart damage tied to immune reaction
Researchers in Brazil have identified immune proteins that flood the heart tissues of many people with Chagas disease, suggesting a cause of this deadly complication of the parasitic tropical disease.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & Medicine
Gene might contribute to asthma risk
Variations in a gene called ADAM33 may predispose a person to asthma.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & Medicine
Hormone therapy falls out of favor
Several studies now indicate that health risks associated with hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women outweigh its benefits.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & Medicine
Sleepy Heads: Low fuel may drive brain’s need to sleep
A new study supports the hypothesis that dwindling energy stores in the waking brain induce sleep.
By Kristin Cobb -
Health & Medicine
Mixed Blessing: Unusual gene helps heart, hurts immunity
People carrying a variant of a gene that encodes an immune protein called toll-like receptor 4 have a weaker defense against infections but appear to be less prone to heart disease.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & Medicine
More than Skin Deep? Beauty products may damage fetal development
A new report shows that many cosmetics contain phthalates—a class of chemicals known to cause developmental deformities in animals.
-
Health & Medicine
Disabled Defense: HIV protein counters immune-cell gene
Immune cells contain a protein that can inhibit HIV replication if the AIDS virus lacks a key protein.
By John Travis -
Health & Medicine
Gender differences in weight loss
Men and women gain weight differently and may lose it differently, too.
-
Health & Medicine
Antioxidants for greyhounds? Not a good bet
Antioxidant vitamins that greyhound racers have been giving their animals to boost performance actually slow down the dogs.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & Medicine
Study fails to link vasectomy to cancer
Researchers have found that men with prostate cancer are no more likely to have had a vasectomy than healthy men are.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & Medicine
Method could boost diabetes therapy
Allowing insulin-producing islets to grow in close contact with each other during cell culture may increase the chance of successful transplant into diabetic people.