Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Novel diabetes strain has rapid onset

    Japanese researchers have confirmed that some patients with type 1 diabetes have a novel form of the disease that's not caused by immune cells attacking the pancreas.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Health & Medicine

    Diet Pills: It’s Still Buyer Beware

    With some half of the adult U.S. population overweight–many individuals severely so–is it any wonder that the fastest growing segment of the dietary supplement industry is weight-loss aids? Since 1997, sales of diet pills and related supplements have been increasing 10 to 20 percent annually to the point where last year they reached $2 billion. […]

    By Janet Raloff
  3. Health & Medicine

    New Antidote to Botulism: Drug neutralizes toxin in mouse tests

    An experimental drug disables deadly botulism toxin much better than current treatment does.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Health & Medicine

    Fullness Factor: Gut hormone tells brain the stomach is well fed

    A hormone produced by the intestines could be the primary satiety signal sent to the brain.

    By John Travis
  5. Health & Medicine

    Ulcer bug linked to stroke

    Potent strains of an ulcer-causing bacterium may also trigger strokes.

    By Damaris Christensen
  6. Health & Medicine

    Lab tool may spawn new antiviral drugs

    Short strands of RNA can be used to stop viruses such as HIV.

    By John Travis
  7. Health & Medicine

    Breast-feeding has protective bonus

    Breast-feeding appears to help ward off breast cancer.

    By Damaris Christensen
  8. Health & Medicine

    Obesity and Genetics

    Studies show that genes are a significant factor in developing obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide an online guide to the problem of obesity and insights into current research on the genetics of obesity. Go to: http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/training/perspectives/obesity.htm

    By Science News
  9. Health & Medicine

    Surprise! Obesity (and Inactivity) Can Spur Cancers

    Some 60 percent of U.S. adults say they’re worried at the prospect of developing cancer, yet only 6 percent recognize that being overweight is a leading predisposing factor. That’s one finding from a June survey, commissioned by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. The survey was unveiled on July 11 at a […]

    By Janet Raloff
  10. Health & Medicine

    Retina Rescue: Adult stem cells form blood vessels in the eye

    Stem cells derived from bone marrow can grow into new blood vessels in the eyes of mice, suggesting a way to treat eye diseases in people.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Fat Chance: Cancer drugs may also thwart obesity

    Drugs now undergoing testing as a cancer therapy because they thwart new blood vessel growth may also be a treatment for obesity.

    By John Travis
  12. Health & Medicine

    Viral Survivor

    Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of diseases ranging from mononucleosis to several kinds of cancer, has begun to reveal how it enters human cells and protects itself from the immune system.

    By John Travis