Humans

Health & Medicine

Drugs slow diabetes patients’ kidney damage

Two drugs normally prescribed for high blood pressure help forestall kidney damage in people with type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes.

Health & Medicine

Even a little coffee may up heart risk

Drinking just 1 to 3 cups of coffee daily may adversely affect blood concentrations of cholesterol and homocysteine.

Health & Medicine

Constipation might signal Parkinson’s

Men who are constipated are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than men who are not.

Health & Medicine

Obesity linked to pancreatic cancer

People who are obese or who have led sedentary lives with little exercise are more likely than others to develop pancreatic cancer.

Archaeology

Ancestors who came in from the cold

Researchers found the remains of a 36,000-year-old human occupation in the Russian Arctic, which represents the earliest evidence of a human presence that far north.

Archaeology

Neandertals used tools with versatility

Microscopic data from artifacts found at two Ukrainian sites indicate that Neandertals used stone tools in flexible ways that allowed them to maintain a broad diet for nearly 50,000 years.

Health & Medicine

Heard about Choline?

This week, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce its authorization of food-labeling claims for choline. It marks the first nutrient to be approved for such claims under the FDA Modernization Act of 1997. Central Soya Central Soya Although choline is hardly a household name, its low visibility doesn’t reflect its importance. This […]

Health & Medicine

Two drugs may enhance recovery from stroke

Two drugs, levodopa and dextroamphetamine, may help stroke patients to recover the ability to move and speak.

Anthropology

Neandertals show ancient signs of caring

A partial jaw unearthed in France indicates that Neandertals extensively cared for sick and infirm comrades beginning nearly 200,000 years ago.

Health & Medicine

Painkillers may damage hearts

A retrospective study suggests that commonly used painkillers called COX-2 inhibitors may slightly increase a person's risk of having a heart attack.

Health & Medicine

Placebos are dead, long live placebos

A study provides new evidence for the placebo effect and suggests a mechanism through which placebos might benefit patients with Parkinson's disease.

Health & Medicine

Study challenges surgery for lung disease

Patients with the most severe emphysema shouldn't undergo major surgery that removes part of their damaged lungs.