All Stories by Nathan Seppa
- Health & Medicine
Kawasaki patients show coronary calcium
The heart attack risk associated with Kawasaki disease, a childhood inflammatory disease that can cause aneurysms, may stem from calcium build-up in coronary arteries.
- Health & Medicine
Light blow to chest can be fatal
A light blow to the heart can cause cardiac arrest, even when the blow isn't hard enough to cause injury.
- Health & Medicine
Statins, yes; antioxidants, no
Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins improves the health outlook for patients at risk of heart attack even when these patients aren't considered obvious candidates to receive the treatment.
- Health & Medicine
Cuff therapy boosts growth factor
Cuffs that squeeze the legs of heart patients may relieve angina by boosting growth factors, which help build new blood vessels needed to nourish oxygen-starved heart muscle.
- Health & Medicine
Enzyme fighter works as well as tamoxifen
The drug anastrozole generally works as well in fighting advanced breast cancer as better-known tamoxifen, and even surpasses it in certain patients.
- Health & Medicine
Heart pump extends patients’ survival
Patients who have an implanted device to help the heart pump blood have a higher survival rate than patients getting only heart medication.
- Health & Medicine
Protein may key lupus’ attack on neurons
A protein on the surface of brain cells enables rogue antibodies to attach to and kill these neurons, suggesting an explanation for neurological problems found in some lupus patients.
- Health & Medicine
Anti-inflammatory drug may unleash TB
The anti-inflammatory drug infliximab, also called Remicade, can cause hidden tuberculosis to flare up.
- Health & Medicine
Molecule may reveal ovarian cancer
The presence of a protein called prostasin may signal cancer of the ovaries.
- Health & Medicine
Protein may be target for Crohn’s therapy
A protein called macrophage migration inhibitory factor, or MIF, may play a role in Crohn's disease, a painful gut ailment.
- Health & Medicine
Team locates anthrax-receptor protein
Scientists have identified the protein that enables the anthrax toxin to attach to cells and trigger disease, while another team has mapped the molecular structure of the toxin component that does most of the damage to cells.
- Health & Medicine
Pregnancy spurs a tumor suppressor
Pregnancy hormones may prime breast cells to maintain a supply of p53, a cancer suppressor protein, thus accounting for why women who have undergone pregnancy generally have a lower breast cancer risk than do others.
