Nathan Seppa
Biomedical Writer (retired September 2015)
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All Stories by Nathan Seppa
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Health & MedicineFetal Risk: Inflammation in womb tied to cerebral palsy
For a pregnant woman carrying a baby to term, inflammation in the womb nearly quadruples the chance her baby will be born with cerebral palsy.
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Health & MedicineDrug cuts recurrence of breast cancer
Letrozole, which blocks estrogen production, reduces recurrence of breast cancer in women who have exhausted the usefulness of tamoxifen, the frontline cancer drug for this disease.
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Health & MedicineRebuilding the Heart: Marrow cells boost cardiac recovery
Inserting a person's own bone marrow stem cells into an ailing heart via a catheter can improve heart and lung function in such patients.
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Health & MedicineProtein may predict heart problems
Low blood concentrations of a protein called adiponectin may signal risk of heart disease.
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Health & MedicineDefibrillator access pays dividends
Ready access to a heart defibrillator can boost the survival chances of someone who suffers a cardiac arrest.
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Health & MedicineWeight-loss compound may cause arrhythmia
The weight-loss supplement Metabolife 356 causes subtle changes in heartbeat in test subjects.
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Health & MedicineGreek diet reduces inflammatory proteins
People on a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil and fresh fruits have lower blood concentrations of several inflammatory proteins linked to atherosclerosis.
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Health & MedicineAcid blockers stop stomach ulcers, too
People who get ulcers from frequent use of anti-inflammatory painkillers can lessen their risk by simultaneously taking acid-blocking drugs.
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Health & MedicineCancer drug might fight Alzheimer’s
Tests in animals show that the cancer drug imatinib mesylate, also called Gleevec, slows formation of the kinds of plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
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Health & MedicineTreatment helps newborns avoid HIV
Giving healthy newborns whose mothers are infected with HIV a combination of anti-HIV drugs shortly after birth makes the infants less likely to contract the virus through breastfeeding.
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Health & MedicineCentenarian Advantage: Some old folks make cholesterol in big way
People who live to be nearly 100 and their offspring are more likely to have large cholesterol particles in their blood, a condition conducive to good health.
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Health & MedicineMagnets, my foot!
Shoe inserts with magnets have no more effect against foot pain than insoles without them.