Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Priming the elderly for flu shots
A drug that shuts down a potent signaling molecule in cells might boost protection elicited with flu vaccination, a study finds.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Online favorites of 2014
Science News' website traffic reveals the most-read news stories and blog posts of 2014.
- Life
Hydrogen sulfide offers clue to how reducing calories lengthens lives
Cutting calories boosts hydrogen sulfide production, which leads to more resilient cells and longer lives, a new study suggests.
- Animals
The scent of a worry
The smell of fear makes other rats stressed. Now, scientists have isolated the Eau de Terror that lets rats communicate their concerns.
- Health & Medicine
Some heart patients do better when the doctor’s away
When cardiologists are away at national conferences, patients with acute heart conditions are more likely to survive, a study shows.
- Life
Bird flu follows avian flyways
A deadly bird flu virus spreads along wildfowl migration routes in Asia.
- Microbes
The year in microbiomes
This year, scientists pegged microbes as important players in several aspects of human health, including obesity and cancer.
By Meghan Rosen - Health & Medicine
Eating only low glycemic index foods may not help the heart
Eating healthy carbs with high glycemic index scores is not bad for your heart, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Electric detection of lung cancer
In 1964, researchers hoped to improve lung cancer diagnosis by measuring the skin’s electrical resistance.
- Health & Medicine
Old product might help smokers quit
A drug used in Eastern Europe for decades by people trying to quit smoking outperformed a nicotine patch in a six-month test.
By Nathan Seppa - Life
Fast test reveals drug-resistant bacteria
A new test uses time-lapse photography to see within a few hours whether individual bacterial cells are vulnerable to antibiotics.
- Health & Medicine
Year in review: Risks of e-cigarettes emerge
Electronic cigarettes dispense water vapor laced with flavors and often a hefty dose of nicotine. These vapors may be far from benign, studies in 2014 suggested.
By Janet Raloff