Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Epilepsy drug might harm fetuses
Young children born to women who took the drug valproate for epilepsy during pregnancy have lower IQ scores, on average, than children whose moms used a different antiepilepsy medication.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Hypoglycemia linked to dementia
Episodes of low blood sugar that require medical attention seem to increase a person’s risk of developing dementia in old age, a study in people with type 2 diabetes shows.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Touch and sight push each other around
When the fingers feel downward motion, the eyes see upward motion.
- Health & Medicine
Coming: Hard tax on soft drinks?
Some health-policy analysts believe sweetened beverages should be taxed to discourage over-consumption.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
The other, friendly fat
Brown fat is active in adult humans and could help keep people lean.
- Health & Medicine
Acid reflux link to asthma now in doubt
Heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors, commonly prescribed for asthma patients, don’t prevent breathing attacks.
By Nathan Seppa -
- Life
Primate vision puts pieces together
Study suggests nerve cells in retinas create an intricate system of interlocking receptive fields.
- Chemistry
Leaden blood hikes granny’s heart risks
Featured blog: Even low concentrations of lead circulating in blood may pose lethal heart risks, a new study finds.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Sleep may clear the decks for next day’s learning
Two separate studies suggest that sleep reduces connections between neurons in fruit flies’ brains.
- Life
Cells renew in the human heart
Carbon 14 from Cold War–era nuclear bomb tests allowed researchers to track cell birth.
- Health & Medicine
HPV screen beats Pap smear
A test for human papillomavirus outperforms the standard Pap smear in catching precancerous cervical lesions, a study of women age 30 and over shows.
By Nathan Seppa