Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Computers read mammograms to detect breast cancer
Mammogram–scanning computers can help radiologists detect breast cancers that would otherwise escape diagnosis.
By Ben Harder - Health & Medicine
Prion Proof? Evidence grows for mad cow protein
Misfolded proteins known as prions can cause disease when injected into the brains of genetically engineered mice.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Dentists: Eschew chewing aspirin
Chewing aspirin or just letting the tablets dissolve in the mouth can seriously damage teeth.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Better Labeling of Major Food Allergens
A bill awaiting the President's signature would require that all U.S. food products identify in plain English the presence of major food allergens—and foster federal research on the incidence and impacts of food allergies.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Birthing age and ovarian cancer risk
Giving birth confers on women some protection against ovarian cancer, and the later in life the last pregnancy happens, the better the protection.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Potential Block for Epilepsy: Researchers find new drug target
Using genetically engineered mice, scientists have identified a new target in the brain for drugs that could prevent epilepsy.
By Carrie Lock - Health & Medicine
Suicide Watch: Antidepressants get large-scale inspection
Data from the United Kingdom indicate that depressed patients attempt and complete suicides at an elevated rate in the 3 months after starting to take any of four antidepressant drugs.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Seeing Red and Finding Fraudulent Fish
The sale of falsely labeled fish has implications for health, nutrition, and the environment.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
New cholesterol guidelines advise more treatment
Citing results from five recent trials of anticholesterol statin drugs, U.S. health officials recommend that physicians use the drugs to treat many more patients with high cholesterol.
By Ben Harder - Health & Medicine
Leukemia Fighter: Drug could combat resistant cases
A new drug for treating chronic myeloid leukemia that is resistant to the frontline drug imatinib shows promise in mouse tests.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
A Toxic Side of Weight Loss: Pollutants may slow body’s metabolism
Weight loss releases toxic chemicals into the bloodstream, which may slow the body's metabolism.
By Carrie Lock - Health & Medicine
Four die of rabies in transplanted tissues
Four people who received tissue transplanted from a man who had died from an undiagnosed rabies infection have since themselves died from the same incurable neurological disease.
By Ben Harder