Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    HIV outwits immune system, again

    The AIDS virus uses immune system proteins to hitch rides on the antibody factories known as B cells, possibly helping it find potential host cells.

    By John Travis
  2. Health & Medicine

    Bacteria Provide a Frontline Defense

    Bacteria genetically engineered to secrete microbe-killing compounds can fight disease in mice and rats.

    By Nathan Seppa
  3. Health & Medicine

    Busy hospitals may not be best choice

    A large number of heart surgeries done at a hospital doesn't always correlate with a low mortality rate from such operations at the facility.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Health & Medicine

    Surgery removes grenade from soldier’s head

    Colombian military doctors extracted an intact grenade from the head of a teenage soldier.

    By Ben Harder
  5. Health & Medicine

    Wine Surprise: Heart-protective effect is independent of antioxidants

    Two studies in mice suggest that, if wine protects against heart disease, it's probably not because of the antioxidants that the drink contains.

    By Edna Francisco
  6. Health & Medicine

    Good to the Bone: Strontium compound prevents some fractures

    An experimental drug containing strontium makes bones denser and decreases the risk of fractures, a study of elderly women finds.

    By Nathan Seppa
  7. Health & Medicine

    Bacteria Brew a B Vitamin Boost

    When looking for naturally rich sources of cobalamin, better known as vitamin B12, most people turn to meats. Because the essential nutrient generally isn’t present in plants, vegetarians run the risk of deficiency, which can cause neurological symptoms from tingling toes to disorientation and memory problems. Many of these people therefore turn to synthetic supplements […]

    By Janet Raloff
  8. Health & Medicine

    Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis

    Women who consume little vitamin D develop multiple sclerosis at a rate about 50 percent higher than those who get lots of the nutrient.

    By Edna Francisco
  9. Health & Medicine

    Drug fails in autism study

    In the most extensive test so far of its capability to treat autism, the controversial drug secretin has failed to help children with the neurological disorder.

    By John Travis
  10. Health & Medicine

    Telltale Charts

    Overturning a basic tenet of conventional wisdom in cardiology, new research suggests that more than half the people who develop heart disease first show one of the warning signs of smoking, having diabetes, or having high blood pressure or cholesterol.

    By Ben Harder
  11. Health & Medicine

    A Swiss Paradox?

    Gstaad, Switzerland, has gained renown for its challenging ski trails and celebrity sightings. Come summer, however, the area’s slopes host cows, not skiers. It now appears that milk from those cows produces cheeses rich in some heart-healthy nutrients. Where and on what Bossie grazes appears to make a big difference in heart-healthiness of cheeses made […]

    By Janet Raloff
  12. Health & Medicine

    Arsenic helps tumors, blood vessels grow

    Rather than being a potential antitumor agent, arsenic may actually help a tumor's supporting network of blood vessels thrive.

    By Ben Harder