Humans
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Southern blacks face excess risk of stroke
Blacks living in southern U.S. states have a greater risk of dying of stroke than do blacks living in northern states.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Stroke patients show dearth of vitamin D
People recovering from a stroke have less vitamin D in their systems than do healthy peers, which could explain why stroke patients often have low bone density and risk breaking bones.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
High salt intake hikes stroke risk
People who consume a lot of salt are nearly twice as likely to have a stroke as are people who consume less salt, even when their blood pressures are equivalent.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Vampire spit gives strokes a licking
A drug derived from a component of vampire bat saliva can clear blood clots in the brains of people who have had strokes.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
High costs of CT screening
Whole-body computed tomography scans for asymptomatic disease do not appear cost-effective at this time.
By Janet Raloff - Humans
Letters from the February 12, 2005, issue of Science News
Short end of the chromosome Since “women with chronically ill children generally reported more stress” and since “there was a very striking connection between stress and telomere length” (“Stressed to Death: Mental tension ages cells,” SN: 12/4/04, p. 355), isn’t it probable that there is a strong connection between telomere length and becoming the parent […]
By Science News - Humans
From the February 9, 1935, issue
A new type of sailboat, the most distant nebula, and germs on drinking glasses.
By Science News - Health & Medicine
Trimming with Tea
Components of green tea appear to help diners lose weight, a several-month-long Japanese trial finds.
By Janet Raloff - Humans
Whys Up
The University of Wisconsin created the “The Why Files” to explain the science behind news headlines. The stories are timely and written for a broad audience of children and adults. Recent topics include snowmobile use in national parks, tsunamis, climate change, and ice in Antarctica. The articles are classified according to educational standards for grades […]
By Science News - Humans
Lean Times: Proposed budget keeps science spending slim
After accounting for inflation, President Bush's proposed research-and-development budget for fiscal year 2006 is down 1.4 percent from FY 2005, a figure that has many science agencies tightening their belts.
- Health & Medicine
Heartfelt Fear: Findings link stress and cardiac symptoms
Emotional stress can lead to symptoms that mimic a heart attack, even in people without coronary artery blockages, possibly by causing an unusual secretion of hormones.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
NIH tightens its ethics rules
The National Institutes of Health issued new ethics rules to keep its employees from engaging in potentially questionable relationships with organizations that might have a financial interest in NIH activities or policies.
By Janet Raloff