Health and Science News

Exercising the Brain

2005-11-24T18:25:00.000-05:00

"A new cognitive training program designed to rejuvenate the brain's natural plasticity could slow down mental decline by as much as ten years. The program and others like it may be an accessible way for older people to take advantage of recent advances in the neuroscience of aging."

Synthetic Biology has E Coli getting all filmy

2005-11-24T18:11:00.000-05:00

"E. coli, a bacteria notorious for causing the deadliest bouts of food poisoning has now successfully demonstrated its ability to replace a Kodak film after efforts by researchers from two US universities paid up."

TheStar.com - C02 in atmosphere at 650,000-year high

2005-11-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

"There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the last 650,000 years, says a major new study that let scientists peer back in time at greenhouse gases that can help fuel global warming."

Scatterbrained? You Need a Thought Bouncer

2005-11-24T17:59:00.000-05:00

"When you forget a face or can't find your car keys, it's not because your brain is out of storage space. You just aren't filtering out other thoughts well enough, a new study finds."

Telegraph | News | Protein link gives hope of averting miscarriage

2005-11-24T17:58:00.000-05:00

"Doctors have confirmed that women who miscarry have a significantly reduced level of a protein found in the placenta, raising hopes of treatment for women who miscarry repeatedly."

United Press International - NewsTrack - Cranberry juice fights cavities

2005-11-24T17:56:00.000-05:00

"Unsweetened cranberry juice acts like Teflon and keeps cavity-causing bacteria from sticking to teeth, a University of Rochester scientist says."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Baby milk scare widens in Europe

2005-11-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

"Swiss-based food giant Nestle has ordered the recall of baby milk from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy after tests suggested chemical contamination."

Reuters.com: Intuitive eating: the anti-dieting diet

2005-11-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

"Intuitive eaters don't diet -- they recognize and respond to internal hunger and fullness cues to regulate food intake, explains Dr. Steven R. Hawks of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, who adopted intuitive eating habits several years ago and lost 50 pounds in the process."

United Press International - Consumer Health - Health Wrap: No chance for the fat

2005-11-23T13:25:00.000-05:00

"Obese people are in big trouble: In England, three health groups said their doctors won't operate on too-heavy patients to replace hips and knees, apparently on the theory that they'll just go out and put too much weight on them all over again. And in New York, it turns out most obese people don't even know they're obese."

Stress Can Cause Rising Cholesterol Levels - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today

2005-11-23T13:15:00.000-05:00

"Understand that in this study, participants who initially responded with high levels of stress to a psychological challenge test had the highest levels of cholesterol three years later."

ABC News: Blood Test Helps Docs Spot Problem Drinkers

2005-11-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

"An alcohol biomarker screening test could help doctors identify problem drinkers and cut the costs of caring for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic illnesses, a U.S. study suggests."

Sleep Style Affects Kids' Sleep Apnea

2005-11-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

"Toddlers with sleep apnea may experience more respiratory problems while sleeping on their backs, compared with other body positions."

BBC NEWS | Health | Breastfeeding 'good for mothers'

2005-11-22T22:36:00.000-05:00

"A team from Harvard Medical School found one year of breastfeeding was associated with a 15% drop in a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes."

Holiday Toy Report Lists Perilous Playthings - Forbes.com

2005-11-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

"Yo-yos that can snap back and strangle, dolls impregnated with toxins and pacifiers that choke: All toys for sale this holiday season that should not find their way to Santa's sleigh, according the annual Toy Safety Survey from the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)."

Ananova - Bird flu panic triggers flu jab shortage

2005-11-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

"The Government blames doctors for giving jabs to those not in high-risk groups - the doctors deny that, saying the problem is just that there is not enough to go around."

Reuters.co.uk: Breast-feeding reduces risk of celiac disease

2005-11-22T10:33:00.000-05:00

"It appears that breast-feeding lowers the risk of developing celiac disease, a common gastrointestinal problem caused by intolerance to a grain protein called gluten, according to a report in the Archives of Disease in Childhood."

Times Online: Education linked to onset of Parkinson's

2005-11-21T22:22:00.000-05:00

"Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have found that the chances of developing Parkinson’s rise with years of education, or intellectually challenging jobs. The highest risk was found in people who had studied for at least nine years. Miners, machine operators, metalworkers and farmers were less often affected."

Malaria Vaccine May Be 10 Years Away

2005-11-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

"Malaria is spread by mosquitoes and causes wracking pain, fever and, if left untreated, death. It kills more African children than any other disease, and is the leading cause of death of those under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa."

Reuters AlertNet - Premature birth raises blood pressure risk-study

2005-11-21T22:13:00.000-05:00

"It found that men born extremely pre-term, at less than 29 weeks, had almost twice the risk of high blood pressure, which raises the chances of heart attacks, strokes and other illnesses."

BBC NEWS | Health | Neglect 'leaves a physical mark'

2005-11-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

"Lack of a loving caregiver directly affects the body's production of hormones thought to be important for forming social bonds, a US team found."

TODAYonline: S. Korean hospital admits paying for human eggs

2005-11-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

"A South Korean hospital admitted paying cash for some of the human eggs that cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-Suk later used in his ground-breaking stem-cell research."

BBC NEWS | Health | How singing unlocks the brain

2005-11-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

"Singing tutor Liz McNaughton, a freelance voice coach with Singing for the Brain, explained the concept had been so popular and successful that she had been asked to run workshops for people with Parkinson's Disease, those who had strokes and head injuries and for people with special needs."

Know the Signs of a Stroke and Save a Life

2005-11-21T13:27:00.000-05:00

"Ischemic Stroke, or a blood clot forming within the brain is one of the most devastating and difficult to diagnose of all emergency health conditions. What people don't know is that identifying that a person has had a stroke and getting that person medical attention within 3 hours of the event can not only save their life, but has the potential to dramatically reduce some or even all of the damage caused by the stroke."

Guardian Unlimited | Science | Geneticists claim ageing breakthrough but immortality will have to wait

2005-11-21T13:22:00.000-05:00

"A genetic experiment to unlock the secrets of the ageing process has created organisms that live six times their usual lifespan, raising hopes that it might be possible to slow ageing in humans."

Aidsmap | Over 40 million now living with HIV worldwide

2005-11-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

"Over 40 million people are living with HIV worldwide, according to figures released by UNAIDS, who estimate that there were 5 million new infections in 2005."

BBC NEWS | Health | Roller-coasters 'can stop hearts'

2005-11-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

"The thrill of the ride can spark irregular beats in those with heart disease and put them at risk of a heart attack, a study argues."

Mother's stress 'is contagious' - Health - Times Online

2005-11-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

"Researchers funded by the University of Kent found that children with mothers whose jobs left them feeling emotionally exhausted and stressed also carried higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their blood streams."

RedOrbit - Space - Japan Space Probe Fails Asteroid Landing

2005-11-20T16:51:00.000-05:00

"A Japanese research probe failed to touch down on an asteroid Sunday after developing trouble just yards away from the surface, Japan's space agency said."

The Observer | Oral sex can lead to cancer of the mouth, say scientists

2005-11-20T00:15:00.000-05:00

"Mouth cancer can be caused by a virus contracted during oral sex, a new Swedish study has shown. People who catch a high-risk variety of the human papilloma virus, HPV, at that time are more susceptible to falling ill with mouth cancer, according to new research."

CTV.ca | Japanese spacecraft to sample asteroid

2005-11-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

"A Japanese mission to land on a far-away asteroid and take some samples is nearing the big moment. The Hayabusa spacecraft is on track to make physical contact with asteroid Itokawa Saturday night after being shot into space back on May 9, 2003."

Darwin's 'Origin' explored in NYC exhibit

2005-11-20T00:06:00.000-05:00

"The American Museum has mounted what is billed as the most ambitious exhibition ever on Darwin, putting on show Darwin memorabilia never seen before. The show titled “Darwin” will trace the naturalist's journey aboard the HMS Beagle taking the viewer past specimens that earmarked his long chain of discoveries."

New View of Early Earth: A Habitable Place

2005-11-19T23:26:00.000-05:00

"A new study concludes Earth had continents and oceans 4.3 billion years ago, which is just a geological eyeblink after the planet is thought to have formed, in the wake of the Sun's birth 4.6 billion years ago."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Butterfly wings work like LEDs

2005-11-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

"Fluorescent patches on the wings of African swallowtail butterflies work in a very similar way to high emission light emitting diodes (LEDs)."

How To Manage Your Asthma

2005-11-19T23:21:00.000-05:00

"The first step toward this respiratory nirvana is a continual reassessment of the disease, which means regular consultations with a doctor. At each visit, the physician should get an update of symptoms, sleep disturbance, and how frequently rescue meds are used."

ABC News: High colon cancer risk with diabetes confirmed

2005-11-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

"The findings are based on an analysis of data pooled from 15 studies, which included more than 2.5 million subjects. Most, but not all, studies have shown a link between diabetes and colon cancer, but some inconsistencies were present, including whether the association was seen in both men and women."

Independent Online Edition > Health Medical > Women with a D-cup bra size are more likely to get breast cancer

2005-11-19T23:12:00.000-05:00

"Women with a large bra size at a young age are more likely to develop premeno-pausal breast cancer, according to the results of a Harvard University study."

The Globe and Mail: Drug blocks hunger message in brain

2005-11-19T10:33:00.000-05:00

"A drug that suppresses appetite -- working on the same part of the brain that produces the "stone munchies" in those who smoke pot -- not only causes weight loss but also significantly improves cholesterol levels, a Canadian-led international study has found."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Dinosaurs had appetite for grass

2005-11-19T01:21:00.000-05:00

"Grass was previously thought to have become common only after the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago."