(Updated) There’s a lot we don’t know about bisphenol-A (BPA), a common chemical used in food packaging and polycarbonate plastics that may also mess with hormones.
Medicine
Why Smoking Is Especially Bad If You Have Diabetes
Smoking is a health hazard for anyone, but for people with diabetes or a high risk of developing the disease, lighting up can contribute to serious health complications.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Killer Beauty
Elizabeth Taylor wasn’t one for understatement: she had eight marriages, won two Oscars and was a bold pioneer in AIDS activism. And let’s not forget those captivating violet eyes. Now, according to Slate’s Brow Beat blog, …
A Drug To Treat Diabetes Before It Begins
A new study shows that people who are high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes may be able to prevent the disease by taking pioglitazone (sold as Actos), a common drug for diabetes treatment. But experts say that doesn’t mean …
Sleepy Air Traffic Controller: Was Shift Work to Blame?
By now, you’ve heard about the air-traffic control supervisor who fell asleep on the job at Washington’s Reagan National Airport early Wednesday morning, forcing two small passenger jets to land without guidance from the tower.
Could Lab-Grown Sperm Help Infertile Men?
In most mammals, it takes more than month to complete the complex, multistage process of making sperm — which is why scientists have had trouble growing sperm cells in the lab. But now Japanese researchers report success, using …
Research Roundup: Key Findings on Kids’ Asthma and Allergies
Women Seeking Abortions in South Dakota Will Wait Three Days
In an ongoing effort to push legislation to reduce abortion rates — in part by restricting women’s access to the procedure — South Dakota’s Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, signed into law on Tuesday the most stringent …
Study: The Heart Benefits of Fish May Outweigh the Mercury Risks
Eating fish is good for your heart, but there’s a catch: the fish richest in good-for-you omega-3 fats also tend to harbor the most mercury, which can be harmful for brain development, particularly among young children.
Study of Weight-Loss Surgery Complications Revives a Question: Bypass or Banding?
Many patients who receive gastric banding surgery for weight loss experience major complications 12 years later, and as many as half of patients eventually have their bands removed, a new study reports.
How Sperm Meets Egg: A Mystery Unravels
Consider the challenge faced by a human sperm cell. The tiniest cell in the human body, it must navigate the equivalent of dozens of miles through an obstacle-strewn maze to find the egg.
Are You at Risk for Congestive Heart Failure?
The news that actress Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday morning of congestive heart failure at age 79 highlights how common the disease is in the U.S.
Infrequent Sex or Exercise Can Trigger Heart Attacks
There’s no denying that regular physical activity and a healthy sex life are good for your heart. But if you’ve ever huffed and puffed your way through a jog or a particularly strenuous bout of lovemaking, you might have wondered …