Critics of the new health reform law say their worst fear is that the U.S. medical system will become more like the one in the United Kingdom. But what if this was a good thing?
Medicine
Why Speaking More than One Language May Delay Alzheimer’s
There are many ways in which speaking another language may contribute to a well-lived life. You can talk to a whole lot more of Earth’s inhabitants, for one thing. You can also enjoy books, music and films in their original …
Osteoporosis Drugs May Increase Risk of Rare Fractures
A new study reveals that popular bone-boosting drugs may increase, rather than decrease the risk of certain types of rare fractures.
Study: Cell Phones Cause Changes in Brain Activity
Do cell phones cause cancer? We’d all like to know, but unfortunately there’s no clear answer — yet. Now an intriguing new study takes a first step toward a possible answer, suggesting that holding your cell phone to your ear …
Weight-Loss Winner: Gastric Bypass Works Better for Obese Patients
In head-to-head comparisons of the most commonly used weight-loss surgeries in the U.S., researchers found that gastric bypass worked best for weight loss, reduction of diabetes symptoms and quality of life.
Get Out the Kleenex — Climate Change Lengthens Allergy Season
For about 36 million Americans with seasonal allergies, torture time is just around the corner.
Dwarfism May Hold Key to Fighting Cancer and Diabetes, and Living a Long Life
Growth hormone is touted as an anti-aging remedy, but scientists studying a group of short-statured Ecuadoreans might beg to differ.
How Early Balding Is Linked to Prostate Cancer
No man looks forward to the first signs of balding — especially early in life — but now there’s fresh evidence that losing your hair may be a harbinger of a more serious health concern and worth tracking for reasons other …
Why Do Immigrants Live Longer Than Native-Born Americans? Smoking
It’s a epidemiological mystery. In rich countries immigrants often seem to live longer than native-born residents, a fact that appears to fly in the face of public health assumptions.
DNA Tests of Disabled Kids Uncover Evidence of Incest
Advances in genetic testing allow doctors unprecedented access to our DNA. But sometimes these tests reveal disturbing information that doctors weren’t looking for.
A Study Asks, Could E-Cigarettes Really Help Smokers Quit?
Electronic cigarettes, the smokeless battery-operated nicotine-delivery devices that look like real cigarettes, are becoming increasingly available online, with manufacturers marketing them largely to people who are trying to …
The Link Between an H1N1 Vaccine and Narcolepsy
Vaccines have been associated with any number of bizarre side effects — but putting people to sleep? That’s a new one.
Streamlining Breast Cancer Care: Some Women May Not Need Lymph Node Surgery
When it comes to cancer, the general idea is less is more. The fewer tumor and malignant cells that are left behind by treatment, the greater the chances of surviving the disease.