There are only a few cancer diagnoses more terrifying than lung cancer. The disease is responsible for about one-third of all U.S. cancer deaths every year and only 15% of people diagnosed with it live more than five years. These …
Medicine
Did Airport Scanners Give Boston TSA Agents Cancer?
(Updated) Could radiation from full-body scanners be responsible for a “cancer cluster” among airport security workers? That’s what Transportation Security Administration union representatives in Boston have claimed.
Report: Chronic, Undertreated Pain Affects 116 Million Americans
Serious, chronic pain affects at least 116 million Americans each year, many of whom are inadequately treated by the health-care system, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The report offers a blueprint …
Why Getting Paid Increases Your Risk of Death
Everyone looks forward to payday. Whether it’s a paycheck from your employer or benefits from the government, the influx of cash to your bank account is always a good thing, right? Not according to the latest research.
BPA Makes Male Mice Less Masculine and Less Appealing to Mates
Mice that were exposed in the womb to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many plastic products and the linings of food and beverage cans, grew up to be less masculine and less attractive to females, a new study finds. The …
Why Being Thin Doesn’t Always Mean Being Healthy
If there’s a universal truth in health news lately, it’s that being overweight isn’t good for your health. Extra weight, especially in the form of fat, can lead to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, among …
It’s the Ads, Stupid: Why TV Leads to Obesity
How much TV do your kids watch? If you don’t know, you might want to find out, say experts, since the time children spend in front of a TV or computer screen can have a profound effect on their physical and developmental health.
Studies: By Surgery or Diet, Weight Loss Helps Reverse Type 2
In two new studies, researchers offer evidence that weight-loss surgery or a severely restricted-calorie diet could help some people reverse their diabetes.
A Controversial Autism Therapy Unravels a Family
Some unproven psychological therapies and techniques for autism aren’t simply ineffective. They can split families and cause untold harm to children, as one family in Michigan learned at terrible cost.
Why the German E. Coli Outbreak Was So Deadly
The German E. coli outbreak has slipped from the news recently, as the rate of new cases and deaths has slowed. But it’s not over yet. On Thursday federal health officials announced that the death of a man in Arizona from a …
A Better Test to Predict Alzheimer’s?
Among the many difficult features of Alzheimer’s is that doctors can never really say with certainty which patients who show signs of memory loss will go on to develop the neurodegenerative disorder.
Next on CSI: Using Saliva to Tell a Person’s Age
If you’re a fan of CSI, you know that dead men don’t tell lies. Not even about their age.
Study: High-Dose Statins May Raise the Risk of Diabetes Slightly
High doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may protect patients from heart attack, but a new analysis of five previous clinical trials finds that they may also increase patients’ risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.