Some 100,000 kids end up in U.S. emergency rooms each year because they’ve accidentally been poisoned. No, they’re not all raiding the cupboard full of cleaning supplies. Close to 70% of those visits are from are overdoses of everyday over-the-counter drugs or prescription medications, according to a recent study by researchers at the …
Using mango seeds to kill bacteria
By processing mango pits instead of throwing them away, one University of Alberta researcher discovered a novel way to preserve food—and potentially combat dangerous bacterial infections such as Listeriosis. An outbreak of the illness last year in Canada left at least 21 people dead, making the findings published recently in the
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New drugs could target cancer stem cells
Boston-area researchers have developed a new technique to identify chemicals that kill cancer stem cells — the part of a cancer that drives tumor growth. A common problem with current chemotherapy treatments is that they knock back a cancer successfully, only for the tumor to re-grow later because, it seems, the all-important stem …
Gays and lesbians far more likely than heterosexuals to seek counseling
Compared with heterosexuals, more than twice as many gays, lesbians and bisexuals seek counseling for mental health problems or substance abuse, according to research from the University of California, Los Angeles. In a survey of more than 2,000 people between the ages of 18 and 64, researchers found that 48.5% of homosexuals and
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Why do some people need less sleep? It’s in our genes, new research suggests
Some people are genetically programmed to need less sleep than the rest of us, according to a new paper published this week in Science. A rare genetic mutation lets its carriers function happily and healthily even with hours less sleep each night than doctors normally recommend.
Researchers discovered the enviable gene variant …
The evolutionary of roots of “cuddle hormone” oxytocin
A hormone known as the “cuddle chemical” helps humans to form monogamous bonds, to feel a loving attachment to their kids, and even to produce breast milk. Now, a new report in Science shows that an avian version of that very same hormone also helps birds to stick together as a flock — a sign that of our seemingly unique social bonds …
The “language barriers” of facial expressions
Trying to communicate without a common language can be an exercise in bizarre and energetic gesturing, combined with exaggerated facial expressions. Yet, according to research published online in Current Biology, it’s not just our words, but even our smiles and frowns that can get lost in translation. A team of researchers led by Rachael
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U.S. cancer death rates on the decline
Cancer death rates have fallen steadily in the U.S. since the 1950s, a new paper in Cancer Research reveals. Kids and young adults were the first to see a big drop, but now the gains are felt by adults of all ages, the study reports.
If this sounds like a typical news flash that contradicts what you just read yesterday, it’s only …
Does Air Travel Increase Your Risk for Getting Sick?
Whenever there is an outbreak of disease—be it SARS, drug-resistant tuberculosis, or now, swine flu—there is an accompanying wave of fear about the myriad ways in which people can put themselves at risk. And, considering air travel confines you to a shared space with a bunch of potentially sick strangers for hours on end, there is
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A treatment for blindness reveals the incredible plasticity of the brain
Recently doctors began gene-therapy trials to treat Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a common cause of blindness in babies and children. Now, a group of doctors reports that they’ve found an unexpected benefit of the gene therapy. After treatment, vision may continue to improve with time — because the brain can re-wire itself to better …
A case for using drug labels to curb health care costs
In an essay published in this week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, a trio of medical researchers team up to propose a novel way to trim some of the nation’s ballooning health care costs: require FDA labeling to include information on how new drugs compare to existing remedies. Not exactly clear how that will save money?
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Do redheads really feel more pain? The jury’s still out
You may have seen the recent (and well–publicized) study that shows redheads are more scared of the dentist than other people are. The idea is that the same gene variant that leads to red hair also — for some reason — makes people more susceptible to pain, and less receptive to the common anesthetics that a dentist might use before …
Trade you an eye exam for a carpet cleaning?
With the economy in a rut, it appears that more people are turning to old-school trading of goods and services in exchange for health care. The Associated Press reported yesterday that “old-fashioned bartering has seen brisk growth since the economy soured.” To illustrate this, they point to companies like ITEX Corp., a Bellevue, …