Vaccine-in-a-potato seems to work
• Infections • Feb 14 05
The idea of using genetically modified plants to produce medicines for humans seems to be becoming a reality. In a new study, US researchers…
Flu shots may not save lives - U.S. study
• Flu • Feb 14 05
The flu vaccinations that doctors hoped would save the lives of fragile elderly people have apparently failed to lower death rates, U.S. researchers said…
Peru ‘Mermaid’ has oxygen therapy, doing ‘great’
• Surgery • Feb 14 05
A Peruvian baby dubbed the “Little Mermaid” because of a rare birth defect in which her legs are fused, is making good progress after…
U.S. says J&J arthritis drug promotion misleading
• Drug News • Feb 14 05
A Johnson & Johnson promotion for rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade is misleading because it makes unsupported claims about the drug’s effectiveness and omits important…
Quitting smoking improves blood tests in days
• Heart • Feb 14 05
It takes only days for your body to start thanking you for butting out for good, according to new study findings reported on…
Splenda ad campaign comes under fresh fire
• Drug News • Feb 14 05
The marketing campaign for Johnson & Johnson’s Splenda sweetener drew fresh criticism on Monday, as agriculture and public interest groups added their voices to…
Arthritis drug seen to cut heart risk
• Arthritis • Feb 14 05
Methotrexate, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, may also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and circulatory diseases affecting the heart and…
Cold sore virus may raise risk of type 2 diabetes
• Diabetes • Feb 14 05
People who have been infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) - the variety that usually causes ‘cold sores’ rather than genital infections…
Caffeine intake tied to teens’ blood pressure
• Heart • Feb 14 05
The amount of caffeine consumed by teenagers is directly related to their daytime blood pressure - and this effect is especially pronounced among African…
Low cholesterol may mean poorer mental powers
• Headaches • Feb 14 05
We hear plenty about the dangers of high cholesterol levels, but low levels apparently confer their own risks. Naturally low cholesterol levels are associated…
Trimetazidine best heart drug for Viagra users
• Heart • Feb 14 05
Trimetazidine, a drug that prevents heart-related chest pain, is a better choice than “nitrate” drugs, such as Nitro-DUR and Isordil, for men with heart…
Teen binge drinking can do long-term brain damage
• Brain • Feb 14 05
Mounting evidence shows that the still-maturing teenage brain is particularly susceptible to damage from heavy drinking, according to a report published Monday.
A number…
I like what I see. Let’s date
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Feb 14 05
Men and women often decide in minutes who they want to date, and base that decision on largely superficial factors, new research from a…
U.N. talks seek compromise on human cloning ban
• Public Health • Feb 14 05
U.N. diplomats, deadlocked for years over the drafting of treaty to ban the cloning of human beings worldwide, open negotiations on Monday on an…
Key senator says Medicare benefit costs too much
• Public Health • Feb 14 05
A senior Senate Republican said on Sunday Congress should adjust the Medicare drug benefit to rein in costs, even though President Bush has threatened…
UK parents brush off cell phone health worries-survey
• Public Health • Feb 14 05
Almost five million British children - some as young as five years old - will own a mobile phone by the end of this…
Sociologists are not love doctors, but they can offer some insights
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Feb 14 05
The phrase “falling in love” must come from some universal sense of romance as a slippery slope.
Other words, such as “mystery” and “spontaneity”…
Gene therapy restores hearing in deaf animals
• Genetics • Feb 14 05
By transferring a gene that regulates fundamental cell development into the inner ear of deafened guinea pigs, researchers have regenerated so-called hair cells and…
Breast cancer drug tied to fewer heart attacks
• Drug News • Feb 14 05
Women with breast cancer who take tamoxifen are less likely to have a heart attack than women with other types of cancer who…
Reprogrammed HIV Can Hunt Down Cancer Cells
• AIDS/HIV • Feb 14 05
A harmless version of a major killer, the HIV virus, is being used to hunt down malignant melanoma cancer cells in mice, researchers say.
…
Alternative medicine guide published
• Alternative Medicine • Feb 14 05
A new guide to alternative medicines has been published in a bid to help consumers find safe and reliable treatments.
The 50-page booklet, published…
Cancer patient who committed suicide may have missed all-clear letter
• Public Health • Feb 14 05
British officials say a cancer patient who hanged himself may not have received a letter sent by doctors, saying he was clear of the…
US health agency chief seeks conflict summit
• Public Health • Feb 14 05
The head of the U.S. National Institutes of Health said he wants government and academic leaders to meet to address conflicts of interest in…
Personality, not values, makes the marriage - study
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Feb 14 05
Shared moral values are less important than compatible personalities as a recipe for a good marriage, according to a study released on Sunday.
Married…
Bond Highlights Anti-Alzheimer’s Effort
• Neurology • Feb 14 05
A federal lawmaker from Missouri is pushing federal legislation he hopes bolsters funding for and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
Republican Senator Kit Bond calls…