Health

High Court Says US Can Challenge Deals That Keep Generic Drugs Off Market

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:45:17 +0100

Handing down a 5-3 decision today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Trade Commission can challenge closed-door deals that the big pharmaceutical companies make with smaller generic rivals to keep cheaper products off the market and out of drug stores.

Father, Quincy Jones, and Daughter Rashida Stand Up to Cancer

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:11:24 +0100

In honor of Father’s Day, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s newest inductee, Quincy Jones, is lending his talent and support to the Prostate Cancer Foundation for a new awareness campaign that will be broadcast in Major League Baseball ballparks throughout June. With the help of his daughter, actress Rashida Jones (Parks and Rec), the new print, video and radio ads urge men to “Cherish Life’s Special Moments,” and talk to their doctors about prostate screenings. Prostate cancer is the s...

Man Uses Turkey Baster to Save Baby

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:33:58 +0100

A Michigan infant is alive today because a neighbor, quick thinking Bill Hogenson, leapt into action. “We heard one of the babysitters talking on the phone to 911 saying that the baby is purple and not breathing,” Hogenson told KSN News. That’s when the man took off sprinting past the babysitter who yelled “she’s upstairs!”....

Superglue Used to Stop Newborn Baby's Brain Bleeding

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:55:04 +0100

A creative surgeon turned to a common household substance to block the bleeding in a newborn's brain last Wednesday. When the 3-week old baby was rushed to the hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, a team of doctors discovered an an aneurysm that was hemorrhaging -- a diagnosis so rare that the tiny surgical tools necessary for the job were unavailable. So the surgeons chose the next best thing to plug the bleeding -- super glue....

Amazing Makeovers Melt 20 Years Off Tourists in New York

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:08:05 +0100

Every Thursday, this makes me cry. After celebrity stylist Loius Licari scans the crowd outside the TODAY show at Rockefeller Plaza, he chooses two women who want -- and sometimes desperately need -- a makeover. When the hosts, Kathie Lee and Hoda, finally unveil the women and their stylish new looks, friends and families always gasp in shock over the transformations. Many times, the new haircut literally strips decades from the women's faces....

Fashion Photographer Reframes Beauty Focusing on Genetic Conditions

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 20:13:03 +0100

Award winning fashion photographer Rick Guidotti worked in Milan, Paris and New York shooting pictures of the world’s most beautiful people, until a chance encounter on a Manhattan street changed everything. Rick saw a stunning girl at the bus stop and marveled at her pale skin and white hair. Upon returning home he searched for information about albinism and other genetic differences, and was shocked to see the sad and dehumanizing photos in the medical literature. He proposed -- and Life ma...

Health-Related News May Scare You Into Being Sick

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:48:07 +0100

Media reports about substances that are supposedly hazardous to your health may cause suggestible people to develop symptoms of illness even when there may be no actual cause. This is the conclusion of a new study that involved 147 adults, half of whom were given suggestive news reports about the dangers of wi-fi just before being placed in front of a laptop....

Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning: Know What to Look for

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:40:44 +0100

In many child drownings, adults are nearby but have no idea the victim is dying. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. Such reactions are only seen on TV. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the No. 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents)—of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so w...

Brilliant Ad Agency Enlists Superman to Rebrand Chemo Drug as 'Superformula'

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:36:58 +0100

The first step in overcoming disease might be believing in the cure. But how can such a positive mindset be nurtured in scared children and families who are facing chemotherapy treatment? Big applause to global advertising giant JWT for enlisting the world's top super heroes to help kids believe in the power of healing medicine. JWT paired two of its clients, a Brazilian cancer center with Warner Bros., who enlisted their Justice League comic book illustrators to create superhero stories that t...

Elderly Dad With Dementia All Smiles When Re-Taught to Ride a Bike

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 19:53:02 +0100

On a cycling website, a man from Minneapolis and his wife told the story of her father, a 79-year-old man with some dementia and how they taught him to ride a bike after 50 years. "He still shovels snow and mows the grass…" but he didn't remember what childhood bikes were for, began the post on RatRodBikes.com. They practiced awhile with someone running along on each side -- stopping, standing, and launching the rotation of the pedals. "Soon he was riding faster than me running."...

Clicking Like a Dolphin Lets Sightless People 'See' With Sound

Wed, 29 May 2013 15:24:41 +0100

Daniel Kish, blind since he was an infant, can easily dodge the pedestrians, signposts and mailboxes that line the city sidewalk. He’s taught himself the skills of a dolphin. By clicking his tongue and paying close attention to the echo, he can identify surrounding objects and their location -- even their textures. Now he is teaching young people to become independent using the echolocation. (WATCH the video below or READ the story from NBC News)...

Woman Loses 276 Pounds With Simple Plan Instead of Surgery

Mon, 27 May 2013 12:15:44 +0100

Theresa Borawski primarily relied on an electric wheelchair to get around. She hadn't even walked to the mailbox in two years. That was March 2011, when Borawski weighed 428 pounds. "I could no longer participate in life's activities and was forced to become a spectator while people around me lived their life," she wrote on iReport.com....

His Body Broken, Spirit too, Until He Started Running

Sun, 26 May 2013 13:38:29 +0100

His brain and body shattered were in a horrible accident as a young boy. He learned too young about cruelty and pity, enduring teasing remarks and laughter. He wasn't supposed to live. At 45, Bret Dunlap thought just being able to hold down a job, keep an apartment, and survive on his own in Rhinelander, Wisconsin added up to a good enough life. Then he discovered running....

Doctors Use 3-D Printer to Custom-design Implant for Baby

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:30:04 +0100

An infant who needed CPR every day often stopped breathing. Finally Kaiba's mother learned that her son had a rare obstruction in his lungs called bronchial malacia.

"I didn't think he was going to leave the hospital alive."

400 Lb. Husband Loses 280 Pounds, Is Example for Others

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:37:41 +0100

44-year-old Dale Buettner shed nearly half his body weight -- 280 pounds. He had been overweight since the first grade, where his mom had to custom-make Little League uniforms for him. In 2010, at more than 400 pounds, he joined Weight Watchers with his wife and started dealing with the underlying emotional issues that caused him to overeat. One year later he had lost 100 pounds and with renewed hope started walking regularly....

From Panic Attacks to the Best Mother's Day Ever

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:59:18 +0100

Mother's Day comes on a different date every year and earlier in the season for the United Kingdom. But it was especially sweet this year for one British mom who wrote a touching note to us following her "Mothering Day" celebration March 10. I wanted to share it today for all the moms in the USA and around the world. "My daughter Lucy has suffered from Panic Disorder for 10 years, and at her worst was practically housebound," began the email from Anne Todd. "But on Sunday, she managed to get in...

Dark Chocolate Improves Calmness

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:28:30 +0100

Instead of reaching for cookies or cake when stressed out, you might want some dark chocolate instead. New research from Australia has found that the polyphenols in dark chocolate increase calmness and contentedness. Polyphenols are found naturally in plants and are a basic component of the human diet. These compounds have been shown to reduce oxidative stress which is associated with many diseases. They may also have beneficial psychological effects....

Students Earn $100K Prize for Health Gadgets for Developing World

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:58:03 +0100

College students at Rice University who were challenged to design solutions for doctors working in impoverished global communities have won a $100,000 award from MIT for innovation. The two professors who started the student program hung around clinics in the developing world looking to identify which problems needed solving. The ingenious but simple prize-winning gadget guards against giving an improper dosage of drugs administered via syringe....

Researchers Create World’s First 3D-printed Bionic Organ

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:04:28 +0100

Using 3D printers to create biological structures has become widespread. Printing electronics has made similar advances, particularly for low-cost, low-power disposable items. The first successful combination of these two technologies has recently been reported by a group of researchers at Princeton....

The Benefits of Optimism Are Real

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:33:43 +0100

Two Academy Award nominated films, Silver Linings Playbook, and Life of Pi, resonated with so many millions of people because their themes of resilience speak to each of us -- and are grounded in a growing body of scientific research. Far from being delusional or faith-based, having a positive outlook in difficult circumstances is the most important predictor of resilience -- how quickly you will recover from adversity. For starters, having a positive mood makes people more resilient physically...

Cat Sniffs Out Breast Cancer, Saves Owner’s Life

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:04:56 +0100

Esther Kacev's cat Buddy, would not stop sniffing and trying to grab under her arm. After rescuing the stray cat several years ago, it was Esther's turn to be saved. The woman from Western Australia had read about the ability of some animals to sniff out cancer -- and she had canceled her last several mammogram appointments -- so she scheduled a trip to get the area checked. “I never in a million years thought it would happen to me; in fact, I had turned down previous appointments because I f...

Another Child in Leukemia Trials Ecstatic Over "Total Remission"

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:56:17 +0100

"Avrey Walker is cancer free!!!! A total remission!" her father announced on their Facebook page last week. Avrey was the seventh child to receive an experimental leukemia therapy at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the second whose response has resulted in a complete recovery. The family was overjoyed to report the good news after living for years with an aggressive form of childhood leukemiathat was unresponsive to regular treatments....

Toddler Receives Historic Stem Cell Windpipe, Ending Lifetime of Silence

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:44 +0100

At 2 1/2 years old, Hannah Warren has never played outside -- or been able to breathe, talk, eat or drink on her own. She was born without a windpipe, a rare congenital condition that kept her hospitalized for her entire life in a neonatal intensive care unit, where a tube from her mouth to her lung kept her alive....

First Vaccine to Help Control Autism-Associated Bacteria

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:57:00 +0100

The first-ever vaccine for gastrointestinal disorders common in 90 percent of autistic children has the potential to one day alleviate additional autism symptoms. Cases of autism have increased almost sixfold over the past 20 years, and scientists don’t know why. Although many experts point to environmental factors, others have focused on the human gut. University of Guelph researchers developed a carbohydrate-based vaccine against the gut bug, Clostridium bolteae, which shows up in higher nu...

Child Expected to Die Without Any Bones Now Grows Them Thanks to New Therapy

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:10:05 +0100

Four years ago, Janelly Martinez-Amador was confined to a bed, unable to move even an arm or lift her head. At age 3, the fragile toddler had the gross motor skills of a newborn and a ventilator kept her alive. She was born with thin, fragile bones, and by 3, she had no visible bones on X-rays. Initially, doctors weren’t sure she would survive her first birthday. In May, Janelly will turn 7, and is developing bone with the help of an experimental drug therapy and her care team at the Monroe Ca...

Playing Tetris Video Game Fixes Lazy Eye, Doctors Say

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:03:53 +0100

Canadian doctors say they have found an inventive way to treat lazy eye - playing the Tetris video game. The McGill University team discovered the popular tile-matching puzzle could train both eyes to work together. In a small study, it worked better than conventional patching of the good eye to make the weak one work harder....

How to Win Money for Losing Weight and Getting Fit

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:49:57 +0100

HealthyWage and other websites now offer money in exchange for improving your health and fitness. The company offers $10,000 when teams of five compete to lose weight in a healthy way. Its 10% Challenge allows users to double their money if they lose 10% of their weight in six months; and the BMI Challenge pays users $100 to go from an obese BMI to a healthy BMI in 12 months....

U.S. Infant Mortality Rate Declines by 12 Percent

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:57:36 +0100

Infant mortality in the U.S. has declined 12% since 2005 after holding steady for many years, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decreased rate highlighted improvements among all major racial and ethnic groups, the government report says. Some of the biggest gains were seen in Southern states....

Future Gene Therapy May Offer ‘Super-Fuel’ to Recovering Hearts

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:54:25 +0100

A heart attack can be one of the most traumatizing events in an individual’s life. But new research may help mend survivors’ ailing hearts. In a recent study, a team of UW researchers discovered that gene therapy may be able to increase heart muscle function and strengthen weak hearts. When researchers tested the new gene therapy approach on mice, it acted like a ‘super-fuel’ for the machinery of the heart....

Doctor's Orders: 20 Minutes Of Meditation Twice a Day

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:13:48 +0100

Integrative medicine regimens, including daily meditation, are being prescribed by doctors at hospitals and clinics across the country. Recent research has found that meditation can lower blood pressure and help patients with chronic illness cope with pain and depression. In a study published last year, meditation sharply reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke among a group of African-Americans with heart disease....

Family Dinners Nourish Teens' Happiness: Study

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:06:06 +0100

Regular family suppers contribute to good mental health in adolescents, according to a study co-authored by McGill University professor Frank Elgar. Despite the fact that teens may squirm under the barrage of parental questioning, there are benefits to these family meals -- regardless of whether or not they can easily talk to their parents. “More frequent family dinners related to fewer emotional and behavioral problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviors towards...

10 Protein-Packed Plants

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:57:14 +0100

When most people think about protein, they think of meat, eggs, cheese and Greek yogurt. But every whole food contains protein, says vegan writer Alisa Rutherford-Fortunati. From your morning banana to your evening salad, finding plants packed with protein is easy to do. Plant-based foods are also cholesterol-free, mostly high in fiber, and alkalizing to the body rather than acidic. This helps increase oxygen and protect calcium....

Possible Leukemia Cure Major Medical Breakthrough for Patients

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:38:48 +0100

A treatment that genetically alters a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer has, for the first time, produced remissions in adults with an acute leukemia that is usually lethal, researchers are reporting. All the patients went into remission. In one patient who was severely ill, all traces of leukemia vanished in eight days....

Seaweed Extract Outperforms Chemo Drug in Shrinking Breast Tumors

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:30:02 +0100

The extract of an edible red seaweed was found to be 27 percent more effective than standard chemo in shrinking breast tumors in rats while showing much less toxicity to liver and kidneys, and even boosting the rats' antioxidant levels in both blood and tissues. The seaweed used in this remarkable study was an edible, tropical red seaweed that grows naturally in equatorial areas and is commonly found around Southeast Asia....

Scuba Survivor is Alive Because Husband Would Not Stop CPR

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:36:44 +0100

Bill Greenberg would not stop CPR. Forty minutes after his wife Hilary had been found at the bottom of the sea with her scuba breathing regulator dangling alongside her during a family trip to Costa Rica, a physician continued to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on his unresponsive wife. Even rescue workers tried to revive her, but nothing seemed to work. Still, Greenberg did not give up....

Hollywood's Funny Man, Russell Brand: My Life Without Drugs

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:06:24 +0100

Russell Brand has not used drugs for 10 years. He has a job, a house, a cat, good friends. But temptation is never far away. He wants to help other addicts, but first he wants us to feel compassion for those affected -- like Amy Winehouse. "It is my belief that if you regard alcoholics and drug addicts not as bad people but as sick people then we can help them to get better," he wrote in the Guardian. "By we, I mean other people who have the same problem but have found a way to live drug-and-alc...

Optimistic Outlook May Influence Cholesterol Levels in Midlife

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:43:05 +0100

Middle-aged people with a more optimistic outlook in life had higher levels of high-density lipoproteins and lower triglyceride levels than pessimists, according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology. "It is one additional piece of evidence suggesting that our psychological health and physical health are intertwined, and that viewing the world optimistically may have some tangible benefits for our health," said lead author Julia Boehm, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public...

Scientists Say Baby Born With HIV Apparently Cured

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:27:41 +0100

A baby, born with the AIDS virus, appears to have been cured scientists announced Sunday, describing the case of a child from Mississippi, who's now 2½ and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection. If the child remains free of HIV, it would mark only the world's second reported cure. Specialists say the finding offers exciting clues for how to eliminate HIV infection in children....

Mediterranean Diet Shines In Clinical Study

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:06:31 +0100

A careful test of the so-called Mediterranean diet involving more than 7,000 people at high risk for heart attacks and strokes found the diet reduced them when compared with a low-fat diet. A regular diet of Mediterranean cuisine also reduced the risk of dying. Overall, the people consuming the diets rich in olive oil and nuts had about a 30 percent lower risk of having a heart attack, stroke or dying from a cardiovascular cause....

Mark Zuckerberg Helps Extend Human Life by Co-Sponsoring $33M Prize

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:03:47 +0100

Tech world celebrities including Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sergey Brin have donated part of their fortunes to help extend human life through the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, a $33 million award to help 11 different scientists in their efforts to cure complex diseases. In its inaugural year, the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing breakthrough medical and science research has awarded $3 million each t...

Do-It-Yourself Tests Enable Cancer Diagnosis in Bathroom

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:59:53 +0100

Up until this point, medical testing has been relegated to the hospital or physician’s office, but now you can get do-it-yourself diagnoses in your home. Among the new products, Mode Diagnostics expects to begin selling its colon-cancer test, the first in a series of do-it-yourself medical checks it’s developing, directly to patients for about $38 through online retailers such as Amazon.com Inc. in the second half of the year....

Why Organic Produce May be Worth the Money

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:02:42 +0100

Organic fruits and vegetables may not be as big and beautiful as regular produce, but appearances can be deceiving. A study of organic tomatoes found they are packed with a much higher concentration of healthy compounds than the conventionally grown variety.

Orange County Woman Leaves $27 Million to Alzheimer’s Organization

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:11:30 +0100
Jim McAleer, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Orange County chapter, is in disbelief about an act of charity from a woman he’s never met. Helen Banas, 95, bequeathed the entirety of her estate to the non-profit organization, in the sum of $27 million. Banas, who passed away in August, had been widowed for 50 years. No one, not even neighbors knew she had any money at all....

Many Americans Now Successfully Managing Diabetes: Study

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:15:53 +0100
With improved awareness of diabetes and with newer medications, the number of people successfully managing their disease has spiked from just two percent a couple of decades ago to 19 percent in 2010. New government research found that many more people were managing the three measurements of disease control, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels....

FDA Approves Eye Implant That Restores Vision in Some Blind Patients

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:22:35 +0100
People who have lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa could benefit from government approval this week for an implantable device that takes the place of damaged cells inside the eye. The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is the first treatment for the inherited disorder. Working together, a set of futuristic glasses attached to a video camera and eye implant, have been approved by the FDA for restoring vision to some 100,000 people in the US afflicted with the disorder....

Optimism Linked to Higher Consumption of Kale and Carrots

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:53:04 +0100
Middle-aged adults who are more optimistic about their future tend to have higher antioxidant levels than their less optimistic peers, according to new research out of Harvard. Investigators studying nearly one thousand people over ten years found that increases in optimism correlated with an increase in concentration of antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, which is found in deeply-colored vegetables like carrots and kale....

10 Cheap Ways to Avoid the Doctor

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:39:24 +0100
Prevention goes well beyond the mammograms, prostate screenings or blood tests at the doctor's office. It's the little steps you take every day that can keep you healthy. "Ideally, prevention should also emphasize healthy lifestyles, a practice that isn't only health-conscious, but (is) inexpensive," said James Pivarnik, president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Here are 10 easy ways to get started, beyond simply washing your hands when you're out in public -- which is a great tip f...

Study Finds Beer Ingredient Could Help Brew New Medicine

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:10:22 +0100
A recent discovery by scientists at the University of Washington means that a main beer ingredient – hops – could be used to treat a number of health issues. The authors point out that while “excessive beer consumption cannot be recommended to propagate good health, isolated humulones and their derivatives can be prescribed with documented health benefits.”...

War Amputee Flashes New Limbs After Historic Double Arm Transplant

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:25:22 +0100
A quadruple-amputee GI from Staten Island proudly showed off his two newly transplanted arms yesterday by using them to push his wheelchair into a press conference — then vowed to drive a car again. “The arms feel great!” said beaming Iraq War vet Brendan Marrocco, as he displayed his new limbs at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he underwent the extraordinary double transplant Dec. 18. The 26-year-old U.S. soldier who lost all four limbs in a 2009 roadside bomb attack is now celebrated as&n...

New Study Suggests Many Apples a Day Keep the Blues at Bay

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:44:18 +0100
Eating more fruit and vegetables may make young people calmer, happier and more energetic in their daily life, new research from New Zealand's University of Otago suggests. Department of Psychology researchers investigated the relationship between day-to-day emotions and food consumption. The results showed a strong day-to-day relationship between more positive mood and higher fruit and vegetable consumption, but not other foods....

Marines Studying Mindfulness-Based Training

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:55:51 +0100
The U.S. Marine Corps, seeing a record suicide rate and thousands of veterans with post-traumatic stress, is studying how to help its troops by possibly incorporating meditation, yoga stretching and mindfulness practices into their day. Marine Corps officials say they will build a curriculum that would integrate mindfulness-based techniques into their training if they see positive results from a pilot project....

Totally Blind Mice Have Sight Restored

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:48:39 +0100
Totally blind mice have had their sight restored by injections of light-sensing cells into the eye, UK researchers report. The team in Oxford said their studies closely resemble the treatments that would be needed in people with degenerative eye disease. Experts said the field was advancing rapidly....

Believe it or Not, Report Says Fresh Fruit is #1 Snack in America

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:08:26 +0100
America has become a nation of healthier snackers. So says market research firm NPD, which has declared fresh fruit the most popular snack food in the country. Even better, the popularity of fresh fruit is continuing to grow. Over the course of a year, Americans snacked on fresh fruit an average of 10 times more than they snacked on chocolate and 25 times more than they snacked on potato chips....

Foods and Recipes to Help Boost Immunity and Fight the Flu

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:47:43 +0100
Holistic-thinking people are always looking for a home remedy to any problem, so during this flu season we might want to stock our kitchens with the foods and beverages that boost immunity and fight the flu. Epicurious magazine consulted John La Puma, M.D., the author of Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine, for advice about what to eat and what to stock up on....

Cockroaches Could Lead to New Antibiotics

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:58:36 +0100
Most people might see cockroaches as good-for-nothing pests, but this germ-ridden insect could be an indirect source of new antibiotics for humans. Researchers have discovered the guts of a cockroach to be super-sanitized. Cockroaches host the larvae of a parasitic type of wasp, which spend their formative days eating the bacteria-laden body of the cockroach from the inside out. It turns out, the wasp larva secretes chemicals that sanitize the decidedly unsanitary guts of the cockroach. These g...

Inmates Find Health and Solace in Yoga

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:41:39 +0100
Three times a week, Robbie Norris, a lean, 50-year-old yoga teacher, hops into his 1992 Volvo and heads to his class in Richmond, Va. past barbed wire and armed guards to a windowless room where a dozen women, scarred and tattooed, are waiting on donated yoga mats. When many states have cut their wellness and education programs for inmates, citing cost and political pressure, some wardens are looking for a low-cost, low-risk way for inmates to reflect on their crimes, improve their fitness and c...

'Mobile Lab' App Detects Allergens in Food

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:20:33 +0100
Do you have a serious food allergy and want to know if there's any culprits in your cookie? Now there's an app for that. It will take you 20 minutes to get the answer using a new application developed by UCLA researchers for your smartphone. The app comes with a device, called the iTube -- like a test tube -- which allows your phone to scan and test a food item before you eat it. So far, the lightweight device, which attaches to your cell phone, can detect traces of peanuts, almonds, eggs, glu...

Paralyzed Woman Now Eats and Writes Using Mind-Controlled Robot Arm

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:43:27 +0100
Researchers in the United States have developed a robotic arm controlled directly by thought with a level of agility closer than ever to a normal human limb. Jan Scheuermann, 53, from Pittsburgh, who is paralyzed from the neck down, has been able to feed herself chocolate and move everyday items using a robotic arm directly controlled by her mind."It's so cool," said Scheuermann during a news conference. "I'm moving things. I have not moved things for about 10 years." (WATCH the video below, or ...

In Girl’s Last Hope, Altered Immune Cells Beat Leukemia

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:27:55 +0100
It is hard to believe, but last spring Emma, then 6, was near death from leukemia. She had relapsed twice after chemotherapy, and doctors had run out of options. Desperate to save her, her parents sought an experimental treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one that had never before been tried in a child, or in anyone with the type of leukemia Emma had....

Pioneering Breast Cancer Treatment Freezes Tumors, Killing Harmful Tissue

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 08:16:35 +0100
Surgery may soon be a thing of the past for breast cancer patients, thanks to a new technique that destroys tumors by freezing them. A supercooled needle tip is repeatedly inserted into the cancerous tissue to turn it into a ball of ice, before it is then defrosted, leaving the tumor damaged....

Man Hitchhikes Across Canada in Only His Underwear Raising $30K for Testicular Cancer

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:17:15 +0100
People have bicycled, walked, even roller-bladed across Canada for charity. But Mark McIntyre is likely the only person who has ever hitch-hiked across Canada wearing nothing but his underwear and a smile. As a testicular cancer survivor, he teamed up with an underwear manufacturer that agreed to donate $20,000 bringing Mark's fundraising total to $32,000 for men's cancer research. He also wants to educate men on how to check themselves regularly, like women do. "A really negative thing in my l...

Quinoa Craze Inspires North America To Start Growing Its Own

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:06:51 +0100
The explosion in world popularity of quinoa in the past six years has quadrupled prices at retail outlets. But for all the demand from upscale grocery stores in America to keep their bulk bins filled with the ancient grain-like seed, almost no farmers outside of the arid mountains and coastal valleys of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile grow it. But plant breeders and scientists who study the biology and economics of quinoa say that is about to change....

Digital Gratitude Journal for the World Launched by UC Berkeley Center

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:44:34 +0100
Robert Emmons was shocked. The University of California psychologist found that after just ten weeks, people who kept a gratitude journal were 25 percent happier than people who didn't. People who were reminded to say "thank you" at least once a day were healthier and spent more time exercising. As he writes in an essay for the Greater Good Science Center, "This is a massive difference. The gratitude group participants also experienced fewer symptoms of physical illness than those in either of th...

Swedish Energy Company Offers Light Therapy in Bus Shelters

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:33:22 +0100
To help combat the mild depression commuters may experience when the sun only rises for five hours per day in one northern Swedish town, a local energy company has installed ultra-violet lamps at about 30 bus stops. "This is so people can get a little energy kick as they are waiting," said a spokesperson for Umea Energi....

Healing with Humor: Cancer Patient has Unique Way of Spreading Happiness

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:42:04 +0100
He cheers a group of cancer patients running in a race, calling himself the captain of "Team Tumor." The 38-year-old father of two small children with stage-4 cancer has logged hundreds of hours of chemotherapy. But instead of living with defeat and humiliation, this Utah dad spends his time trying to give a laugh to others with cancer....

New Approach Could Treat MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:26:33 +0100
Researchers trying to find a way to treat multiple sclerosis think they’ve come up with an approach that could not only help patients with MS, but those with a range of so-called autoimmune diseases, from type-1 diabetes to psoriasis, and perhaps even food allergies. So far it’s only worked in mice, but it has worked especially well. And while mice are different from humans in many ways, their immune systems are quite similar. “If this works, it is going to be absolutely fantastic,” sai...

Pacemaker Powered By Heartbeat, Not Batteries

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:02:14 +0100

A new device that harnesses energy from a beating heart can produce enough electricity to power a pacemaker, eliminating the need for current battery-operated models, according to US researchers.

The piezoelectric pacemaker could free patients from repeated trips to the hospital every two years to replace batteries.

Cell Transplant Enables Paralyzed Dogs to Walk; Humans Next?

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:51:58 +0100
Scientists have reversed paralysis in dogs after injecting them with cells grown from the lining of their nose. The pets had all suffered spinal injuries which prevented them from using their back legs. The Cambridge University team is cautiously optimistic the technique could eventually have a role in the treatment of human patients. (READ the story - and see short video - at the BBC) Photo by Richard Allen Schlossberg - Thanks to Andrew N. for sending the link!...

Green Light for Meningitis Vaccine That Could Save Lives of Countless Children

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 17:23:01 +0100
One of Britain’s most feared diseases - which kills or maims hundreds of children every year - could be virtually eliminated after the first-ever meningitis B vaccine was approved by European regulators. In the most significant breakthrough against meningitis in three decades, the new vaccine, called Bexsero, received a “positive opinion” from the European Medicines Agency today, paving the way for it to be licensed in the next few weeks....

New Bandage That Doesn’t Hurt Inspired By Spiderwebs

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:06:58 +0100
Even the most pain-tolerant people cringe once in a while, ripping an adhesive bandage off sensitive skin. But for babies, the removal process can break open their skin, sometimes causing permanent scarring because the medical tape was designed for adults. Researchers from MIT and Women’s Hospital believe they have addressed the problem with a new kind of medical tape modeled on the design of spiderwebs....

Meditation Produces Enduring Changes in Brain's Emotional Processing

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:31:28 +0100
A new study has found that participating in an 8-week meditation training program can have measurable effects on how the brain functions even when someone is not actively meditating. In their report in the November issue of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University also found differences in those effects based on the specific type of meditation practiced. "This is the first time that meditation training has been shown to affect emotion...

Teacher Brings Yoga to Juveniles Behind Bars

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:25:30 +0100
Leslie Booker began her career in the fashion industry but exchanged the runway for a juvenile detention center in the Bronx. As a dedicated yoga instructor, she is busy changing the lives of incarcerated teenagers. She works with The Lineage Project, an organization that places yoga and meditation instructors in detention centers, public schools, and other community sites around New York. Their mission is to share these practices with youth who are at risk fall of falling victim to crime and vi...

Test Allows Doctors to See Disease Without Microscope

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 18:37:21 +0100
Scientists in Britain say they have developed a super-sensitive test using nano-particles to spot markers for cancer or the AIDS virus in human blood serum using the naked eye. As it does not need sophisticated equipment, the test-tube technique should be cheap and simple, making it a a boon for disease detection in poor countries, the team wrote in Nature Nanotechnology on Sunday....

Study: Aspirin May Extend Life of Colon Cancer Patients

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 18:27:05 +0100
A new study may have found a specific patient population that may live longer by taking this drug: Colon cancer patients. After reviewing data from 964 colorectal cancer patients, researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston found when patients whose tumors had a mutated form of the PIK3CA gene took aspirin after being diagnosed, they lived significantly longer than patients without the mutation....

Groundbreaking Prescription Calls for Video Game to Treat Pain

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:37:47 +0100
A U.S. Army Ranger endured more than two dozen painful surgeries after being severely burned by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. He was deeply concerned about growing dependent on the addictive painkilling narcotics he needed to take. So, his doctor suggested something completely unexpected to relieve his pain: a video game....

Exercising in Your 70's May Stop Brain Shrinkage

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:43:07 +0100
Exercising in your 70's may stop your brain from shrinking and showing the signs of aging linked to dementia, say experts from Edinburgh University. Seniors who were physically active had less brain shrinkage over a three-year period. But exercise did not have to be strenuous - going for a walk several times a week sufficed, the journal Neurology says....

FDA Connects Desperate Patients With Experimental Drugs

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:44:19 +0100
A little-known FDA program called "compassionate use" is giving seriously ill people a path to obtaining drugs that are still in testing. Last year, after having exhausted all other options, nearly 1,200 patients received treatment with experimental drugs for conditions including hepatitis C, cancer and rare diseases like cystic fibrosis, says the US Food and Drug Administration....

Fish Oil Helped Save Boy in Coma

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 14:08:34 +0100
After a dramatic recovery from serious brain injury experienced by the first patient Dr. Michael Lewis treated with fish oil, the physician urged its use again, this time on a brain-dead Virginia boy in a coma. Fish oil is composed of omega-3 essential fatty acids, and our brain itself is a fatty mass made up of 30% omega-3 fatty acids. So it is not surprising that the boy's brain responded to the treatment, which was likened to rebuilding a brick wall using bricks....

Cholesterol Levels Down Among US Adults

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:01:32 +0100
Cholesterol levels of U.S. adults have dropped by an average of ten points over the last two decades, according to a new national study into this major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Between 1988 and 2010, average total cholesterol levels decreased from 206 to 196 milligrams per deciliter. Average LDL levels (bad cholesterol) dropped from 129 to 116 over the study period, while HDL (good cholesterol) levels rose from 51 to 53 mg/dl....

Multivitamin Use Linked to Lowered Cancer Risk

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:31:38 +0100
After a series of conflicting reports about whether vitamin pills can stave off chronic disease, researchers announced on Wednesday that a large clinical trial of nearly 15,000 older male doctors followed for more than a decade found that those taking a daily multivitamin experienced 8 percent fewer cancers than the subjects taking dummy pills. A randomized, double-blinded clinical trial, the kind considered the most rigorous type of study, it was one of the largest and longest efforts to addres...

Next Health Check-up Might be Inside Your Car

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:37:22 +0100
All cars are filled with hundreds of sensors, measuring everything from tire pressure to brake pad condition. Right now, though, you’re only aware of those sensors if something goes wrong and the car wants to notify you. That’s starting to change. Since 2010, the USC School of Cinematic Arts and BMW have been working on Nigel, a Mini Cooper outfitted with 230 sensors that creates a log of everything that happens in the vehicle. Now USC’s Center for Body Computing is getting in on the Nige...

Negative News Stories Affect Women's Stress Levels, Not Men's

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:50:21 +0100
Bad news stories in the media increase women's sensitivity to stress, according to a study by University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress. But men do not suffer from a similar effect. The researchers believe that evolutionary factors may be at play, with the emphasis on the survival of offspring possibly influencing the evolution of the female stress system, leading women to be more empathetic. This theory would explain why women could be more susceptible to indi...

Crowdfunding a Cure for Cancer

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:13:10 +0100
Researchers in Sweden isolated a virus that successfully attacked cancer in mice. Then, because of a lack of funding, the virus was put in a freezer before it could go to human trials. Now, a team in London is crowdfunding an effort to get the treatment ready for testing and make a potentially world-changing scientific breakthrough. If you have a million dollars and change laying around, the team will name the virus after you — but even a $25 contribution will make you a part of medical histor...

Man in Need of Heart Transplant Called A 'Miracle' After His Heart Heals Itself

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:25:35 +0100
A young man in dire need of a heart transplant shocked doctors and loved ones alike when his failing heart mended itself, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Michael Crowe, 23, was admitted to a Nebraska hospital last month with a life-threatening heart problem. Crowe's heart was functioning at only 10 percent efficiency, and his other organs were starting to fail. At first, Crowe's doctors ordered him to undergo a heart transplant. His friends and church members prayed for a miracle....

Addicted to Drugs, Yet the Greatest Surgeon America Ever Produced

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:30:06 +0100
The most renown American surgeon was born 160 years ago today on September 22, 1852. A new film documents the work of the medical genius, who also had a secret life that made his story all the more remarkable. Surgery in the mid-19th Century consisted of crude and hurried amputations conducted in filthy operating rooms, often followed by horrendous infection. We can thank William Stewart Halsted, the pioneering father of American surgery, for bringing America into the era of safe surgery: steril...

Scientists Make Progress in Tailor-Made Organs Using Body's Own Cells

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:38:24 +0100
Tissue engineers are building organs using the body’s own cells and letting the body do most of the work. So far, only a few organs have been made and transplanted, and they are relatively simple, hollow ones — like bladders and windpipes. But scientists around the world are using similar techniques with the goal of building more complex organs. At Wake Forest University in North Carolina, for example, where the bladders were developed, researchers are working on kidneys, livers and more. La...

McDonald’s Adds Calorie Counts, Other Chains Will Soon Follow

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:38:30 +0100
McDonald’s announced Wednesday that it will post calorie counts for all items on its menus in all restaurants and drive-thrus nationwide, starting next week. Other chains will have to follow McDonald's soon enough: Obama's health-care law will soon require restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts on their menus....

58 Cancers Receive 9/11 Fund Coverage

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:39:41 +0100
Federal health authorities Monday added 58 types of cancer to the list of covered illnesses for people who were exposed to toxins at the site of the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. The publication of this final rule marks an important step in the effort to provide needed treatment and care to 9/11 responders and survivors through the WTC Health Program....

Stem Cell Jab Restores Feeling in Paralyzed

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:58:16 +0100
Patients with broken spines have reported having feeling restored to areas that had previously been paralyzed, after receiving stem cell injections. Scientists said they were 'encouraged' after two of three patients injected with donated embryonic brain tissue responded to treatment at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland....

White House Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:07:10 +0100
President Obama signed an Executive Order that will help the federal government better meet the current and future demand for mental health services and substance abuse treatment for our troops and veterans, as well as their families. According to the White House, the executive order will hire 800 peer-to-peer support counselors, using veterans to support other veterans, and push to complete the hiring of 1,600 additional mental health professionals by June, 2013....

Favorite TV Reruns Have Restorative Powers, says New Research

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:06:56 +0100
We hear all the time that we need to get off the couch, stop watching TV and get moving. But what if watching TV under specific conditions could actually provide the mental boost we need to recharge for a difficult task? New research from the University at Buffalo found that watching a rerun of a favorite TV show or movie may help restore the drive to get things done in people who have used up their reserves of willpower or self-control....

Australians Implant "World First" Bionic Eye

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:11:50 +0100
Australian scientists said Thursday they had successfully implanted a “world first” bionic eye prototype, describing it as a major breakthrough for the visually impaired.Bionic Vision Australia, a government-funded science consortium, said it had surgically installed an “early prototype” robotic eye in a woman with hereditary sight loss caused by degenerative retinitis pigmentosa....

Johnson & Johnson to Remove Harmful Chemicals From Products

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:00:08 +0100
Johnson & Johnson, which makes a range of personal care products like baby shampoo, Neutrogena, Aveeno and Clean & Clear, this month announced plans to remove a host of potentially harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde, from its line of consumer products, becoming the first major consumer products company to make such a widespread commitment....

Happiness Gene Discovered - But it Only Works for Women

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:47:32 +0100
Scientists have discovered a gene that makes people happy, but it is said to work only in women. The findings could help explain why women are often happier than men, the team of US researchers said. The study focused on a gene called MAOA that affects the levels of feel-good chemicals in the brain. University of South Florida researcher Dr. Henian Chen said its effects could be cancelled out by testosterone, but boys may still benefit before adolescence because their testosterone level is low....

Ingenious Surgery Saves Eyesight — and the Life — of Bronx Mother

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:15:12 +0100
When 36-year-old Nordia Palmer-Ferguson went to her doctor complaining of blurred vision, headaches, pressure and swelling in her left eye, little did she know she was facing the possibility of blindness, or even death. Thanks to the ingenious solution of an ophthalmologist and professor of surgery at Cornell, not only was her life saved, but her eyesight has been completely restored. Not long after giving birth to her daughter earlier this year, Nordia Palmer-Ferguson noticed discoloration in h...

Green Tea Extract "Made Cancer Disappear"

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:38:39 +0100

Powerful new anti-cancer drugs made from green tea leaves could soon be available now that Scottish scientists have shown that tumors treated with an extract from the beverage had shrunk in half within a week.

The University of Strathclyde team made 40 percent of human skin cancer tumors disappear using the compound, in a laboratory study.

Aging Better With Art: Low-Income Seniors Thrive in Artists Colony

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:17:15 +0100
Tim Carpenter is changing the way elderly Californians experience aging by turning low-cost senior housing communities into vibrant centers for learning and creativity. His serious arts training doesn't just provide for later life, it enhances it. The 13-year-old Los Angeles-area program, EngAGE, provides arts, theater and wellness classes for some 5,000 people — the vast majority of them low-income — living in senior apartment communities....

Researchers Might Have a Way to Beat Heroin Addiction

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:41:28 +0100

Morphine is just about the best painkiller out there, as any doctor or any person who's ever been in an accident will tell you. There's just one small problem—it's incredibly addictive. But thanks to some researchers from the University of Colorado and the University of Adelaide, we may have outsmarted that propensity for dependency.

Businessman's Product Samples Save Veteran in Freak Accident at Airport

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:20:57 +0100
An 82-year-old veteran from Cary, N.C. traveling through O'hare Airport had no idea he was about to fall, literally, into a life-threatening situation involving his luggage and an escalator. A traveling salesman who happened to be in the right place at the right time potentially saved his life with a product designed to stop severe bleeding. A few weeks ago, Albert Cinquepalma was trying to make a connection at the airport in Chicago when his bag got caught on an escalator, causing him to fall b...

Child Cholesterol Levels Improve Significantly in U.S. as Snacks Lose Fats

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:55:22 +0100
Against the drumbeat of bad news on obesity among American children, researchers have uncovered a cause for optimism: a steady and significant improvement in their cholesterol levels over the last 20 years -- down 28% since 1988.Manufacturers cutting the trans fats from cookies, crackers and french fries may have contributed to the dramatic decline, but exercise rates may also have improved....