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Mumps makes a comeback Canada

Health officials in Canada are concerned about an outbreak of mumps which appears to be spreading.

7 May 2007

Popular epilepsy drug damages the unborn

A study by researchers in the United States has found that women who took an epilepsy drug during their pregnancy had a higher risk of giving birth to children with a lower IQ or with mental retardation.

7 May 2007

Six week baby sex test available on the internet

Prospective parents eager to know the sex of their unborn child can now buy a test on the internet which will tell them at just six weeks whether they are having a boy or a girl.

7 May 2007

"Cup of joe" found to have more health benefits

According to a new study drinking coffee may offer protection from type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

7 May 2007

Doctors say too many Brits addicted to OTC drugs

Doctors in Britain are warning about the dangers of becoming addicted to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines; they say more research is needed on how many misuse OTC drugs.

7 May 2007

New vitamin extends lifespan in yeast cells

Imagine taking a vitamin for longevity! Not yet, but a Dartmouth discovery that a cousin of niacin prolongs lifespan in yeast brings the tantalizing possibility a step closer.

4 May 2007

Vigorous active lifestyle keeps people thin with age

The old adage "use it or lose it" is truer than ever. People who maintain a vigorously active lifestyle as they age gain less weight than people who exercise at more moderate levels, according to a first-of-its-kind study that tracked a large group of runners who kept the same exercise regimen as they grew older.

4 May 2007

Oral vaccine prevents prion disease in mice

An oral vaccine can prevent mice from developing a brain disease similar to mad cow disease, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston.

4 May 2007

US control strategies may make flu epidemics worse

Regular as clockwork, the flu arrives every year. And, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population on average will come down with it. About 36,000 people will die.

4 May 2007

New treatments for brain hemorrhage

The first scientifically proven treatments for intracerebral hemorrhage, or "bleeding," strokes, are on the horizon, including a new drug that holds promise for slowing bleeding and limiting brain damage resulting from such a stroke, according to updated American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines.

4 May 2007

Honey for diabetic ulcers

The sore on Catrina Hurlburt's leg simply wouldn't heal. Complications from a 2002 car accident left Hurlburt, a borderline diabetic, with recurring cellulitis and staph infections.

4 May 2007

Little-known cell networks vital to circadian rhythm

Circadian rhythm is the basic 24-hour cycle that involves various behaviors, including sleeping and eating, in all living organisms.

4 May 2007

Fecal microbes high in New Orleans sediments following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

In a new study documenting the microbial landscape of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, scientists report that sediments in interior portions of the city appear to be contaminated with fecal microbes, a chronic condition they say persisted in the area before the hurricanes, and that the resulting water quality in the city and in nearshore waters of the lake continues to be impacted by discharges from this contamination.

4 May 2007

Smoking is No. 1 health concern for children and adolescents in the United States

It's only natural to for adults to worry about children's health and well-being at school, on the roads and even online.

4 May 2007

Should the UK adopt Dutch rules on euthanasia in newborn babies?

Euthanasia for newborn babies with lethal and disabling conditions is illegal worldwide, but in reality, its acceptance and practice vary between different countries.

4 May 2007

New view of photosynthesis

During the remarkable cascade of events of photosynthesis, plants approach the pinnacle of stinginess by scavenging nearly every photon of available light energy to produce food.

4 May 2007

Reducing levels of the protein tau can prevent seizures and neurological deficits related to Alzheimer's disease

The findings, reported in the journal Science, demonstrate that when tau is removed from mice genetically engineered to simulate Alzheimer's disease, their memory function is retained and they live a normal lifespan. Reducing tau levels also made mice more resistant to epileptic seizures.

4 May 2007