Discover the Science of Health
The most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disrupts the blood brain barrier, impeding oxygen and nutrient flow to the brain and exposing the brain to systemic toxins, according to a recent investigation led by scientists from the University of Rochester Center for Neurodegenerative and Vascular Brain Disorders [1].
Fueled by new cancer therapeutics, last year the annual new molecular and biological entity approval count from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saw its highest year since 1997. One-third of the novel products approved by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) are used to treat cancers of the blood, breast, colon, prostate, skin and thyroid.
PatientsLikeMe is one of 10 biomedicine companies included in Technology Review’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (TR50) for 2012 [1].
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found evidence that a unique type of immune cell contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS). Their discovery helps define the effects of one of the newest drugs under investigation for treating MS — daclizumab — and could lead to a new class of drugs for treating MS and other autoimmune disorders.
Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.
One of Google’s initiatives is to guide consumers to credible health information. However, Google Health’s OneBox doesn’t treat all health sites the same.
Although everyone knows about the short-term effects of excessive drinking, the long-term effects are often overlooked. Ed Yong at Cancer Research UK discusses the science of alcohol and cancer.
In the midst of excitement surrounding the Apple iPad, Dr. Anonymous reminds us that, when it comes to medicine, it’s all about the software.
Thomas Goetz discusses the benefits of feedback and behavior change, and the research to support each claim.
Does your Internet use reflect your personality? BPS Research Digest reviews a study that evaluated how people with certain personality types use the Web.
A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that development of age-related chronic diseases and disabilities is not inevitable if people are physically active in their midlives.
Following a two-and-a-half year ethics investigation, the General Medical Council (GMC), which registers doctors to practice medicine in the UK, has concluded that Andrew Wakefield, the UK researcher who suggested a link between autism spectrum disorders and MMR vaccination, acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” in his research.
Do you exercise? Are you currently on a diet but can’t seem to shed the pounds? Mark Sisson runs down the reasons you’re not losing weight.
A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports on two new drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis that are more effective than existing modalities. Vaughan Bell reviews the findings.
