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Obesity is known to be a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, as well as for the insulin resistance that's a hallmark of the disease. Mouse studies suggest that obesity results in the production of microRNAs by adipose tissue, which diminishes the ability of tissues to respond to insulin.

Scandals, no matter their size or consequence, shouldn't eradicate the basic tenets of doctor-patient privilege.

Even though the service is free, a recent survey showed that 3 in 4 British citizens use the internet to self-diagnose and treat themselves, rather than schedule a doctors' visit using the UK's National Health Service. Imagine if more people used it.

A baby was born from a living donor's transplanted uterus. Following in the footsteps of Swedish success in this area, this achievement provides significant hope for those with uterine factor infertility, or UFI.

The odd case of a stricken man arriving at a Florida hospital with no ID, no family member – but with a bold tattoo stating that critical, life-saving intervention be withheld – is serving as a bizarre but essential reminder to the rest of us to raise a difficult, yet frequently-skirted, topic.

This method uses revolutionary “dipstick” technology. The protocol involves a tissue sample that's ground up and the dipstick, made of wax-coated filter paper, is inserted, almost immediately capturing the DNA and RNA.

It's always good to take a moment to reflect on science’s beauty and power to inform, to improve our lives when not constrained by ego, status, publish-or-perish constraints, or the new-media landscape.
 

A new opinion article in Biology Letters – "Studying placebo effects in model organisms will help us understand them in humans" – dives into the possibility of studying the placebo effect in animals other than humans.

Postpartum depression of varying degrees is obviously real but it has everything to do with lack of sleep and an abundance of stress. It has nothing to do with whether or not a placenta was eaten. And the risks are not worth it, considering the case study of a child who got sepsis twice because of placenta pills showed.

It's an ongoing debate: Can breakfast help deter obesity? Some research has found no connection. But a recent study of Spanish adults suggests that breakfast-eaters have a lower risk of developing abdominal obesity, the most dangerous kind.
 

A single injection of a potential drug makes green lizards turn black in one minute. It's because the drug turns on the production of melanin, a colored pigment that protects us from sunlight. Could this drug reduce our chances of getting melanoma? Maybe. 
 

1. In Wall Street Journal, Dr. Alex Berezow talked about how reliant we are on GPS. Technology is a great thing, of course, and I bet we would adjust pretty rapidly without it, but there would be a lot of tourists in Washington, DC looking for the White House and ending up at the other 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that is four miles away. That's how goofy the nation's capitol is laid out.

Being an astronaut is a hazardous job. Not only are they exposed to higher levels of radiation and the fury of Earth's atmosphere upon re-entry, they must also handle a nearly 2° F increase in core body temperature.

French President Emmanuel Macron has declared he will ban the American herbicide glyphosate within three years, and sooner if a replacement is ready. Italy has vowed to do the same. Activists have said the replacement is already available, and it has been used in France since 1863 - a fatty acid called pelargonic (a.k.a. nonanoic, because of the nine carbon atoms) acid.

When confronted with the truth, a prominent science journalist claimed that facts don't matter in op-eds. Science journalism is dead.

President Eisenhower's concern about the growing "military-industrial complex," referenced in his 1961 farewell address, became part of the cultural lexicon. But less well known is Ike's second warning, about manipulation of academia by political interests, which would change the nature of the “free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery.”

Clostridium difficile infections are terrible, because they are both debilitating and very costly. But researchers are now considering the use of an unexpected tool that might prevent these infections. 

A website that's purportedly focused on rigorous science journalism has published a conspiratorial anti-glyphosate rant, written by an environmental activist with no relevant academic credentials.

It would almost be hilarious if it weren't so scary. The CDC warned of the possibility that raw milk from the Udder dairy might be contaminated with Brucella bacteria. These bugs can cause miscarriage in pregnant women and illness in everyone. And all this for the unproven and unlikely benefits of raw milk!

Bravo and Andy Cohen have a wonderful opportunity to start an overdue conversation on misuse of medications and the dangers of polypharmacy.

In a new thought piece, researchers explore how deeply ingrained cultural habits — like America’s love of individualism and East Asia’s embrace of collective harmony — shaped the national chaos, triumphs, and outcomes of COVID.

This week, despite the holiday cheer, I have been drawn to true crime – perhaps to avoid navigating the politics of family dinner. Between debates about the systemic costs of bullets, DIY ghost guns that make Ikea furniture look complicated, and the sorry state of crime clearance rates, I’m wondering if crime is the coal in our stockings. For emotional relief, I turn to eating, replacing the concerns about crime with Caputo 00 flour – a pizza offers a slice of optimism in a world that often feels half-baked.

This week we dive into a world where health insurers are more than just insurers, where nutrition labels aren’t simply about informing shoppers, and where “simple truths” are anything but obvious. These readings challenge the neat narratives we often accept at face value. So, strap in for a December 19th reading list that spans big medicine, big questions, and a bit of tongue-in-cheek Disney princess health hazards.

The science community is in an uproar over the probability that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., will head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the second Trump Administration. How worried should we be about his nomination? Is the public health truly in jeopardy? Let's take a closer look.

There have been some mighty strange choices to lead the U.S. healthcare system starting in 2025. Instead of complaining, let's sing about them!