A recent report in JAMA provides concrete epidemiological evidence that vaccine refusal has contributed to the increased risk for measles and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, which are vaccine-preventable diseases.
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The Japanese population is known for living long lives — and a new study suggests that adherence to that culture's version of dietary guidelines is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. In addition, balanced consumption of all foods seems to be associated with greater longevity.
In yet another cool discovery using nature as a muse, English scientists have found that a foamy cocktail whipped up by Trinidadian frogs during mating may serve as a mode of antibiotic delivery to potentially prevent infections.
One of the smartphone's most alluring features is its ability to connect people, over long distances and in a myriad of ways, at a reasonable cost. But studies and surveys continue to surface which collectively indicate that there may be two hidden costs that might plague an obsessive phone-user: anxiety and depression.
A recent study, published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology, finds that infertile men under the age of 50 are at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis as well as metabolic diseases, which include insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Internet headlines abound with a study's findings that claim tattoos may make its recipient less prone to illness. The headlines are bad enough, so we took a look as to whether there's a sound basis for any of this. And even they might be somewhat true, how accurate is the study? Ready for a laugh?
The topic of concussions has been much in the news of late, and it’s been concerning that the condition can be difficult to discern. But a new blood test may make that diagnosis much simpler and more accurate.
A Florida woman who consumed raw chocolate milk produced by Miller's Organic Farm in Pennsylvania passed away after getting Listeria. Ironically, she thought she was drinking something more "natural" that would make her immune system stronger.
Scientists at the North Carolina State University have engineered maggots to express human proteins that are capable of aiding and promoting wound healing. This can have future therapeutic value, by providing a safe and cost-effective means of healing tough-to-treat wounds.
Alarming new data suggests that heart attack victims today are unhealthier and much younger than in decades past. And while the likelihood of surviving a heart attack continues to improve, there's been a disturbing increase in unhealthy behaviors as well as a growing neglect of risk factors.
The rhythmic whipping of a sperm’s tail is the most basic perception as to how the cell strives to reach the egg for fertilization. But a recent study published in the journal Science reveals a novel mechanism, in which progesterone-dependent sperm cells are primed and activated in the female reproductive tract.
Gene drives change the way that certain genes (and therefore traits) are inherited, or passed down through generations. Using CRISPR gene editing technology, the gene drives have the ability to cut and paste a desired gene into each organism, making a trait present in an entire population of organisms.
A new story in the British press reveals that very few lunches brought from home are actually meeting nutritional guidelines. But the way to ameliorate the situation is not pass laws to regulate what can be included in that brown bag. Nutritional guidelines should be used to educate, not punish.
A recent paper took brain scans and noted changes in response to beer flavor, namely increased activity in the right ventral striatum. Beer caused the scans there to light up more, which the authors believe signaled a desire for more beer, while Gatorade didn't increase beer desire at all.
A major protein inside the egg, called ovalbumin, possesses the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine. When heated, these sulfur atoms are converted to hydrogen sulfide, the nasty gas associated with rotten eggs and bodily functions. It doesn't take much to wrinkle our noses.
Enjoy the first installment of a new series entitled The Shackling of the Physician, about inane and laborious diagnostic coding excesses. Bitten by orca? Opera house as place of occurrence of external cause? Pecked by chicken? You have to be kidding ... Can anyone say #physicianburnout?
For the second time this year, the EPA has published a report placing glyphosate in the "not likely to be carcinogenic to humans" category.
A proposed resolution by the New York State PTA, to be voted on at their November convention, supports mandatory labeling and a GMO ban from school food. The resolution, which is shocking coming from an organization that, is packed full of pseudoscientific thinking and anti-biotechnology propaganda.
Claims that the “the science isn’t settled” with regard to climate change are symptomatic of a large body of ignorance about how science works. So what is the scientific method, and why do so many people, sometimes including those trained in science, get it so wrong?
The first thing to understand is that there is no one method in science, no one way of doing things. This is intimately connected with how we reason in general.
Not many people in the UK, and probably in the US too, are aware that overweight and obesity are risk factors for several types of cancer. A new report from Cancer Research UK indicates that the majority of those surveyed were ignorant of that fact. This doesn't bode well for the economics of health care in the UK, and the same is likely true for the US since we're even fatter than our cousins across the pond.
Up to 40 percent of Americans want alternative ways to treat pain, fearing dependence on medication and adverse effects, or inadequate pain control. So-called “alternative treatments” offered by acupuncturists and naturopaths are neither cheap nor covered by insurance. And given a recent study published by the Mayo Clinic, we simply say: Save Your Money.
Like other sources of reliable medical and scientific information, we were asked about her diagnosis and potential for being contagious. Unlike most media outlets we will not make diagnostic statements based on videotape and supposition; we will not speculate on the diagnosis or treatment. But we will spend a few moments talking about pneumonia.
Last week, Dr. Julianna LeMieux brought her son to the office so they could test out a chemistry set by MEL Chemistry for ages 12 and up. The fun, subscription product gets delivered to your door monthly, with two chemistry sets which make for a couple of fun family evenings. Unless you invite Dr. Josh Bloom and our president Hank Campbell over — and especially if they don't know the camera is on!
Perhaps the most problematic classification system in the scientific community is that of the impact factor, which attempts to rank journals by their relative importance. This factor for a particular journal is equal to the average number of times an article in the journal is cited in a given year. While this sounds useful, in practice, it has been a slow-motion train wreck.
While on first glance this story appears to be an April Fool's joke, it isn't. Really. The giant African pouched rat may be the latest weapon in the fight to eradicate tuberculosis. It's already proved its usefulness in detecting landmines, and the rodent is now being trained to detect TB.
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