News

Altered levels of substances known as biomarkers in spinal fluid may predict the development of Alzheimer's disease up to 10 years before the condition can be diagnosed based on mental functioning, a new study by researchers in Sweden suggests.

The combination of two widely used drugs-lamotrigine and valproate-may treat refractory epilepsy more effectively than other antiepileptic regimens, researchers at the University of Washington have found.

Andrew Wakefield, the lead author of a discredited 1998 study in the Lancet linking the MMR vaccine to autism has sued a British journalist, the journal BMJ, and the journal's editor over articles, editorials, and public statements that he claims are false and defamatory and have caused him personal and financial damage.

Less than half of a sampling of trials funded by the National Institutes of Health were published within 30 months of completion, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found.

Weight gain is caused by overconsumption of calories, not the ratio of protein to carbohydrates in one's diet, researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana have found.

Hospitals are increasing their use of cardiac monitors to detect heart rhythm abnormalities and reduce staffing needs, but this may end up inadvertently harming patients, a report in the Boston Globe suggests.

Plastic surgery is undeniably a growth industry in the US, but along with its popularity has come a series of scandals that illuminate the potential dangers of the surgical pursuit of beauty.

The rate of twin births in the United States has risen 76% over the last three decades, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 births, the CDC reports.

Patients in the US who have had an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge than patients in a number of other countries, researchers have found.

Increased physical activity appears to improve kids' academic performance, report Dutch researchers based on a review of 14 previous studies on the subject.

Allowing patients to listen to music with noise-cancelling headphones during a prostate biopsy may reduce their pain perception and anxiety, according to researchers at the Duke University Medical Center.

A widespread shortage of generic drugs in recent months has made life increasingly difficult for patients with ADHD, and many are growing frantic as they are forced to purchase costly brand name drugs instead of scarce generic versions.

Tribal violence in a remote area of South Sudan has caused facilities run by the international medical relief organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders/MSF) to cease operation and over 100 local MSF staffers to flee into the surrounding countryside.

Levels of the protein troponin I in patients admitted to emergency care for chest pain may help doctors rule out or confirm a diagnosis of heart attack, researchers in Germany have found.

The Strong4Life campaign has become a subject of controversy among critics who feel the ads have the potential to do more harm than good to the self esteem of obese kids.

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes may have difficulty getting a full night of sleep, which can greatly impact their performance in school and, worse, their blood sugar control, researchers at the University of Arizona have found.

Thiazide-induced hyponatremia is associated with an increased risk of fracture, but this is due to confounding factors, not hyponatremia itself, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have found.

Treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis patients with tumor necrosis factor antagonists produces no reduction in the risk of acute coronary syndrome, researchers in Sweden have found.

As the year comes to a close, one cannot help but reflect on the astounding technological advancements made in 2011, particularly since such progress has greatly benefited the medical industry.

A recently published paper in the medical journal Pediatrics argues that there is finally strong enough evidence for doctors to recommend that infants and children who have asthma or are at risk for the disease avoid acetaminophen.

According to a recent longitudinal study, the prevalence of acid reflux has risen significantly over the past decade, with women in particular more susceptible to the ailment as they aged than men.

A recent study has found that the children of women exposed to elevated levels of DDE while they were pregnant had increased rates of pneumonia and bronchitis in their first year of life.

A vaccine that significantly decreases tumors in a mouse model closely imitating 90% of human breast and pancreatic cancer cases-including ones that do not respond to traditional therapies-has been developed by Mayo Clinic researchers.

Aptamer-based proteomics array technology from Somalogic, Inc. could enable diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and mesothelioma at earlier stages.

For the first time ever, a US government advisory board has asked several scientific journals to withhold details of experiments out of concern that terrorists could use the information in question to create deadly pathogens and trigger epidemics.

Early intervention programs designed to help parents of premature infants better understand their children's needs can significantly reduce behavioral problems later in life, researchers in Norway have found.

The US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review a New Drug Application for tofacitinib from Pfizer Inc.

A phase 3 clinical trial has found no statistical superiority between two multiple-sclerosis (MS) treatments, Aubagio (teriflunomide) and Rebif (interferon beta 1-a).

Women with endometriosis are much more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease than women without the reproductive disorder.

A majority of practitioners in the United Kingdom advise patients suffering from chronic lower back pain to take a break from work to recuperate, even though guidelines call for patients to remain active and continue working.