Just 12 percent of America's 228 million adults have the skills to manage their own health care proficiently, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research. These skills, known collectively as health literacy, describe people's
Changing the sugars attached to a hormone produced in the pituitary gland increased fertility levels in mice nearly 50 percent, a research group at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found. The change appears to alter a
For the first time, a study combines measurements of abnormalities in the eye with models for assessing how well an individual can see, meaning it may be possible to program a machine to automatically produce prescriptions for corrective lenses.The model
Physicians and dentists should collaborate to improve early detection and treatment of patients who have or may develop osteoporosis, say researchers in the cover story of the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.The authors of the
People who snack on popcorn may consume more whole grains and less meat than their peers who don't, new research shows.Fewer than 10 percent of Americans meet current dietary guidelines recommending they eat at least three servings of whole grain
Higher incidences of congenital anomalies, including cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias, were found in boys whose mothers had higher serum levels of certain organochlorine compounds, researchers say. Two separate studies presented today during the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American
Researchers examined the effects green tea polyphenols (GTP), administered through drinking water, on rats who were intermittently deprived of oxygen during 12-hour "night" cycles, mimicking the intermittent hypoxia (IH) that humans with OSA experience.People with OSA have been reported to
Researchers at the OU Health Sciences Center have found a new use for an old drug. Their findings appear online Friday in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.The drug, Fluvastatin, has been approved since 1993 by the U.S. Food and Drug
Researchers from the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne have identified a factor that may contribute towards the development of heroin addiction by manipulating the adenosine A2A receptor, which plays a major role in the brain's 'reward pathway'.Using mice specifically bred
Gene therapy to replace the faulty CLN2 gene, which causes a neurodegenerative disease that is fatal by age 8-12 years, was able to slow significantly the rate of neurologic decline in treated children, according to a paper published online ahead
Long-term harmful effects of marijuana (MJ) include risk for heart attacks and strokes in addition to impaired learning and memory. The active chemical in MJ called delta-9-tetrahyrdocannabinol (THC) is believed to exert these effects by binding to cannabinoid (CB) receptors
A toxic gas present in air pollution and tobacco smoke plays a significant role in triggering tuberculosis infection, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).The UAB study focused on carbon monoxide (CO),
A coming wave of Chinese pills is set to push down the price of generic drugs, as more low-cost finished medicines from the country win approval in major markets, according to a report on Tuesday.Pharmaceutical information group IMS Health Inc
Girls and children exposed to tobacco smoke respond particularly well to montelukast (Singulair) according to researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Associate Professor of Pediatrics Nathan Rabinovitch, MD, and his colleagues also identified two biomarkers that may help
Advances in medicine - new treatments, cures, vaccines and medicines - are driven by research involving humans. But when it comes to medical research that requires children to be involved, researchers often struggle to find participants.The reason? Many parents are
Buying chicken these days is not like it used to be. With labels like "100 percent natural," "organic," "grain-fed," and "free range," many consumers don't really know what they're buying.According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - "100 percent
Smoking rates among teenagers can be cut by training influential peers to spread anti-smoking messages in everyday conversations with their friends and peer group, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal."These results show clearly that young people can
Summer is here and the kids are out of school. While summer is the perfect time for fun and games, it's important to keep safe, too. Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care hospital in Atlanta, specializes in the medical treatment and
Planning for a summer vacation is time-consuming business—coordinating schedules, researching destinations, booking reservations, packing clothes. The last thing we want is to get sick while away from home, especially with illnesses that confine us to our room and render us
