Health & Medicine

Mar 10, 2014 12:35 PM EDT

75,000 Killer Bees Sting 71-year-old Woman

A 71-year-old woman in California was recently attacked by 75,000 killer bees.

Volunteer lifesavers pose as a human billboard, forming the phrase "Melanoma Kills"

Mar 08, 2014 07:24 AM EST

Skin Cancer Survivors More likely to Get Other Types of Cancers, Study

People who've survived non-melanoma skin cancer have high risk of developing deadly melanoma cancer and other cancers. The risk is higher in young cancer survivors.

Mar 07, 2014 11:19 PM EST

New Guidelines Created to Detect Autism in Children

Refining diagnosis and treatment for those with autism has been the main focus of an emerging body of research. Researchers are pushing for an early diagnosis of autism spectrum diseases in children, which could lead to improved results for children and their families.

Mar 07, 2014 04:58 PM EST

Latinas at Higher Risk for Diabetes

Nearly 5.5 million Latinas suffer from elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and almost 4 million of those women were never told by a healthcare provider that they were at risk for diabetes, a recent study shows. The data showed that a quarter of the 4 million Latinas studied had not seen a healthcare provider in a year. Coupled with an overall lack of understanding about diabetes, it is imperative that health care providers begin incorporating diabetes screening assessments into most, if not all, health care visits, in order to increase early identification for those at risk for diabetes.

Mar 07, 2014 11:47 AM EST

Vitamin D Increases Breast Cancer Patient Survival

Breast cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice more likely to survive the disease than women with low levels of this nutrient, research suggests. Researchers suggest physicians consider adding vitamin D into a breast cancer patient's standard care now and then closely monitor the patient.

Mar 07, 2014 08:42 AM EST

ADD/ADHD May Signify Physical Abuse

Thirty percent of adults with Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) report that they were physically abused before they turned 18. This compares to seven percent of those without ADD/ADHD who were physically abused before the age of 18. With 30 percent of adults with ADD/ADHD reporting childhood abuse, it is important that health professionals working with children with these disorders screen them for physical abuse.

Mar 07, 2014 08:37 AM EST

Important Gene in Development of Breast Cancer Identified

Scientists have identified a gene, which helps to regulate how different genes operate in different cell types. This finding may now allow scientists to find new ways to target and treat aggressive types of breast cancer. Scientists have pinpointed a gene, TAZ, which controls whether breast cells behave more like basal cells or more like luminal cells, information that might be important in understanding and possibly treating difficult-to-treat forms of breast cancer. Researchers have known for a long time that breast cells can lose their normal identity when they become cancerous, but are now realizing that normal cells can change their characteristics as well in response to transcription factors like TAZ. This might be a factor in the development of breast cancer. By identifying the genes responsible for this change in cells from breast tissue, researchers now hope to identify a way to stop or reverse it.

Mar 07, 2014 08:35 AM EST

Red and Processed Meat May Lead to Stomach Cancer

A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology followed nearly 500,000 older U.S. adults and found that the risks of cancer were relatively greater among those who ate a large amount of red meat. However, a recent review underlines the uncertainties in the scientific evidence and suggests that further research is needed to resolve these issues and improve the foundation for future recommendations on the intake of red meat.

Mar 07, 2014 08:34 AM EST

Researchers Identify Critical Link Between Obesity and Diabetes

Researchers have found a critical link between extra body fat and diabetes. Higher levels of a molecule called Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) play a key role in the development of insulin resistance. RBP4 creates a complex interplay between two branches of the body's immune system, leading to chronic fat tissue inflammation and, ultimately, insulin resistance. High RBP4 leads to insulin resistance, as well as cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and elevated levels of LDL cholesterol.

Mar 06, 2014 05:00 PM EST

PTSD and Depression Reported by Many Survivors in one Fukushima Town

As the three-year anniversary of the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear incident approaches, a new study on the psychological damage afflicted upon one coastal community reveals a host of mental health concerns.

Will Proposed DSM-5 Changes to Assessment of Alcohol Problems Do Any Better?

Mar 06, 2014 04:38 PM EST

Hangovers Do Little to Stop Future Drinking

Countless people have woken up the morning after a night of drinking and swore to themselves that they're never drinking again. But new research suggests that those sentiments are rarely followed through on, and that being hungover from a night of drinking does little to dissuade people from drinking again.