December 31, 2012
Celebrity bad science: Dried placenta pills and oxygen shots
Celebrities rarely shy away from public peddling of dubious ideas about health and science, and 2012 was no exception. (Reuters)
Monthly Archives: December 2012
December 31, 2012
Religious convictions vs. the ‘morning after pill’
A bitter fight is building in the U.S. Supreme Court between employers who say their religious convictions make them abhor contraception — especially the “morning after pill” seen by many as an abortion-inducing drug — and the Obama administration, which … Read More
December 31, 2012
United States lags in Alzheimer’s support
This month, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging released a report examining how five nations — the United States, Australia, France, Japan and Britain — are responding to growing numbers of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. … Read More
December 31, 2012
Human rights court orders world’s last IVF ban to be lifted
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered the only country in the world that completely prohibits in vitro fertilization (IVF) to lift its ban. (Nature)
December 31, 2012
Americans support physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill
The results from the latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll show that most Americans favor physician-assisted suicide for people with less than six months to live. (NPR)
December 31, 2012
2013: Year of the stem cell
Researchers have already safely injected stem cells into patients with neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries — and they’ve seen the potential to vastly improve lives. (The Atlantic)
December 31, 2012
Contraception helped me control my brood, says David Cameron
The Prime Minister made the disclosure as he called for contraceptives to be more widely available in poor countries to help women have smaller families. (Telegraph)
December 31, 2012
CDC year in review: Public health 2012
The CDC has just unveiled its 2012 year in review, which the agency put together to show how it has been involved in some of the most omnipresent public health issues. (CBS News)
December 31, 2012
2012: The year in TV moments entry 20: Frontline, a suicide sting
In November, PBS’s documentary series Frontline examined the murky legalities of assisted suicide. (Slate)
December 31, 2012
UNIDO meeting on applications of nanotechnology in water and wastewater industry
The first meeting of United Nations Industrial Development Organization International Center on Nanotechnology (UNIDO ICN) was held in Tehran on December 12-13 titled ‘The First Meeting for the Applications of Nanotechnology in Water and Wastewater Industry: Challenges and Opportunities’. (Nanowerk)
December 28, 2012
Updates will resume on Monday, December 31
December 27, 2012
Justice won’t block Obamacare’s required emergency contraception coverage
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday turned down a request that she block part of Obamacare that would require companies’ health plans to provide for coverage of certain contraceptives, such as the morning-after pill. (CNN)
December 27, 2012
Steve Sailer discusses genetics’ effect on intelligence and society
In this first part of our conversation, Sailer tells us about why he has presented intelligence data on a group-based criteria, the study of genetics in the twenty-first century, Stephen Jay Gould, and much more. (Washington Times)
December 27, 2012
The promise and risks of Medicare managed care
This rapid shift to managed care by seniors may be just a first step towards a fundamental change in the way Medicare is delivered and financed. And it has the potential to transform the way long-term supports and services are … Read More
December 27, 2012
Study finds spiritual care still rare at end of life
Physicians and nurses at four Boston medical centers cited a lack of training to explain why they rarely provide spiritual care for terminally ill cancer patients – although most considered it an important part of treatment at the end of … Read More
December 26, 2012
Seoul considers action against illegal stem cell operations in Japan
The Ministry of Health and Welfare will consider taking legal action against a Korean biotech company involved in illegal stem cell operations of Korean patients in Japan and China, officials said on Monday. (Asia One News)
December 26, 2012
Georgia abortion law blocked temporarily by state judge
A state judge has suspended a Georgia law banning abortions for women who are more than 20 weeks pregnant. (Huffington Post)
December 26, 2012
IVF method linked to size of babies
The way in which embryos are prepared during in vitro fertilization may influence the size of the baby that’s born, a new study from Finland suggests. (Fox News)
December 26, 2012
Leukemia stem cell trigger discovered by UCSD-led research
A UC San Diego-led team has discovered an enzyme that makes chronic myeloid leukemia drug-resistant. (San Diego Union Tribune)
December 26, 2012
Petitions to investigate and condemn organ harvesting in China gain momentum
All over the world, human rights advocates have petitioned governments to investigate and condemn forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China. (The Epoch Times)
December 24, 2012
Texas’ abortion drug bill: More side effects and higher costs
Lawmakers are pushing outdated FDA rules on abortion drugs, worrying health care advocates and medical experts. (Salon)
December 24, 2012
Maybe it’s time for a little human enhancement
‘There’s something in the water.” That’s what we say when we observe a bunch of locals behaving in the same, odd way, but maybe it’s also the answer to some of our thornier social problems? (The Sydney Morning Herald)
December 24, 2012
Hobby Lobby loses contraception mandate challenge, vows to appeal to the Supreme Court
A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to shield Hobby Lobby Stores from the Obama administration’s contraception mandate — and the fines that come with it for not complying — in a blow to the largest employer to challenge the … Read More
December 24, 2012
Taiwan changes rules on withdrawal of life support
The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment Friday that will make it significantly easier for artificial life support to be withdrawn in cases of terminally ill and non-cognitive patients, with the aim of shortening their suffering. (Focus Taiwan News Channel)
December 24, 2012
Women’s health 2012: The best (and worst) developments this year
2012 has been an important year for women’s health, with researchers presenting multiple findings that impact women’s understanding of their bodies and how to care for them. (Huffington Post)
