November 22, 2011
The once hot and then cold field of RNA interference might not be dead yet. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a leader in the field, said Monday that a drug it had developed using the technique appeared to work in people, providing a … Read More
November 22, 2011
Foster children are being prescribed cocktails of powerful antipsychosis drugs just as frequently as some of the most mentally disabled youngsters on Medicaid, a new study suggests. (NY Times)
November 22, 2011
Older people who go to an emergency room in pain are less likely to get medication for it than younger people with similar levels of distress, a new analysis has found. (NY Times)
November 22, 2011
A 50-year-old man from Trion, Georgia, is the first person to be injected with stem cells in the upper part of the spinal cord, making him yet another pioneer in the scientific quest to use stem cells to heal. (CNN)
November 21, 2011
The AIDS epidemic is leveling off and the number of people newly infected with the virus that causes it has remained unchanged since 2007, the United Nations said in a report Monday. (Washington Post)
November 21, 2011
Yvette Santana, a 37-year-old mother of four who was diagnosed with diabetes, is one of a growing number of mothers who participate in clinical trials to make extra money. (ABC News)
November 21, 2011
Miguel Nicolelis, a neuroengineer at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, will be watching the opening ceremony of the Brazilian World Cup in 2014 more closely than anyone. Amid the spectacle of the event that will draw millions of … Read More
November 21, 2011
Women in Canada undergoing fertility treatments should be aware of a rare but potentially life-threatening complication, according to new guidelines being issued for the nation’s doctors. (Vancouver Sun)
November 21, 2011
A tiny nano-sized car which can propel itself forward in response to electrical pulses has been created by scientists in the Netherlands. (CNN)
November 21, 2011
Most U.S. doctors believe pregnancy starts when the sperm fertilizes the egg, a survey shows, contradicting the position of a key medical group with a view that could potentially affect U.S. policy and laws regarding contraception and research. (Reuters)
November 21, 2011
The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (Volume 39, Issue 4, Winter 2011) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Biobanks and the Return of Research Results: Out with the Old and in with the New?” Ma’n H. Zawati … Read More
November 18, 2011
Philosophy Compass (Volume 6, Issue 11, November 2011) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “An Asymmetry in the Ethics of Procreation” by Melinda A. Roberts, 765–776.
November 18, 2011
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a new rule requiring graphic warning labels on cigarette packages. The decision was a victory for tobacco companies who say the warnings are unfair and would cost millions of dollars to produce. (American Medical … Read More
November 18, 2011
Merck’s promotion of Gardasil, its vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV), has a complicated history. First there was the exuberant claim about its reputedly great effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer. Now comes the recommendation last month from the Centers for Disease … Read More
November 18, 2011
U.S. birth rates dropped for the third straight year, particularly in young moms, according to new statistics. Premature deliveries also dropped off and for the first time in more than a decade, cesarean section rates have leveled off. (ABC News)
November 18, 2011
On Monday, the world’s largest and oldest stem-cell company, Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, California, dropped the bombshell that it was quitting development of the “miracle cure” cells. It had staked its future on an audacious attempt to raise people … Read More
November 17, 2011
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 365, Issue 19, November 10, 2011) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “Getting Moving on Patient Safety — Harnessing Electronic Data for Safer Care” by A.K. Jha and D.C. … Read More
November 17, 2011
Figures newly released by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) show that 19 per cent of IVF cycles performed in 2010 were in women aged 40 or over. (Telegraph)
November 17, 2011
From the outside, Holly Finn certainly looks fertile. With shoulder-length dark hair, smooth skin and a slim but curvaceous figure, the San Francisco-area writer could be any young mom with a baby on her hip. (MSNBC)
November 17, 2011
More than 20 percent of American adults took at least one drug for conditions like anxiety and depression in 2010, according to an analysis of prescription data, including more than one in four women. (ABC News)
November 17, 2011
At Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island, where she’s a medical director, Dr. Joan Teno has grown accustomed to patients being admitted with no clear understanding of their condition or prognosis. (NY Times)
November 17, 2011
More and more employers are demanding that workers who smoke, are overweight or have high cholesterol shoulder a greater share of their health care costs, a shift toward penalizing employees with unhealthy lifestyles rather than rewarding good habits. (NY Times)
November 16, 2011
Failing to communicate diagnostic test results to patients and fellow physicians is leading to more doctors being sued. (American Medical News)
November 16, 2011
Scientists say research is needed to ascertain if oral contraceptive pill use could be fuelling rising prostate cancer rates. (BBC News)
November 16, 2011
The increasing numbers of women who abuse prescription painkillers while pregnant are delivering the crack babies of the 21st century, specialists say. (ABC News)
