E-Cigarette Users Are Less Likely to Quit Smoking

Medicine & Technology Apr 17, 2015

One of the major selling points for e-cigarettes that has caused an explosion in the market has been the claim that they can help even long-time smokers kick the habit for good. However, in a new study conducted by the University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, people who smoke electronic cigarettes are actually less likely to quit smoking.

CDC Releases Alarming News About E-Cigarette Use in Teens

Apr 16, 2015

Teenage use of electronic cigarettes has tripled in the last year. This new trend is one that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “alarming” as e-cigarettes have now taken the top spot as the most popular tobacco product among teens. According to the CDC, in 2014 2.5 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes.

Comfortably Numb—How College Freshmen are Making The Doctor’s Office and Easier Visit

Apr 16, 2015

3D printing has done it again, and this time it may even get me to willingly go to the doctors. In a new study created by a team of undergraduate students at Rice University, the researchers reveal a rather ingenious way for making a trip to the phlebotomist “comfortably numb”, making the shots we abhor from doctors visits a painless procedure to say the least.

The Tick Problem—What Are The Chances That You’ll Survive the Spring, Powassan-Free?

Apr 16, 2015

Just how likely is it that you’ll transmit a lethal tick-borne virus these spring and summer seasons? Well the odds are in your favor, as lethal viruses that use ticks as a vector are fairly rare, but if you live in Northeast and Upper Midwest of the United States, your chances may be much higher than ever before.

Pfizer Announces IBRANCE Clinical Trials Ended Early In Light of Promising News

Apr 16, 2015

In light of promising results conducted by an independent data monitoring committee, Pfizer’s newest treatment IBRANCE (Palbociclib) ended clinical trials early this week as phase 3 of the trials ended demonstrating improvement in progression-free survival in women who had undergone treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

Breath Test Could Give Clues to Risk of Stomach Cancer

Apr 15, 2015

A new simple breath test could help predict whether people with gut problems have a high risk of developing stomach cancer, according to a new study. This new test detects chemical compounds found in people's breath, in an attempt to distinguish "breath prints" in those with risky pre-cancerous changes.

Divorce Linked to an Increased Risk of Heart Disease in Women

Apr 15, 2015

The number one cause of death in the United States is coronary heart disease, according to recent statistics. The risk factors that are most often associated with this disease include high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes. And according to a new study, women who have gone through a divorce are more likely to suffer from heart disease.

Father’s Sperm May Reveal Clues to Autism Risk

Apr 15, 2015

Sperm may hold the secret about whether a man's child will be at an increased risk for developing autism, according to a new, small study.

Prescription Drug Spending Jumped in 2014

Apr 14, 2015

According to a report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics , Americans spent more money on drugs than they ever have before with spending jumping by 13% to $374 billion, driven by innovative but expensive new drugs designed to treat Hepatitis C.

Marijuana Extract Could Treat Seizures Without the Buzz

Apr 14, 2015

According to researchers, in a group of children and young adults with the most severe forms of epilepsy, a liquid form of marijuana known as cannabidiol reduced seizures by more than 50% without the expected high from the drug.

Acetaminophen Could Dampen Emotions

Apr 14, 2015

Acetaminophen has been used for decades as an effective over the counter pain reliever with many people all over the world taking it on a regular basis. New research on this common pain reliever has found that the drug ingredient may do more than just relieve pain, it may also dampen emotions as well.

Holding Clinical Researchers Accountable—WHO Puts New Timelines on Publishing

Apr 14, 2015

Ever think that the cure to a disease or the answer to one of modern medicine’s questions must already be out there, and that some physician or pharma company is keeping it under wraps until they need to release it? Well in some cases you may be right, but now the World Health Organization is looking to change that. In a new statement recently released by WHO, the organization seeks to hold researchers and regulatory bodies accountable for keeping the public abreast to the findings of their recent research. And now their taking the opportunity in this month’s issue of the journal PLOS Medicine to say something about it.

Narcotic Painkillers Common During Pregnancy Could Harm Baby

Apr 13, 2015

According to a new study, the use of prescription narcotic painkillers is common during pregnancy but it can increase the likelihood that a baby will be born early or small, or the baby could go through potentially painful withdrawal symptoms after birth.

Could Plucking Hair Be the Cure for Baldness?

Apr 12, 2015

Attention everyone who is follicly challenged, scientists may have discovered one of the most effective cures for baldness, and it isn’t what you think. Researchers from the University of California have shown how hair plucking can actually stimulate hair growth.

Being Fat During Middle Age Could Reduce Your Chances of Developing Dementia

Apr 10, 2015

In a surprising study published in the scientific journal Lancet, researchers found that being fat in your middle age appears to reduce the risk of developing dementia, rather than increasing it. A study of two million people found that the underweight were far more likely to develop dementia, a growing problem for the elderly in the Western world.