Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 31, 2015

Why Does Plague Still Occur in the Western US?

Three cases of plague have occurred in the United States in recent months, and although the illness is rare, it's not uncommon to have a few cases here each year. Most recently, a girl in California became sickened with plague after visiting Yosemite National Park and the nearby Stanislaus National...

Jul 31, 2015

Coca-Cola Controversy: Is Exercising More or Eating Less Better for Weight Loss?

Coca-Cola has given a million dollars to a new research organization that has pushed a message that lack of exercise is a bigger factor in the obesity epidemic than is calorie consumption. Science, however, still counts calories as the main driver of weight gain for most people. Although exercise makes...

Jul 31, 2015

Trans Fat Linked to Heart Disease, Huge Study Review Concludes

The amount of trans fat in a person's diet is linked with his or her risk of developing or dying from heart disease, a new review of studies suggests. The review showed that people who ate higher amounts of trans fat were 34 percent more likely to die from any...

Jul 31, 2015

Jimmy Carter's Cancer: How Doctors May Find Where It Started

Former President Jimmy Carter has not revealed much about his recent cancer diagnosis, but an important part of caring for anyone with cancer is finding out where the disease started, so that doctors can best treat it, experts say. Yesterday, Carter released a statement saying that during a recent liver...

Jul 31, 2015

Are Vitamin E Supplements Healthy or Harmful?

Dr. John Swartzberg is an internist and specialist in infectious disease and chairman of the editorial board of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter and berkeleywellness.com. He is also a clinical professor emeritus of medicine at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health and the University of California, San...

Jul 31, 2015

'Smart Drug' Modafinil Actually Works, Study Shows

The smart drug modafinil actually does work for some people, improving their performance on long and complex tasks, also enhancing decision-making and planning skills, a new review of studies finds. Modafinil, also known by its brand name Provigil, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat people with...

Jul 31, 2015

Breast-Fed Babies Show Buildup of Potentially Harmful Chemical

Scientists have found that a widespread and potentially harmful class of industrial chemicals accumulates easily in human breast milk and can build up to worrying levels in infants who are breast-fed. The chemicals, called perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs), are largely unregulated and are used in stainproof textiles, waterproof clothing, paints...

Jul 31, 2015

Young Woman's 'Hysteria' Turned Out to Be Deadly Heart Condition

A woman in Germany who went to the emergency room because she felt hysterical ended up not having a psychiatric disorder as doctors originally suspected. Instead, she had a serious heart condition that could have killed her, according to a new report of her case. Although the woman's symptoms seemed...

Jul 31, 2015

Plague Cases in US Are Unusually High This Year

There's been an unusually high number of plague cases in the United States this year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since April 1, there have been 11 cases of plague in six states, the report said. That's higher than usual —...

Jul 31, 2015

'Lego-Stacking' Technique Could Help Scientists Grow Human Organs

By stacking human cells together like Lego blocks, scientists have found a way to create tiny, 3D models of human tissue. The advance may enable scientists to test customized medicines before injecting them into a patient and, ultimately, to grow whole human organs, the scientists say. The main difficulty scientists...

Jun 30, 2015

Should Placebos Be Used to 'Treat' Patients?

Placebos offer real therapeutic value: Although they cannot cure an illness, they can make patients feel better. So why not incorporate them into medical practice? In a provocative essay published today (July 1) in The New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard Medical School professor Ted Kaptchuk proposes that placebos should...

Jun 30, 2015

First US Measles Death in 12 Years: How Was It Missed?

The woman appears to have caught measles when she stayed at local medical facility. She had several other health conditions and was taking medications that suppressed her immune system, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Health. She died of pneumonia this spring, and it was during...

Jun 30, 2015

Eye Color Linked to Alcoholism Risk

People with light-colored eyes may have a higher risk of alcoholism than people with dark-brown eyes, new research suggests. In the study, researchers looked at 1,263 Americans of European ancestry, including 992 people who were diagnosed with alcohol dependence and 271 people who were not diagnosed with alcohol dependence. They...

Jun 30, 2015

Funeral Directors May Be at Increased Risk for ALS

People who work as funeral directors may be at a higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, new research finds. ALS is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that kills the nerve cells that control voluntary movements. Patients experience muscle weakness...

Jun 30, 2015

Finally, Bacon-Flavored Health Food Has Arrived

Bacon-flavored seaweed is the new kale. Yes, really. Scientists are currently cultivating a marine plant that's packed with more nutrients than the trendy green superfood kale. And it naturally tastes like bacon. Bacon-flavored crackers. Bacon-flavored salad dressing. These are just two of the savory treats that have been created so...