Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 31, 2011

Painkillers Reduce Antidepressants’ Effect, Study Suggests

Painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen could decrease the effectiveness of certain antidepressant medications, a new study suggests. Mice given both an anti-inflammatory drug (also called an NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI, a type of antidepressant) scored worse on a test measuring antidepressant effectiveness...

Feb 28, 2011

Hundreds of Genes Involved in Autism, Many with Similar Roles

There may be hundreds of genes involved in autism, but it's likely that each accounts for only a small number of cases. So the mysterious condition may be better illuminated by studying the roles of these genes in brain development and signaling, rather than by exhaustively searching the human genome...

Feb 28, 2011

Are BPA-Free Plastics Really Safe?

This Research in Action article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. To design the safest plastics, we need to first understand what truly happens to plastics in the real world as they break down. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, the Lombardi Comprehensive...

Feb 28, 2011

Hard-working and Prudent? You'll Live Longer

Taking it easy isn't the key to a long life, according to new research. Instead, it's the hard-working, prudent types who live the longest. The findings come from an unprecedented study of 1,528 gifted children followed from the early 1920s until their deaths. The health and longevity part of the...

Feb 28, 2011

Gastric Band Patients Suffer Major Complications Years Later

Gastric bands for obesity may help people lose weight, but patients frequently experience problems with the device years after they've had the procedure, a new study finds. Nearly 40 percent of patients in the study had some type of major complication with their band 12 or more years after they...

Feb 28, 2011

Warmer Weather May Be Linked to Worsened Heart Health

Rising temperatures and pollution levels may act together to worsen heart health, a new study suggests. The results show high temperatures in the summer months in a U.S. city are associated with a decrease in heart-rate variability, or how regular the time between heartbeats is, which acts as a measure...

Feb 28, 2011

Drug May Prevent Diabetes in High-Risk People

Patients at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes may be able to take a daily pill to prevent the disease, according to a new study. The drug, called pioglitazone, was able to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 72 percent in patients with prediabetes. Prediabetes is...

Feb 28, 2011

Had a Recent Heart Attack? Hold Off on Nonemergency Surgery

Patients who've had a heart attack may want to wait at least eight weeks before undergoing nonemergency surgery, a new study says. That's longer than what is currently recommended by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, both of which advise patients to delay surgery until four...

Feb 28, 2011

Surgery for Traumatic Brain Injury May Cause Harm Later

Surgery to remove part of the skull after a traumatic brain injury allows the brain to swell and relieves pressure in the head. But the procedure might cause problems over the long term for some patients, a new study suggests. Patients in the study who had this procedure, known as...

Feb 28, 2011

Mental Fallout from Japan Disaster Hits Elderly Hard

In the aftermath of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, pictures and videos tell hundreds of tragic stories: A young man sobbing after learning his wife and child are dead; rescue workers combing through leveled towns, turning up many bodies and few survivors; gray-haired seniors, made homeless by the tsunami, sleeping...

Feb 28, 2011

Weight Loss Surgery May Help Treat Migraines

People who undergo weight loss surgery may experience a beneficial side effect. Besides helping reduce a person's weight, the procedure may also mitigate migraine pain, a new study suggests. Among severely obese participants in the study, the surgery was able to decrease the severity and frequency of migraines. Close to...

Feb 28, 2011

Smoking Ups Risk for Diabetics, Study Suggests

Smokers already face a slew of health risks, but the habit may be particularly hazardous for those with diabetes, according to a new study. Nicotine — the addictive substance found in cigarettes — may increase blood sugar levels for diabetic smokers, putting them at risk for further complications of the...

Jan 31, 2011

How to Speak Genetics: A Glossary

Ever get confused about what's what when it comes to genetics? We've defined the main terms. Nucleotide Commonly called the building blocks of DNA, nucleotides consist of a nitrogen-containing chemical base either adenine, guanine, thymine or cytosine attached to a sugar and a phosphate group. One nucleotide's sugar group will...

Jan 31, 2011

What's the Difference Between Brown and White Eggs?

I have plans to cook an egg quiche thing and enough cinnamon rolls for 10 people this weekend, so I'm going to need a lot of eggs. Normally I'm not too discerning with my egg selection -- they all scramble just as well to me. But, standing in the grocery...

Jan 31, 2011

13-Pound Baby Part of an Alarming Trend

On Feb. 3, a 13-pound boy was born to Amanda Byron and fiancé Eric Rozzi in a Massachusetts hospital. At almost twice the weight of an average newborn, Jonathan Rozzi was the largest baby his doctor had ever delivered naturally. As big as he was, Jonathan was barely more than...