Health, features and articles | Educational Science

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...

Jun 30, 2015

Planned Parenthood: How Ethical Is Fetal Tissue Donation?

Planned Parenthood denies recent allegations that the organization profits from fetal tissue donation. But what exactly is fetal tissue used for in medical research, and what are the ethical issues surrounding its use? This week, an activist group called the Center for Medical Progress posted a video that shows a...

Jun 30, 2015

Viral Soda Infographic: How Does Cola Really Affect the Body?

An infographic that breaks down what happens in your body after you drink one Coke has gone viral, but health experts say some information in the graphic is exaggerated. In addition, while soda is certainly not a healthy food choice, drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage once in a while wouldn't necessarily...

May 31, 2015

Teen Bullying Doubles Adult Risk of Depression

Bullying during adolescence may be responsible for almost a third of cases of depression during adulthood, new research finds. A long-running study of British youth reveals that the people who experienced frequent bullying at age 13 had double the risk of developing clinical depression at age 18, compared with people...

May 31, 2015

1 Pinprick Test Could Detect Hundreds of Viruses

Doctors often don't have a complete picture of their patients' health histories — they only know about past illnesses that a patient remembers and tells them about, and patients may not know whether they've been exposed to certain diseases. But now, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston say...

May 31, 2015

Woman's Tattoos Mistaken for Cancer on Imaging Test

When a California woman with cervical cancer underwent a body image scan, doctors noticed bright areas in her lymph nodes, suggesting her cancer had spread. But it was only after surgery to treat the cancer that they realized the real reason for those bright spots: her tattoos. The 32-year-old woman...

May 31, 2015

Frozen Ovarian Tissue Works a Decade Later: Woman Gives Birth

A 27-year-old woman in Belgium is now a mom after giving birth to a baby more than a decade after her ovarian tissue was removed and frozen, according to a new study. The woman had her ovarian tissue frozen in her early teens, before she underwent a bone marrow transplant...