Hepatitis is a virus that causes liver inflammation. Different strains of hepatitis exist, including hepatitis A, B, C, and D. The most common types of hepatitis are A, B, and C. Hepatitis A is usually a short-term infection while hepatitis B and C can cause long-term, or chronic, infections. A person can have both hepatitis…
A doctor may instruct a person to fast before taking a cholesterol test. This was once standard practice, but new studies are changing this recommendation. A cholesterol test measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in a person’s blood. Cholesterol is a fat-like material that is present in all of the body’s cells. The body…
Hypoallergenic cosmetic products are called by far the safest ones. Yet, is it really so, and can their composition cause a negative reaction on the skin? What do hypoallergenic cosmetics mean? First of all, pay attention to the word “hypoallergenic”. The prefix “hypo” means “minimal”. That is, hypoallergenic cosmetics does not boast 100% guarantee against…
Image A mother’s recorded voice will wake a child and get him out the room much faster than a standard smoke alarm, a randomized trial has found. Researchers recruited 176 5- to 12-year-olds old to test alarms. They taught the children a simulated escape procedure: Get out of bed at the alarm, walk to the…
Ashley Goette of West St. Paul, Minn., is being compared to a superhero these days, and not just because she’s a new mother. (Though her 22 hours of labor alone would qualify.) It’s because in the span of four days, she not only gave birth to her first child, but also saved her husband’s life.…
The first new flu drug in 20 years won approval Wednesday from the Food and Drug Administration. The new antiviral, generically known as baloxavir marboxil but sold under the brand name Xofluza, is a single dose treatment. It is for use only in those aged 12 or more, the F.D.A. said, and should be taken…
Image Credit People with high blood levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” may have poorer memory and thinking skills than those with lower levels. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and is involved in regulating blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation, controlling salt and water balance and other body functions. Researchers gave tests for memory,…
Apple cider vinegar is a blend of apples fermented with yeast and bacteria. The main compound in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. Some people believe that it can be beneficial as a supplement to cancer treatment. In recent years, apple cider vinegar has enjoyed a boom in popularity due to its potential as a…
LONDON — A team of surgeons has repaired the spinal cords of two babies while they were still in their mothers’ wombs, the first surgery of its kind in Britain. The operations were carried out over the summer at University College Hospital in London by 30 surgeons to treat spina bifida, a condition in which…
Image When the weather is bad, more people have heart attacks, Swedish researchers have found. In a study published in JAMA Cardiology, scientists report that lower temperature, higher wind speeds and less sunshine are all associated with a greater incidence of heart attack. The link was strongest with temperature. A temperature decrease from 68 degrees…