New research examines how interacting with pets affects cortisol levels among college students. Petting a cat or a dog reduces the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Pet owners have long known — or rather, felt — that spending time with their beloved animal companion lowers stress and improves mood. An extensive review that Medical […] Read more
Blame junk food or a lack of exercise. But long before the modern obesity epidemic, evolution made us fat too. “We’re the fat primates,” said Devi Swain-Lenz, a postdoctoral associate in biology at Duke University. The fact that humans are chubbier than chimpanzees isn’t news to scientists. But new evidence could help explain how we […] Read more
Neuroscientists focus on the brain and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions, or how people think. They also investigate what happens to the nervous system when people have neurological, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders. A neuroscientist can specialize in a wide range of fields, from neuroanatomy to neuropsychology. Research in this field can improve our […] Read more
New research finds that the immunotherapy drug teplizumab delays the onset of type 1 diabetes by 2 years, on average, in high-risk individuals. New research has significant clinical implications, particularly for young people with a high risk of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease affecting about 1.25 million children and adults […] Read more
New research shows that older adults who exercise regularly can perform everyday tasks more easily and gain independence. Swimming is a great way to stay fit in older age. Insufficient physical activity causes around 3.2 million deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). These declining levels of physical activity may be […] Read more
Researchers have used a deep-learning algorithm to detect lung cancer accurately from computed tomography scans. The results of the study indicate that artificial intelligence can outperform human evaluation of these scans. New research suggests that a computer algorithm may be better than radiologists at detecting lung cancer. Lung cancer causes almost 160,000 deaths in the […] Read more
A new study in mice uses cutting-edge imaging techniques to investigate how H. pylori, which are present in around half of the humans on earth, survive and thrive in the stomach. How do H. pylori (pictured above) colonize humans so successfully? Gut bacteria are one of the hottest topics in medical science today. As scientists […] Read more
Dementia is a term that describes a variety of symptoms affecting a person’s cognitive functioning, including their ability to think, remember, and reason. It tends to get worse over time, so there are a few key early warning signs. Dementia occurs when nerve cells in a person’s brain stop working. Although it typically happens in […] Read more
Grit alone got Linda Greene through her husband’s muscular dystrophy, her daughter’s traumatic brain injury, and her own mysterious illness that lasted for three years and left her vomiting daily before doctors identified the cause. But eventually, after too many days sitting at her desk at work crying, she went to see her doctor for […] Read more
A minimally invasive surgical procedure that targets nerves leading to the kidneys could one day offer a safe way for some people to reduce their blood pressure medications. Scientists find a new way to optimize blood pressure control. Investigators have announced the 6-month results of an international clinical trial on the safety and effectiveness of […] Read more
