Health on ZME Science

Studies find "super bacteria" in Rio Olympic venues and beaches

Things are looking bad for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Study shows which celebrities endorse unhealthy foods and sodas

They're using the people we like to sell us things that aren't good for us.

The Black Plague that killed a third of Europe's people can be traced to a single bacterial strain

One single bacterial strain is responsible for the death of millions.

Wearable artificial kidney may change how we perform dialysis forever

Dialysis on the go may soon become reality.

This 25-year-old carried his artificial heart in a backpack for a year before receiving a transplant

A 25-year-old from the US has been living without a heart for more than a year.

The US is rolling out superhuman hearing for its soldiers

Wearable tech could save the hearing of thousands of soldiers.

Microsoft sniffs for cancer clues in your search queries

Microsoft researchers data mined health queries and detected pancreatic cancer symptoms before the user even thought about it.

Long Island town employs creative strategy to keep mosquitoes away: bats

With a potential ZIka pandemic luring over the Americas, one Long Island town is stepping up to bat.

Late-term babies are likelier to be classed as 'gifted' in school, but also at risk of health problems

Parents should know this if they want to make an informed decision.

Major Zika breakthrough could pave the way for a cure

It's just the early stages, but there's a glimmer of hope.

Working graveyard shifts puts your heart at risk

Those who work odd hours in shifts risk heart complications.

Rural Africans ate an American diet for two weeks. Here's what happened

There's just not enough fiber in our diets.

We've found the genetic key to making red blood cells

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden and the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona have identified four sequences of genetic code that can reprogram mice skin cells to produce red blood cells. If this method can be used on human tissues, it would provide a reliable source of blood for transfusions and people with anemia.

Vyvanse’s Use as Treatment for Binge-Eating Disorder

People suffering from BED deserve a long-term solution and not something that will just mask the disorder’s symptoms.

Leading scientists will synthesize human genomes from scratch by 2026

Scientists want to build and deploy a fully synthetic human genome in human cell lines within 10 years.

Universal cancer vaccine moving closer, human trials begin soon

Yes, it's actually happening.

Marijuana use doesn't affect your physical health, except for one aspect: your gums

A longitudinal study which tracked 1,037 New Zealanders from birth to middle age found marijuana use did not cause physical problems, with one notable exception: periodontal health.

Painkiller abuse leads to first rise in U.S. death rate in a decade

The United States, a nation who's used to reporting lower mortality ever year, had a larger death rate in 2015 compared to the previous year. This was the first time in ten years and the third time in 25 years.

Zika virus might cross from mother to fetus by hiding in immune cells

A massive breakthrough in the fight against the Zika virus was made by Emory University School of Medicine who recently report a possible mechanism for the viruses' migration from mother to baby.

World Health Organization rejects scientists' call to postpone the Rio Olympics due to the Zika epidemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has rejected a call from 150 health experts to consider postponing or moving the Rio Summer Olympics due to the Zika virus.

Researchers find what's giving you dandruff - and it's probably not what you think

Dandruff is the most common scalp condition, yet we know surprisingly little about it.

Untreatable bacteria identified in the US

A strain of E. coli resistant to last-resort antibiotics has been identified on United States soil for the first time. Health officials say this could be the end of the road for antibiotics, leaving us virtually helpless in fighting future infections.

Decade-long study shows how air pollution is killing you

A decade-long study of thousands of Americans has found direct evidence of how air pollution causes heart disease. The link between the two has been established a long time ago, but it's only now that the biological mechanisms have been explained thoroughly.

Humans got smarter to care for needy infants, making them more helpless in the process

University of Rochester researchers developed a new evolutionary model that suggests human intelligence developed to meet the demands of our infants, in a self-reinforcing cycle: bigger brains led to shorter pregnancies, requiring parents to have even bigger brains.

Canadian clay kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria on contact

Canadian aboriginals have been using clay to treat their ailments for centuries.

8 out of 10 internet users might be suffering from Cyberchondria aka 'seeing Dr. Google'

Almost all doctors we've spoken to advise against "internet diagnoses", and this infographic is telling in this respect.

Just 5% of terminally-ill cancer patients understand the depth of their situation

Only a fraction of the cancer patients in the terminal stages of their illness fully understand their prognosis. The findings suggest many patients are "kept in the dark", even though they only have a couple months to live anymore.

Scientists cut HIV genes from live animals using genetic scissors

For the first time in history, scientists have cut out HIV genes from live animals.

Got an exam coming up? Better start sketching

A new study found that drawing information you need to remember is a very efficient way to enhance your memory. The researchers believe that the act of drawing helps create a more cohesive memory as it integrates visual, motor and semantic information. “We pitted drawing against a number of other known encoding strategies, but drawing […]

These five genes code your nose's shape, among other things

We now know which genes are responsible for blue eyes, red hair and now, thanks to the efforts of a team at University College London, those which code nose shape.

Man 3-D prints his wife's tumor and saves her life

ZME Science has reported extensively on how 3-D printing is being implemented in the medical sector with some fantastic results. Yet, the real revolutionary thing about 3D printing – whether used for product prototyping, printing prostheses or spare parts on the International Space Station – is that anyone can use it. Such is the story […]

Cheap home urine test scans for diseases

Stanford University invented a new low-cost tech that diagnoses diseases from a urine sample.

Why giraffes have long necks: first genome sequencing offers some clues

Researchers have sequenced the genomes of the tallest mammal on Earth, as well as it's unlikely closest cousin, the okapi. By comparing the genomes of the two species, we now have a firmer grasp of the evolutionary timeline in which the split from a common ancestor took place.

Synthetic wine can mimic classic vintages, for a fraction of the time and price

Ava Winery, a start-up based in San Francisco, wants to let you enjoy the best of wines for a fraction of their current cost. To this end, they'll bypass the costly growing and fermentation processes; in fact, they won't use grapes at all. Their wines will be synthetically produced, by combining aromatic compounds with ethanol.

Magic mushrooms show promise for 'untreatable depression'

A new study published in the Lancet Psychiatry reports that "magic mushrooms" could help in otherwise "untreatable" cases of depression.

Vaccines work: only 15 polio cases in 2016. In 2020 it should be eradicated

The wild poliovirus is about to go extinct. In 2015, only 74 new cases were reported or 80 percent less than in 2015. Furthermore, these cases were contained in two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Man receives first penis transplant in the United States

A man recovering from penile cancer is the first American citizen to receive a penis transplant. The operation, a first in the United States, was performed by doctors at the at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. According to the doctors involved, more transplants will occur in the coming years. This is still, however, an experimental procedure at the forefront of medicine.

If you like hamburgers, you should read this

If you like burgers - and let's face it, you do - then we have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that most of the burgers in America are OK - a molecular analysis showed that there is nothing wrong in terms of nutritional content and ingredients. But a small minority was not OK.

THC blood tests can't predict impaired driving and should be scrapped, AAA says

The AAA Foundation for traffic safety ordered a handful of studies that assess the effects marijuana legalization had on driving safety. The studies arrived at a number of worrisome conclusions. Fatal crashes involving drivers who used marijuana doubled since the state lifted the ban. Also, researchers found the marijuana blood limit allowed for driving, known as per se limits, is arbitrary and not based on actual science.

Carrot genome explains why these are orange

Carrots are the richest source of vitamin A in the American diet, which is why you hear "they're good for your eyes". But did you know carrots were initially yellow and purple? Even further back, before humans domesticated carrots, the wild variety was white. Scientists know this by sequencing the DNA of the carrot, and a recent study deciphered its full genetic code. We now know what genes trigger the production of carrots' most important nutrients, but also what teaking is required to improve the crops.

The cost of sequencing the human genome has dropped from $100M in 2001 to under $1,000 in 2016

The price was just under $10 million at the end of 2007, to being under $10,000 in 2011! In a mere four years, the price decreased by a factor of a thousand and today, you could sequence your genome for around $1,000.

Ancient recipes: Pullum Numidicum (Numidian Chicken)

Perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of archaeology is cooking. We know surprisingly little about how people used to cook in ancient times, although a few delicious recipes managed to slip through the cracks and remain recorded. Such is the case with Pullum Numidicum (Numidian Chicken), a simple, delicious and authentic Roman recipe. The dish […]

'Second skin' hides signs of aging, while also improving skin health

Developed by researchers at MIT for over a decade, the 'second skin' is a transparent, silicone-based polymer that can be layered over the human skin. Flexible and strong, the novel material can return to its original size after being stretched to over 250%, which is actually better than human skin which can only stretch to 180%.

Nestlé wants to sell you diabetes pills alongside sugary snacks

Sweets as we know them wouldn’t exist without Nestle. The company revolutionized how we eat, they made sugar a vital part of any meal and to an extent, they made the world fatter. They sell in 189 out of the 195 sovereign states, they’re Europe’s biggest company and by far the biggest food company. Their […]

Novices learn faster after being zapped with expert brain wave patterns

In the movie, The Matrix, Neo masters over a dozen martial arts in a fraction of a second as the necessary skills are uploaded straight into his consciousness. Given our current understanding of how the brain works, this is quite preposterous in real life but you'll be surprised to hear some scientists have tested a similar 'skill upload' system with remarkable results.

If you're left-handed, you may be a bit better at math

If you’re left-handed, some of the simplest and most mundane things can be an ordeal. Scissors are awful, musical instruments are a drag and house appliances can be quite challenging. But according to a new study, being a leftie is associated with better math skills, at least for teenage boys. The link between handedness was […]

This robot sutures surgical incisions like a STAR: it's better than doctors

Thanks to robots, surgery has gone a long way since these have been introduced in the '80s making operations safer and less invasive. Now, surgical robots are starting to migrate from assistant to leading roles, which is where experts say they will really shine.

New packaging keeps food fresh way longer, without any plastic

The unlikely ally is silk.

Medical errors ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States

When researchers at John Hopkins factored human errors they found this was the third leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing respiratory diseases.

Your mouth is full of bacteria - and it's kind of beautiful

There are entire “cities” of bacteria inside your mouth and researchers want to map them all. This is what they look like: Gary Borisy wants to map out colonies of microbes much like neighborhoods and cities. But there’s a problem. “You don’t have the addresses. You don’t have a GPS. You don’t know where they are,” […]

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