Health & Medicine
Through the study and use of genetics, we can identify measures that could lead to the improvement of human health and wellness. These methods and procedures aim to prevent years of chronic disease and thousands of dollars in health care costs, and provide families and communities with knowledge of how to live healthier.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
What makes something funny? Genetics almost certainly plays a role
What we find funny can differ wildly from person to person. And scientists have found that genetics plays at least ...
Wheat with ‘built‑in defense’ against gluten could make bread safe for people with celiac disease
Researchers at Washington State University have created a new, genetically distinct variety of wheat that’s safer for people with celiac ...
New IQ test for pro athletes promises dynamic assessment of ‘sports-specific’ abilities
[T]he Athletic Intelligence Quotient, a test that measures an athlete’s sports-specific cognitive abilities [took] a while to build. Nearly 15 ...
Brewer’s yeast could be used to produce rare cannabis-derived compounds that treat anxiety, pain
The yeast that people have used for millennia to brew alcoholic drinks has now been engineered to produce cannabinoids — ...
‘Morally appropriate’? Entomologists question effort to eradicate disease-causing tsetse fly in Africa
Sleeping sickness (or trypanosomiasis), endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, is a horribly debilitating disease. … [Why not] end sleeping sickness by ...
Breaking down the ‘scientific and statistical sins’ behind reporting on marijuana science
A new book and New Yorker feature are filled with cherry-picked data, oversimplified studies, and scientific errors ...
Gene from controversial CRISPR baby experiment could deliver new stroke treatment
A widely criticized experiment last year saw a researcher in China delete a gene in twin girls at the embryonic ...
Searching for autism clues in the placenta
Activation of a mother’s immune system during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism in her child. New clues to ...
Parents are banking their kids’ baby teeth as a stem cell ‘insurance policy’
When Karen Davis attended a presentation at a dental conference in 2013, she unexpectedly discovered a service that could help ...
3 ways artificial intelligence could enhance medical care and help us live longer
When it comes to the future of healthcare, perhaps the only technology more powerful than CRISPR is artificial intelligence. ...
Nearly half of major depression episodes could be prevented, studies show
While there are many effective treatments for depression, including medications and psychological therapies, the rate of depression is not going ...
Can we slow aging by killing off toxic cells? This small human study passed its first test
A red-hot anti-aging strategy quietly passed its first test earlier this year after 14 volunteers took drugs meant to kill off ...
Failure of first US uterine transplant blamed on organ donation system
On March 7, 2016, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic introduced the nation to Lindsey McFarland, the first person to undergo a ...
Gluten free diets are all the rage—here’s why that could be a bad thing
Gluten-free diets are all the rage, even though only a tiny fraction of us are susceptible to celiac-linked reactions. But ...
Should all women get BRCA genetic testing as part of ‘routine medical care’? Key panel says ‘no’
Primary care providers should screen women for personal, family and/or ethnic history of breast, ovarian, tubal or peritoneal cancer to ...
‘Young blood’ plasma treatments unproven, possibly dangerous, says FDA
Federal health regulators on [February 19] warned consumers against controversial “young blood” treatments — plasma infusions from young donors marketed for conditions ...
Viewpoint: There’s reason to be skeptical of ‘fountain of youth’ pills
Renowned Harvard University geneticist David Sinclair recently made a startling assertion: Scientific data shows he has knocked more than two ...
Far from sterile: Breast milk ‘teeming’ with bacteria
Until relatively recently, most researchers thought that breast milk was sterile. But it turns out that, like most other body parts ...
Is gender identity fluid or fixed? What we know about other animals might help inform the debate.
Distinguishing between sex and gender is a vital first step in understanding gender identity ...
Autism linked to the nerves that regulate heart rate
The part of the nervous system that regulates heart rate and breathing is involved in autism, a new study suggests ...
The danger of using DNA tests to make life-or-death decisions for your dog
As people peer into DNA for clues to health and heritage, man’s best friend is under the microscope, too. Genetic ...
Sleepless nights could dampen body’s ability to repair DNA, avoid genetic diseases
Sleep deprivation can damage DNA and the body’s ability to repair this, possibly leading to higher chances of genetic diseases ...
How long can top athletes maintain that ‘elite’ status?
Think of the veteran baseball slugger who is good at guessing what type of pitch is coming. Or the aging ...
Key to fecal transplants could revolve around ‘recipe and preparation’
Fecal transplants are slowly becoming a more effective, and more palatable option for various gut disorders, such as IBS or ...
Personality research: A bright spot in the midst of psychology’s ‘replication crisis’
While psychology has been mired in a “replication crisis” recently – based on the failure of contemporary researchers to recreate ...
Gene drives reach their next frontier: Mammals
Tiny snippets of engineered DNA, gene drives are nuclear-grade powerhouses that utterly destroy the rules of inheritance. Rather than the classic ...
Is love a mystery of the heart? Or hard-wired in our genes?
Scientists have identified a number of genetic markers that 'code' humans for attraction--genes for intelligence, subtle human body odors, height ...
