What’s normal for aging and what’s not?
As we age, we all notice changes in our bodies, from our reflexes to our libido.But some physical changes aren’t a normal part of the aging process. “It’s important to know about them, so we can do all we can to keep ourselves as healthy and active as possible,” said Suzanne Salamon, M.D., a geriatrician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.Check out... READ MORE
Rising numbers of new drugs pass muster
Approvals for first-of-a-kind drugs climbed last year, pushing the annual tally of new U.S. drugs to its highest level in 19 years.The rising figures reflect an industry-wide focus on drugs for rare and hard-to-treat diseases, which often come with streamlined reviews, extra patent protections — and higher price tags. The Food and Drug Administration approved 45 drugs with... READ MORE
Are diabetes and breast cancer linked?
The link between obesity and adult-onset diabetes has been well-documented in studies. Now researchers are investigating the relationship between the high insulin levels that can accompany obesity and/or diabetes and the risk of breast cancer.Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore is participating in a National Cancer Institute-funded study to research the link between insulin resistance and... READ MORE
‘Heart age’ reveals risk of future problems
Your heart might be older than you are. A new government report suggests chronological age is just a number — and perhaps not a very telling one when it comes to your risk of heart attack or stroke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report takes a new approach to try to spur more Americans to take steps to prevent cardiovascular disease. CDC scientists estimated the... READ MORE
Your genes affect your reaction to drugs
Your doctor prescribes a medication. If you have a high risk of negative side effects, do you ask for something else instead? If you know the drug won’t work well for you, do you request more options?These questions aren’t just hypothetical. They’re at the heart of pharmacogenomics.Pharmacogenomics is the study of how your genes affect your response to drugs. If you have... READ MORE
Scientists grow ‘organoids’ for research
Dr. Sergiu Pasca, a neuroscientist, used to envy cancer specialists. They could get their hands on tumors for research, while Pasca could not directly study key portions of a living brain.But these days, Pasca does the next best thing: He grows his own.In his lab at Stanford University, thousands of whitish balls of human brain tissue float in hundreds of dishes. Each smaller than a pea,... READ MORE
