Ed Cara

ScienceHealth

A Promising Brain-Regenerating Drug May Only Work for Women and Babies, a Mouse Study Suggests

A new study in mice is the latest to show why it’s important for scientists to include both male and female test subjects in their research. The study suggests that a common diabetes drug—which is now being explored as a way to repair the brain—may only help boost cognition in young children and adult women. … Continued

ScienceHealth

Three Americans Have Died After Contracting Rare Brain-Infecting Virus Spread by Mosquitoes

On Monday, Rhode Island health officials reported that a resident had died after contracting the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. The death marks the third U.S. fatality linked to EEE reported this year, and the second such case documented in less than a week. The summer is winding down for many in the U.S., but … Continued

ScienceHealth

The Science Is Mixed on Taking Supplements for Mental Health, Research Review Finds

A new large review of the scientific evidence suggests that most dietary supplements don’t do much to help people suffering from mental health disorders. Supplements are often touted as something like a shortcut to a healthy body and mind, though evidence for that rosy view is lacking. Researchers in Australia took a deep dive into … Continued

ScienceHealth

Survey Finds Nearly Everyone Wants More Gun Control, Including Gun Owners

Americans are in many ways in agreement when it comes to gun control, a new survey suggests. It found that a majority of Americans, gun owners included, support a wide range of gun-control policies, such as temporarily removing guns from people considered a danger to themselves or others and universal background checks for handgun purchases. … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Woman in Her 70s May Be the Oldest New Mom Ever After Giving Birth to Twins

An Indian woman named Erramatti Mangayamma has seemingly made history by becoming the oldest new mother ever documented. Her doctors reported that Mangayamma, said to be either 73- or 74-years-old, delivered a set of healthy twin girls via cesarean section Thursday. The feat was made possible through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). According to CNN, Mangayamma and … Continued

ScienceHealth

Deadly Vaping Illness Could be Related to Vitamin E, New York Health Officials Say

The number of people stricken by acute lung disease linked to e-cigarettes continues to grow, with nearly 500 suspected cases reported across the U.S. as of this week, along with two more deaths in Oregon and Indiana. But while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others are still saying there are multiple reasons … Continued

ScienceHealth

Oh God, People Really Are Anti-Vaxxing Their Pets

A new report from the UK seems to confirm vets’ worst fears, suggesting that pet vaccination rates in the country have dropped off substantially in recent years. Veterinarians have been desperately reminding everyone that vaccines are safe and won’t give pets autism (seriously). But it wasn’t entirely clear if pet owners really were shying away … Continued

ScienceHealth

Mouthwash Cancels Out Key Benefits of Exercise, Study Finds

Your mouthwash could have a bizarre effect on how exercise affects your body, a new study this week suggests. The study found that swigging mouthwash can prevent exercise from lowering your blood pressure as it normally does. Strange as that sounds, the results highlight just how important the bacteria living in our mouths really are … Continued

ScienceHealth

New Research Is Final Blow to an HIV Cure That Wasn’t

A series of animal and human studies published this week are providing a sad footnote to a controversial 2016 experiment in monkeys that pointed to a possible cure for HIV but was later flagged for a glaring omission in its design. The animal studies failed to replicate the promising results of the original paper, while … Continued

ScienceBiology

A Rat Study Finds that Acupuncture Can Treat Alcohol Addiction… in Rats

Lab animals are used in all sorts of bizarre experiments, but a new study this week is definitely one for the scrapbook. A team of researchers in Korea and the U.S. got rats addicted to alcohol, then attempted to alleviate their withdrawal symptoms using acupuncture. And according to their data, the treatment was fairly successful. … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Boy’s Extreme Picky Eating Left Him With Permanent Blindness

A UK teenager’s diet of potato chips and other junk foods led to shocking health consequences, according to a new case report out this week. The boy’s doctors described how his disordered “fussy” eating led to chronic nutritional deficiencies that left him with a variety of symptoms, including permanent partial blindness. According to the case … Continued

ScienceBiology

Different Dog Breeds Have Different Brains, Scientists Find

As humans have gone, so have their canine companions. But a new study shows the subtle ways our long-lasting partnership has molded the noggins of our dogs. Different breeds have slightly different brains from one another, the study found—differences that seem to be linked not just to the shape and size of the breed, but … Continued

ScienceHealth

Black Market THC May Be Causing the Alarming Surge in Vape-Related Lung Illnesses

The toll of people sick with acute lung illness tied to vaping has doubled since last week, with around 354 suspected cases across the U.S. Now, health officials are finally starting to publicly zero in on a leading suspect: unlicensed additives and contaminants, particularly those found in products containing THC. The Washington Post reported Thursday … Continued

ScienceHealth

Being Drunk and Helmet-less Is a Recipe for E-Scooter Disaster

The e-scooter craze has been convenient for some, annoying to others, and painful or even deadly to an unlucky few. A new study out Thursday seems to highlight some of the (perhaps obvious) common factors behind e-scooter accidents: being drunk or otherwise intoxicated and not wearing a damn helmet. Researchers in California—the state where the … Continued

ScienceHealth

Surgeon General Warns America That 21st-Century Weed Can Really Fuck You Up

The Surgeon General issued a very somber advisory to the people of the United States on Thursday: Weed may be legal in a lot of states now, but if you’re pregnant or a kid, you should stay away from it. Sage advice, to be sure. The advisory is the first to be made this year … Continued

ScienceHealth

There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Gay Gene,’ Large Genome Study Finds

A new study seems to firmly bury the idea of a so-called “gay gene.” Scientists looked at the genes of nearly a half million people and couldn’t find any genetic variations that could reliably predict someone’s same-sex behavior. Rather, they argue, our sexual preferences are influenced by a complex mix of our genes, environment, and … Continued

ScienceHealth

Chocolate Interferes With THC Testing, Making It Hard to Measure the Potency of Edibles

Your next chocolatey pot edible could be more or less potent than labeled, new preliminary research suggests. It found that chocolate-based products can sometimes provide inconsistent lab readings on the amount of THC found in them. Scientists at CW Analytical, a cannabis testing lab in California, had started to notice that their potency readings for … Continued

ScienceHealth

North Carolina Sues Eight More Vape Companies for Allegedly Marketing to Kids

North Carolina is aggressively going after the vaping industry for what the state sees as its role in getting kids hooked on nicotine. On Tuesday, State Attorney General Josh Stein announced that his office would be filing lawsuits against eight e-cigarette companies, arguing that each purposefully targeted underage customers. The lawsuits follow a similar one … Continued

ScienceHealth

Who Gets the Money From the Big Pharma Opioid Lawsuits?

On Monday, an Oklahoma judge found Johnson & Johnson culpable for having sparked growing rates of opioid misuse and overdose deaths in the state, ordering the company to pay out $572.1 million in damages. The verdict will likely be appealed by the pharmaceutical giant, but it nonetheless represents the first major state case won against … Continued

ScienceHealth

First Death From Vaping-Linked Lung Illness Reported by Illinois Health Officials

A patient has died after suffering a mysterious lung illness linked to vaping, health officials said Friday. The death comes in the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcing this week that more than a hundred similar possible cases have been documented across the country. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) … Continued