People have increasing opportunities to participate in genetic testing that can indicate their range of risk for developing a disease. Receiving these results does not appreciably drive up or diminish test recipients’ demand for potentially costly follow-up health services, according to a study performed by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and colleagues at … Read more
Older adults who drank coffee — caffeinated or decaffeinated — had a lower risk of death overall than others who did not drink coffee, according a study by researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and AARP.
In an ongoing clinical trial, a paralyzed woman was able to reach for and sip from a drink on her own — for the first time in nearly 15 years — by using her thoughts to direct a robotic arm. The trial, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, is evaluating the safety … Read more
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued an opinion that upholds the Affordable Health Care Act This includes the individual mandate for coverage. The case challenged the constitutionality of several parts of the law, including the rule that most people in the U.S. must get health coverage. We will continue to carry out provisions of the … Read more
Common variants of the ApoE gene are strongly associated with the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, but the gene’s role in the disease has been unclear. Now, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that in mice, having the most risky variant of ApoE damages the blood vessels that feed the … Read more
On May 1, 2012, six NIMH grantees were among the 84 new members elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a private, non-profit organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to advancing science and promoting its uses for the greater good.
A project that maps dopamine circuits in the prefrontal cortex through optogenetic manipulation was given top honors in this year’s annual Addiction Science Awards at the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) — the world’s largest science competition for high school students. The awards were presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse … Read more
May is Healthy Vision Month. You can help to protect your vision by getting comprehensive eye exams, which can detect glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and other diseases that have no warning signs. Based on your eye health, family history, and age, your doctor can recommend how often you should get a comprehensive eye exam.
The National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium has selected 11 health professional schools as designated Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs). The CoEPEs will act as hubs for the development, evaluation, and distribution of pain management curriculum resources for medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy schools to enhance and improve how health care professionals are … Read more
Flexible sigmoidoscopy, a screening test for colorectal cancer that is less invasive and has fewer side effects than colonoscopy, is effective in reducing the rates of new cases and deaths due to colorectal cancer, according to research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. In a study that spanned … Read more
Inhaling concentrated saline (salt water) mist does not reduce how often infants and young children with cystic fibrosis (CF) need antibiotics for respiratory symptoms, according to findings from a clinical trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Insel discusses the dynamics of data sharing in research.
Poor quality antimalarial drugs lead to drug resistance and inadequate treatment that pose an urgent threat to vulnerable populations, according to a National Institutes of Health study published May 22 in The Lancet Infectious Diseasesjournal. Emergence of malaria strains that are resistant to artemisinin drugs on the Thailand-Cambodia border make it imperative to improve the … Read more
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the completion of the first complete human genome sequence — the genetic blueprint of the human body — the Smithsonian Institution will open a high-tech, high-intensity exhibit in 2013. The exhibit is a collaboration of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the National Human Genome Research … Read more
The U.S. Postal Service can Hold Your Mail if you plan to be away for 3 or more days (up to 30 days). When you fill out a request for Hold Mail Service, you’ll need to enter the start and end dates and indicate whether you prefer to pick up your accumulated mail or have … Read more
The hormone progestin, often given as a first step in infertility treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), appears to decrease the odds of conception and of giving birth, according to a study by a National Institutes of Health research network.
Researchers have shown in mice how immune cells in the brain target and remove unused connections between brain cells during normal development. This research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, sheds light on how brain activity influences brain development, and highlights the newly found importance of the immune system in how the brain is … Read more