Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides — the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, the nation’s number one killer. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the … Read more
Airline travel has gotten so complicated. Security lines are long; there are extra fees for baggage; adults need to keep out their federal or state-issued ID through the checkpoint; and there are restrictions on what can be carried onto the flight. The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website is the first place to go to find … Read more
If you enjoy gazing at the starry summer sky, the best show of the year happens this week. The Perseid meteor shower reaches peak activity August 12 – 13, and at its peak you’ll be able to see about 50 meteors an hour. The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every … Read more
Arlene Hernandez is the manager of Kids.gov, the government’s official source for kids to find all kinds of government information. When I was a teenager and hanging out at the mall, I used to see young kids whaling and crying and throwing a fit at the toy store. I would think “Geez, what’s up with … Read more
It’s right about this time each summer that I start looking forward to the fall. To cooler weather, leaves falling off the trees and apple cider. The dog days of summer really start to get to me. Granted I love the warm weather, pools and the beach. There’s nothing I wish for more all winter … Read more
It’s mid-August and many families are in the middle of the mad dash to get the kids ready for the coming school year. There are school supplies and clothes to buy, forms to fill out, busing/carpool schedules to arrange, and, if needed, ensuring that after school childcare is in place. Then of course, there is … Read more
Increasing evidence linking strep infection to OCD in children suggests that microbiomics may prove an important research area for understanding and treating mental disorders.
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have for the first time activated mouse egg cells at the earliest stage of their development and brought them to maturity. In a related experiment, the researchers replicated the finding by also bringing human eggs to maturity in the laboratory.
I have been on a mission to be healthier for about a year. I do 1 hour of cardio and about 30 minutes of strengthening and stretching exercises, 5 times a week. I also try to eat a healthy diet with whole grains, fish, chicken, and lots of fruits and veggies. I do this to … Read more
The National Institutes of Health today launched a multidisciplinary network of experts who will explore new approaches to understanding the origins of health disparities, or differences in the burden of disease among population groups. Using state-of-the-science conceptual and computational models, the network’s goal is to identify important areas where interventions or policy changes could have … Read more
People with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder experienced relief from symptoms of depression in as little as 40 minutes after an intravenous dose of the anesthetic medication ketamine in a preliminary study; while the patient group was small, this work adds to evidence that compounds in the class to which ketamine belongs have potential as rapid and … Read more
Nobel Prize winner Harold E. Varmus, M.D., today took the oath of office to become the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) 14th director. NCI is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
I got my first passport when I was fifteen and going on a school trip to England and France. This means I spent the following 10 years flashing a picture of me in braces and with hair styling fresh from basketball practice. When it was due for renewal I snickered when I realized that renewing … Read more
Alright, confession time: I watch a lot of bad reality TV. Please don’t judge me. For many reasons, one of my favorite shows is the Biggest Loser. I’m a health nut; I love watching the transformations; and I get a kick out of the trainers screaming their heads off. But the fact that such a … Read more
National Institutes of Health researchers have shown that women’s cholesterol levels correspond with monthly changes in estrogen levels. This natural variation, they suggest, might indicate a need to take into account the phases of a woman’s monthly cycle before evaluating her cholesterol measures. On average, the total cholesterol level of the women in the study … Read more
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., announced today the appointment of James M. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., as the Director of the NIH Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI). We anticipate his arrival in September 2010.
My fiance is an elementary school teacher and sometimes I think she gets more excited about summer vacation than her students. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t do anything school-wise during her break; summer reading is a big part of her R&R. In fact, last week she went to the local library, checked out a couple … Read more