Health & Medicine - Monday, February 8, 2010 11:17 - 2 Comments

Second opinion: Health blogs viewed skeptically


online_med

Melanie Haberstroh Researchers found that study participants were more likely to believe—and make use of—information on a Web site from a source identified as an expert than from a layperson. Participants also believed that editors and moderators help Web sites present accurate and complete information. Blogs, homepages, and social networking sites were seen as lacking such gatekeeping. (Courtesy: iStockphoto)

PENN STATE (US)—Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a Web site rather than in a blog or an individual’s homepage, according to a study of college students. Continue…


Health & Medicine - Feb 5, 2010 13:20 - 1 Comment

Brain’s ‘fear map’ extends to new region

brain

Researchers have found that the amygdala, seen in red above, is not the only player when it comes to forming fear memories. Their work shows that mice lacking a critical growth factor in the prelimbic cortex have trouble remembering to fear electric shocks. The discovery could help improve diagnosis and treatment for anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. (Courtesy: Anatomography/Wikimedia Commons)

EMORY (US)—Draw a map of the brain when fear and anxiety are involved, and the amygdala—the brain’s almond-shaped center for panic and fight-or-flight responses—looms large. Continue…

Health & Medicine - Feb 4, 2010 12:21 - 0 Comments

Study clears way for better flu-blocking drugs

flu_virus

Chemists from Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory—left to right, Sarah Cady (who’s holding a nuclear magnetic resonance probe), Mei Hong, and Klaus Schmidt-Rohr—are studying antiviral drugs and how they bind to flu viruses, such as the H1N1 virus illustrated above. Hong says the team’s findings clarify previous conflicting studies, removing a roadblock to developing better antiviral drugs. (Courtesy: iStockphoto)

IOWA STATE (US)—A study detailing how antiviral drugs block influenza A viruses should pave the way for development of new drugs to fight a range of flu viruses, including pandemic H1N1, says lead researcher Mei Hong. Continue…

Health & Medicine - Feb 3, 2010 16:36 - 2 Comments

Soy does little to stop bone loss

soybeans

A recent study calls into question the value of postmenopausal women consuming soy isoflavone tablets to help lessen bone loss and minimize the effect of osteoporosis. “The preponderance of studies that have been published—particularly the longer term, more carefully conducted studies, like our own—have shown little to no biological effects of soy isoflavones on bone mineral density,” she says. (Courtesy: iStockphoto)

IOWA STATE (US)—Consuming modest amounts of soy protein has little effect on bone loss in postmenopausal women, researchers report. Continue…

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