Health

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, particles in purple, cause the disease AIDS. (CDC/ Dr. A. Harrison; Dr. P. Feorino)

A cure for HIV and AIDS reportedly could be just a few years away after scientists have been able to successfully snip away the virus from infected ...

New studies suggest that being socially active is good for your health.

wo recent studies, one in the journal Psychology and Aging and another in the British Medical Journal, reaffirm the importance of remaining socially engaged in late life.

The first study found that being socially active and having social goals was associated with improved well-being in later life. Moreover, the researchers found that social ties were more important than family ties in that regard. ...

Rubbing babies born by C-section with vaginal fluid changes their microbial makeup in a potentially beneficial way, but some doctors caution that the procedure comes with risks.

Bacteria is back, baby. After decades of gobbling antibiotics and overzealous hand sanitizing, it’s now clear that the bacteria that live in and on our bodies can help keep us healthy. That ...

Synapse loss study points to new path for fighting degenerative brain disease

In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, an overzealous set of proteins and cells begins to chew away at the brain’s nerve cell connections, a study in mice suggests.

That finding, described March 31 in Science, adds to a growing body of research that implicates excessive synaptic pruning, a process that shapes the young brain by culling unused connections, with disorders later in life. ...

The Zika virus is likely to spread across nearly all of the Americas, the World Health Organization has warned.

The infection, which causes symptoms including mild fever, conjunctivitis and headache, has already been found in 21 countries in the Caribbean, North and South America.

It has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains and some countries have advised women not to get pregnant.

No treatment or vaccine is available. ...

How the smell of your urine could help diagnose dementia: Unique odor 'appears before Alzheimer's disease sets in'

• Urine takes on a unique smell before dementia kicks in, a study found
• This finding could help diagnose Alzheimer's before brain decline
• It could also pave the way for treatments to slow the disease's progression

An odor in urine can signal whether a person is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, scientists revealed.

A unique smell ...

The GyroGlove is a cordless thin-and-light wearable hand stabilizer. It’s powered by a battery, with a tiny integrated controller that drives a precession hinge and turntable, and a responsive gyroscope . The gyroscope isn’t a detector — it’s an effector. And it has to move “silently and reliably at thousands of RPM.” With a motion disorder like Parkinson’s, the impedance of a person’s normal movements is a major detractor from quality of life. That’s why the device has to be so light, and why the ...