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Medicine

Many organizations classify hypertension as a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher, though some say 130/80 mmHg.

High Blood Pressure Is a ‘Silent Killer’ That Affects One in Three People, WHO Says

But nearly half of those living with the condition don’t know they have it, according to the organization’s first report on hypertension

Two types of white blood cells, a neutrophil (top) and a lymphocyte (bottom), in human blood.

Human Cells Display a Mathematical Pattern That Repeats in Nature and Language

New research suggests adult humans have between 28 trillion and 36 trillion cells, which follow a commonly seen distribution of size and mass

MDMA, also called molly or ecstasy.

MDMA Moves Closer to Approval for PTSD Treatment After New Clinical Trial

If endorsed by the FDA, the drug would become the first psychedelic approved for mental health treatment in the United States

Marc Abrahams, creator of the Ig Nobel Prizes, speaks at the 2003 ceremony. The first ceremony was held in 1991.

Smart Toilets and Licking Rocks: Ig Nobel Prizes Celebrate Strange Scientific Achievements

Winning research projects reanimated dead spiders and examined how anchovy sexual activity influences ocean mixing

FDA panelists say phenylephrine itself isn't dangerous, but taking it could lead to sick patients delaying effective treatment.

Leading Decongestant in Cold and Flu Medicines Doesn’t Work, FDA Advisory Panel Says

Phenylephrine, a popular ingredient in over-the-counter remedies, is no better than a placebo, per the panel

A new round of Covid-19 vaccinations was recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers on Tuesday.

What to Know About the New Covid-19 Vaccines, Now Recommended by CDC Advisers

Experts say the latest boosters are effective against emerging variants including EG.5.1 and BA.2.86

Scientists inserted human stem cells in pig embryos that couldn't develop kidneys, then let these embryos gestate in sows for several weeks. The experiments resulted in kidneys partly made of human-derived cells.

Scientists Grow Part-Human Kidneys in Pig Embryos for Nearly a Month

The new work is a “big step forward” in finding new ways to generate viable organs for human transplants, but it comes with some ethical considerations

Doctors suspect the patient accidentally ingested the roundworm's eggs while foraging for edible greens near her home.

Doctors Pulled a Wriggling, Three-Inch Worm From a Woman’s Brain

The incident in Australia is the first known occurrence of the roundworm—typically found in snakes—infecting the brain of a mammal

Researchers are using A/B testing to try to motivate patients to reach out for care.

Can New Messaging Methods Improve Health Care?

Public health experts are borrowing a technique from the tech world in hopes of spurring patients to get preventative care

Researchers took stem cells from the healthy eyes of patients who had suffered a chemical burn in their other eye. They then transplanted the stem cells into the injured eye.

Scientists Treat Severe Injuries in One Eye With Stem Cells From the Other

Patients’ own stem cells could help them recover from chemical burns that damaged a single eye, a small, preliminary study suggests

Seventy-eight years after the end of World War II, hospital trains are an oft-forgotten chapter in U.S. military history.

Untold Stories of American History

What Happened on the Trains That Brought Wounded World War II Soldiers Home?

The logistics of moving patients across the U.S. by rail were staggeringly complex

A model of a Neanderthal at the Natural History Museum in London. Researchers theorize that molecules that existed in our extinct ancestors could be used to treat pathogens today.

Scientists Turn to Human Ancestors’ DNA in Search for New Antibiotics

Microbe-fighting molecules that once existed in Neanderthals and Denisovans have been re-created in the lab and tested in mice

Because the newly approved pill can be taken at home and starts working within just a few days, it may be a better treatment option for some new moms.

New Moms Can Soon Take a Pill for Postpartum Depression

The FDA approved the first oral medication to treat the serious mental condition on Friday

The family of Henrietta Lacks pose with a statue of Henrietta Lacks and the artist at an unveiling in the United Kingdom in 2021.

Henrietta Lacks’ Family Settles Lawsuit Over the Use of Her Cells Without Consent

Lacks’ endlessly replicating cancer cells, collected without her knowledge in 1951, have enabled major medical breakthroughs

Candida auris

This Fungus Is Quickly Spreading, and Climate Change May Be to Blame

Washington state reported its first case of Candida auris, which can cause illness in people with weakened immune systems

A plate from the Birth Atlas, the Maternity Center Association's manual depicting the entire Birth Series using photography and line plate drawing

At the 1939 World’s Fair, Robert Latou Dickinson Demystified Pregnancy for a Curious Public

The gynecologist and sculptor’s “Birth Series” broke barriers, but how do his views on abortion, race and women’s health square with what we know today?

Scientists found that sending electricity into a brain region called the anterior precuneus created sensations of floating.

Have Scientists Found the Source of Out-of-Body Experiences?

Researchers identified a brain region that can create sensations of weightlessness or falling, and it could help develop new forms of anesthesia

Barbie has held more than 250 jobs since her debut in 1959.

When Barbie Broke the Glass Ceiling

The iconic doll traveled to space, flew with the Thunderbirds and joined the NBA, beating real-life women to an array of career milestones

Opill was first approved by the FDA about 50 years ago, but until now, users needed a prescription to access it.

FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

Experts say the decision will increase access to safe and effective contraceptives for millions of Americans

The so-called puss caterpillars have sharp spines that can inject powerful venom into humans.

Scientists Reveal Why Asp Caterpillar Stings Are So Excruciatingly Painful

A toxin in the insect’s venom, which can punch a hole in cell walls, could inspire new drug-delivery methods in humans

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