treatment news stories on Newser

Single Pill Can Halt Diarrhea's Deadly Reign

Drew Nelles — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:09:06 CDT

Diarrhea kills 1.6 million children under 5 every year—more than AIDS or malaria—and gets a fraction of the funding. But a deceptively simple new treatment may mark a breakthrough, Time reports. Zinc supplements appear to dramatically decrease diarrhea-related deaths—one afflicted village in Mali hasn’t had a...

Caffeine May Reverse Effects of Alzheimer's

Nick McMaster — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:49:43 CDT

Caffeine may reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study indicates. University of Florida researchers investigated the effects of a high caffeine diet on mice genetically engineered to suffer from high levels of beta-amyloid—a protein associated with human Alzheimer's—that causes cognitive decline in old age. The mice...

Fake Swine Flu Cures Flourish Online

Drew Nelles — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:49:34 CDT

Purported swine flu cures are cropping up online, including a nostril sanitizer, air purifier, and a shampoo that makers say will wash that virus right out of your hair, the Kansas City Star reports. The FDA has mailed out more than 50 warnings to online sellers not to make such...

Asthma Breakthrough Holds Promise

Matt Cantor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:34:01 CDT

Scientists have found a “cellular pump” that appears central to the development of asthma, pointing the way to possible new treatments, the BBC reports. The pump, called SERCA2, helps airway muscles relax. People with asthma had reduced SERCA2 levels, researchers found; replacing it in airway muscle cells could help fight...

Test for Early Alzheimer's in Development

Wed, 27 May 2009 11:59:09 CDT

A research institute devoted to Alzheimer's and related diseases has teamed up with a major maker of diagnostic tests to speed development of what could be the first test to detect Alzheimer's in its early stages. If all goes well, the first commercial version of the test could be available...

Legalized Pot, Cocaine Work OK in Portugal

Drew Nelles — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:45:00 CDT

Portugal decriminalized drug possession 8 years ago, so it must have high abuse rates, right? Not according to a new study from the Cato Institute, Time reports. Teen drug use and HIV infection from needles have declined, and more addicts now enter treatment programs. "Judging by every metric, decriminalization in...

Oxygen Therapy Helps Autistic Kids

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:59:38 CDT

Pressurized oxygen helps autistic children interact with people and better understand what they're saying, a new study finds. After 40 hours in a decompression chamber, a group of autistic kids aged 2 to 7 showed considerable gains. Experts theorize that oxygen cuts down inflammation and improves air flow to the...

New Drug Promises to Cure All Flu, From Bird to Seasonal

Ambreen Ali — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:36:53 CST

Researchers have developed a drug cocktail that could provide a cure-all to the flu in all of its forms, WebMD reports. The new antibodies target a part of the virus that has only two known variations, a vulnerability that past vaccines have missed. Drugs mobilizing the new technology could debut...

Seven Medications With Second Careers

Nick McMaster — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:19:41 CST

Medications are commonly advertised for a single use, but they often gain popularity for others. Here are a few examples from ABC: Viagra: Famous for its ability to increase blood flow to a specific part of the body, Viagra also has been used to increase blood flow in patients with...