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If aging is a disease, then what are the signs? And more importantly how do we treat the problem? Surely it must be more than exercise and moderation, right?. The simple process of defining a disease is not as simple as it may seem.

A team of researchers wants patients to shorten their antibiotic course. This suggestion is problematic, and possibly dangerous, both to individuals and the larger battle against antibiotic resistance. And it goes against the recommendations of many organizations.  

Jewish people were the highest profile victims of the Nazi killing machine, but they weren't the only ones. Anybody who was "impure" was potentially targeted for extermination, including the mentally and physically handicapped. This latter group was the subject of a moving essay in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Dogs get poisoned, not “just stoned” from marijuana exposure. And the rates are increasing, with the dedicated veterinary services Pet Poison Helpline experiencing a 448% increase in calls over the past six years.

Sometimes it's good to recognize your limitations.
For example, I could describe how DNA works, or how to make crystal meth, poison your neighbor or blow stuff up. I won't, but I could. And I'd know what I was talking about.
Perhaps I could also write something about teapots from the Ming Dynasty if I read about it on Wikipedia, but in reality I wouldn't know one if it fell off the Chrysler Building onto my head.

The patient-centered approach sounds like a great way to personalize care. But how does longer visits and more collaborative care change outcomes, or attitudes?

Myopia or near-sightedness, and higher levels of education are associated. But which came first? And which is the cause? Can genetic information help us to convert correlation to causation while answering this chicken-or-egg question?

The NRDC, known for its phony chemical scares, may have outdone itself. The group used every trick and half-truth in the book in making a Facebook video claiming that Dow Chemical was using Nazi nerve gas on crops because the EPA okayed it. Good drama. Terrible science. As usual.

A well-publicized paper on suicide rates by occupation might have produced faulty data. A re-analysis is underway, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention taking action.

The most inhospitable places on Earth usually host some sort of life, from the super-hot hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor to the ice of Antarctica. While not as extreme, caves are also quite inhospitable. Complete darkness serves as a harsh restriction on what can – and can't – survive there.

1. How ridiculous is the annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island? So ridiculous that the judges miscounted wildly on the number of hot dogs and no one noticed. Until winner Joey Chestnut insisted he had broken his own world record and eaten 74 in 10 minutes and the judges had to go back and review the 10 minute tape and actually count this time. And he was right, they were off by a whole plate, not just for him, but for the second place finisher.

This agonizing situation is a powerful reminder that nature will always be our greatest adversary. That said, current day understanding, innovation and progress is a formidable opponent.

It's been said that truth is the first casualty in war. It could also be said that truth is the first casualty in a decadent and declining society ... and journalists are leading the way.

The U.S. Congress is gearing up to re-fund efforts for biohazard preparedness. But are they getting the science right?

You surely have heard about peanut or pollen allergies. But can people be allergic to cold weather? Apparently, they can when it comes to the cold, otherwise known as cold urticaria.

Ambien has become fodder for late-night TV comedians and attention-seeking magazines. Sure, some mighty strange sleep behaviors have been reported. But in watching the news you might get the impression that there's an army of Ambien Zombies on the march. Nope, no such army. And for most, there's nothing to lose sleep over.

Identifying characteristics are essential to ensuring patient safety, so that the right treatment meets the right patient. 

America's birthday is also, tragically, its deadliest day. Here's why hospital emergency rooms staff up for that celebratory weekend every year. 

The cost of the annual cookout is down. But as we thank our farmers we should remember that what is good for the consumer may not be as good for the producer.

Normally a reliable source of information, Live Science published an article that is a dream for anti-pesticide and anti-chemical fearmongers.

It seems that when we compare the frequency of events, we're influenced by its past prevalence. When fewer bad things occur we simply expand the definition of bad to make up the difference.

South African track star Caster Semenya is in the middle of a controversy that she had no part in making. Her testosterone levels are naturally very high, and the International Association of Athletics Federations won't let her run certain races unless she takes medication to lower her testosterone. Should she have to take performance detracting drugs?

The case surrounding Caster Semenya, and fellow track athlete Dutee Chand, hinges on whether their endogenous androgens give them a competitive edge. Here's a breakdown of the report currently at the center of the "science."

It is officially July! In the medical world that means fresh graduates become interns or fellows or attendings. Along with such promotions comes high turnover departures and the refrain "don’t get sick in July." But, does this annual transition actually make patients more vulnerable to adverse events?

The recent reporting on Flint's water crisis by CNN's Christiane Amanpour has a tenuous grasp of the data and the reality.