immune system

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Women Better at Fighting Disease

 Women Better 
 at Fighting 
 Disease 
STUDY SAYS
Sep 28, 2011 12:54 PM CDT

Women Better at Fighting Disease

The extra X chromosome makes them healthier

(Newser) - Ever wonder why women tend to live longer than men? Well, it turns out the fairer sex is made of stronger stuff when it comes to fighting off disease and riding out shocks to their systems, according to a study published today from Ghent University in Belgium. Researchers found that...

Scientists Find Trick to 'Disarm' HIV

Without its cholesterol, virus can't harm immune system

(Newser) - A group of US and European scientists have discovered a way to prevent the HIV virus from harming the immune system, in a breakthrough that could lead to an entirely new approach to fighting AIDS. They discovered that by extracting cholesterol, they could render the virus a sitting duck for...

Sex With Neanderthals Boosted Our Immunity

Scientists make 'stunning' discovery in genome comparison

(Newser) - Three years ago, scientists thought humans had never had sex with Neanderthals. Last year, they changed their tune—and now it looks like DNA passed down from Neanderthals has had a “profound impact” on our immune systems. Scientists compared a section of the modern human genome to the same...

Happiness Leads to Longer Life, Say 160 Studies

Chronic anger, anxiety leads to higher disease rates

(Newser) - Being happy—or at least optimistic—makes you live longer, found scientists analyzing the combined results of more than 160 studies. "Happiness is no magic bullet," one scientist said, but there's "clear and compelling evidence" linking positivity and longevity. Some studies, for example, linked an upbeat, "...

Simple Blood Test May Detect Alzheimer's

But there's still no cure

(Newser) - Researchers say they've found another possible way to detect Alzheimer's, this time through a blood test that looks for antibodies. Though still under development, a diagnostic kit could be available within the year, reports Reuters . The catch: While scientists are getting better at detecting Alzheimer's with such discoveries, they still...

Seeing Sick People Triggers Your Immune System

Study shows that mere pictures of the ill can help

(Newser) - Apparently, the mere sight of a sick person can send your immune system into overdrive. In a fascinating new study, researchers asked a group of young adults to watch a slideshow of images showing people with all sorts of illnesses. They took blood samples from the subjects before and after...

Why Men Get Sicker Than Women
 Why Men Get Sicker 
 Than Women 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 28, 2010 11:49 AM CDT

Why Men Get Sicker Than Women

Men 'live fast, die young,' so immunity is traded for sex drive

(Newser) - The phenomenon euphemistically referred to as “man flu”—the notion that men get sicker and sick more often than women—is real, researchers say. British doctors swear the theory is upheld by sophisticated computer models: The male immune system is underdeveloped compared to the female because men are...

Vitamin D Found to Boost Immunity

New study discovers that 'sunshine vitamin' activates T-cells

(Newser) - Taking in some sunshine is vital for your immune system, according to a new study released yesterday. A group of Danish researchers have discovered that infection-killing T cells rely on vitamin D to activate, Reuters explains. “If the T cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they...

Exercise Curbs Colds, Even Cancer
 Exercise 
 Curbs Colds, 
 Even Cancer 
STUDIES Show
Jan 5, 2010 11:10 AM CST

Exercise Curbs Colds, Even Cancer

Moderate, regular activity is like a 'drug' that boosts immune system

(Newser) - Some benefits of exercise are less visible than weight loss and muscle mass, but no less tangible. In fact, the most awesome effects of physical activity are measured by what doesn’t happen: A brisk walk five times a week has been shown to ward off respiratory infections, and regular...

P&G Recalls Contaminated Vicks Nasal Spray

Lots affected by bacteria were sold in US, UK, Germany

(Newser) - Procter & Gamble has voluntarily recalled batches of its Vicks nasal spray contaminated with bacteria. Though the bacteria are likely harmless to healthy people, CNN reports, the contamination could prove disastrous for those with compromised immune systems. The product is in the Vicks Sinex line in the US and UK,...

Our Immune System Already Prepared for Swine Flu

Disease isn't as contagious, deadly as feared

(Newser) - The initial fear that swine flu is a totally new virus that your immune system isn’t equipped to handle turns out to be pure hype. According to a new study, immune systems that have previously had contact with flu viruses recognize H1N1 and deal with it the same way,...

Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Battling Cancer

Billionaire, 56, given diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

(Newser) - Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been given a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the immune and lymphatic systems. Allen, the 56-year-old billionaire entrepreneur who owns the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, overcame Hodgkin's disease in the 1980s—a victory his sister...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Linked to Virus

Obscure virus found in two-thirds of sufferers

(Newser) - A research team believes it has finally uncovered the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. The mysterious syndrome—labeled "yuppie flu" in the '80s and considered by some doctors to be a purely psychiatric problem—appears to be caused by an obscure retrovirus, the scientists say. Some 67% of sufferers...

Breakthrough Raises Hope for HIV Vaccine

Antibodies could help scientists combat elusive virus' defenses

(Newser) - Researchers have found two antibodies that neutralize the AIDS virus more successfully than any identified in the past, resurrecting hopes that it may be possible to develop an effective vaccine, Time reports. The new antibodies are effective against a broad range of HIV variants, neutralizing the virus’ most effective defense:...

Image Rehab: Appendix Is Good for Something After All

Long-neglected organ is far from useless, researchers say

(Newser) - The human appendix has been assumed to be useless since Charles Darwin first suggested it was a vestigial organ—an evolutionary remnant from the time when our predecessors ate leaves and other now-indigestible foods. But new research suggests the organ had a much more vital function, LiveScience reports. It stored...

As Probiotics Expand, Confusion Sets In

Many questions linger about 'friendly' bacteria

(Newser) - Probiotics are branching out of the dairy aisle and into all types of food—from pizza to cereal—as marketers try to sell the health benefits. Seems like good news. The so-called friendly bacteria is supposed to help with digestion and boost the immune system, among other things. The problem...

Docs Corral Immune System to Battle Cancer

(Newser) - After decades of false starts, doctors are tapping the immune system to help stave off cancer, USA Today reports. Using proteins from patients' tumors, American researchers have created a vaccine that can put off lymphoma relapses by 14 months. In one study, a cocktail of the vaccine and two other...

Swine Flu Hits Hardest Among Young Adults

Excessive immune reaction may be at fault in Mexican deaths

(Newser) - The swine flu sweeping through Mexico is wreaking havoc among young adults in particular, reports the Washington Post, with the entire death toll as of yesterday comprised of those between 25 and 50. Some believe the trouble for young adults is an overpowering immune reaction that ravages throat and lung...

Lose Sleep, Catch a Cold
 Lose Sleep, Catch a Cold 
Jan 13, 2009 4:06 AM CST

Lose Sleep, Catch a Cold

Little sleep makes us vulnerable to colds

(Newser) - Mom was right: get a good night's sleep. Researchers have discovered a direct link between lack of sleep and vulnerability to disease, Reuters reports. Study volunteers who slept less than seven hours a night for just two weeks were three times more likely to come down with cold symptoms after...

Leukemia Drugs Cure Mouse Diabetes
Leukemia Drugs Cure Mouse Diabetes
Nov 18, 2008 5:37 AM CST

Leukemia Drugs Cure Mouse Diabetes

Common cancer treatment sent disease into rapid remission

(Newser) - Two common leukemia drugs prevented or halted mouse diabetes in a new study, Reuters reports. The drugs prevented mice predisposed to Type 1 diabetes from developing the disease, and sent 80% of mice who already had it into remission within weeks. Scientists say the mice maintained normal blood sugar levels...

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