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Today's health and science

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Elizabeth Cooney November 23, 2009 06:52 AM

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In G Health:

Stop breast self-exams? No mammograms until 50? Even the experts are confused about the new guidelines.

Dr. Amy N. Ship, whose sons were born with serious illnesses, gained firsthand knowledge about the importance of compassionate care.

Why does eating quickly seem to lead to weight gain?

Text messaging is an effective tool for reminding patients to use sunscreen.

Levels of "bad" cholesterol are on the decline, but 1 out of every 5 adults still have high LDL levels and many of those don’t know they have a problem (second item).

In Science & Innovation:

More than two centuries ago, the Italian scientist Luigi Galvani found that electricity could make a dead frog’s leg kick, as if it were alive. Today, using the same basic principle but new tools, scientists are employing light to trigger brain cells - looking not for a kick, but for the origins of emotions, behaviors, and diseases in the brain.

Despite its high-profile success with the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart, Abiomed Inc. has been refocusing on a less flashy though potentially more durable product: cardiac-assist devices, known as recovery pumps, which are used in hospital settings to help critically ill patients’ hearts recover, rather than having to be replaced.

What’s the deal with lights that are supposed to be better for the environment?

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About white coat notes

White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.

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