Medicine

Find out everything there is to know about medicine and stay updated on the latest medical breakthroughs with the comprehensive articles and informative features at LiveScience.com. Learn more about these amazing discoveries as doctors and scientists reveal important information on medicine.

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sealed packages of raw chicken arranged in a refrigerator at a grocery store

Bacteria from meat may cause a half-million UTIs a year

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new study estimates that bacteria on meat may be responsible for a significant number of urinary tract infections in the U.S.

close up of a diagnostic test for HIV

You can now get a free at-home HIV test. Here's how.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new program will distribute 1 million free at-home HIV tests to U.S. residents and is collaborating with the dating app Grindr to promote the service.

close up of a hand holding package of contraceptive pills

Hormonal birth control slightly increases breast cancer risk, regardless of type

By Rebecca Sohn published

Hormonal contraceptives slightly raise users' risk of breast cancer, regardless of whether they're combination or progestogen-only.

close up of a deer tick on a blade of grass reaching one of its legs towards a bare human leg

Tick-borne parasite is spreading in the Northeast, CDC says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is spreading in the northeastern U.S.

closeup of an adult's hand holding a swab used for STI testing in a sealed package, a sample collection tube, and a piece of paper that reads "chlamydia pcr testing" at the top

Why are sexually transmitted infections on the rise in the US?

By Carissa Wong published

Surging STIs are being driven by a "perfect storm" of factors in the U.S.

CT scans against a black background show a bright white mass in a person's brain

In extremely rare case, doctors remove fetus from brain of 1-year-old

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A young child had the remnants of her absorbed twin removed from her head.

close up of white tablets spilling out of an orange pill bottle; part of the bottle's label can be seen and reads "codone," the second half of the word "Hydrocodone"

Opioids are the most common cause of fatal poisonings in kids under 5

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Opioids account for a greater proportion of fatal pediatric poisonings than they did a decade ago.

illustration of a DNA molecule, depicted in pink

1st UK child to receive gene therapy for fatal genetic disorder is now 'happy and healthy'

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A baby with a rare inherited disorder became the first child in the U.K. to receive a new gene therapy for the condition.

close up on the gloved hands of a researcher holding a white lab rat with red eyes

FDA no longer requires animal testing for new drugs. Is that safe?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The FDA can now approve drugs that haven't been tested in animals, but don't expect drug companies to switch gears too quickly.

photo shows a close up of a man's hand laying relaxed on a hospital bed; a watch can be seen on his wrist and there's a blood pressure monitor on his pointer finger

Deadly case of 'penile gangrene' linked to improperly applied catheter

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A man developed a rare and fatal case of gangrene of the penis.

middle aged woman holds a hand over her mouth as if gasping

Italian woman's rare 'foreign accent syndrome' caused her to sound Canadian

By Rachael Rettner published

A woman's strange case of "foreign accent syndrome" left doctors unsure of its cause.

photo shows the back of a white person's left hand, which bears a large, greenish bruise

Weird green bruise on woman's hand turns out to be rare tumor

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A persistent bruise on a woman's hand was actually a tumor.

an illustration of the brain eating amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris , depicted in pink against a white, speckled background

Fatal 'brain-eating' amoeba successfully treated with repurposed UTI drug

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors successfully treated a patient's rare brain infection with a drug typically used for UTIs.

illustration of p. aeruginosa bacterial cells, depicted in bright pink on a dark blue background

Eye drops recalled after CDC links them to vision loss, 1 death

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An eye drop product linked to a cluster of serious bacterial infections has been voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer.

illustration of a bacterial cell, resmembling the fuzzy top of a cattail with thin filaments extending from one end

Eye drop product may be tied to cluster of drug-resistant bacterial infections, CDC says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A specific brand of eye drops may potentially be linked to a cluster of serious bacterial infections in the U.S.

a scientist's hand, covered by a purple glove, holds a petri dish with visible e. coli colonies growing on it

Antidepressants could fuel the rise of superbugs, lab dish study suggests

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A lab study suggests that antidepressants may push bacteria to become superbugs.

illustration of individual Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria depicted in purple

New 'concerning' strain of drug-resistant gonorrhea found in U.S. for 1st time

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A troubling strain of gonorrhea was identified for the first time in the U.S.

A patient in a hospital.

10 bizarre medical case reports from 2022

By Nicoletta Lanese published

From "crawling" rashes to exploding bladders, here's 10 unusual medical cases that recently caught our eyes.

photo of an older white man with glasses holding a blonde baby wearing a onesie in the lobby of a hospital

In a 1st, baby's heart defect successfully treated with injected stem cells

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors treated a baby's heart defect with donated stem cells.

illustration of group A Streptococcus bacteria, depicted in green on a red background that represents body tissue

Dangerous strep infection surging in the UK may be spreading in US

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Federal health officials are investigating a potential uptick in dangerous strep infections in U.S. children.