Drinking pink liquid may lead to a black tongue

Dentists are often the first to diagnose and treat oral reactions, especially since many reactions occur with any medications used in excess, or in combinations with other drugs, such as vitamins and herbs, according to a report in the March/April 2005 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal. more  

MiRNA fingerprint identified in platelet formation

Scientists have identified a handful of microRNAs (miRNAs) that appear to play a significant role in the development of platelets – blood cells critical to the body’s ability to form clots following an injury. They also say some of these same miRNAs, when acting abnormally, may contribute to certain forms of leukemia. more

Emerging disease risks prompt scientists to call

Knowledge of 'movement routes' is the key to predicting the pattern of spread of infectious diseases of humans, and similar data could be crucial to understand animal disease risks, says team from the University of Edinburgh. more  

Study to test drug's potential to preserve insulin production in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetics

A drug used to treat lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders may enable newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetics to save some of their pancreas function and thereby reduce their susceptibility to long-term complications. more

Gene influences antidepressant response  

Whether depressed patients will respond to an antidepressant depends, in part, on which version of a gene they inherit, a study led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has discovered. Having two copies of one version of a gene that codes for a component of the brain's mood-regulating system increased the odds of a favorable response to an antidepressant by up to 18 percent, compared to having two copies of the other, more common version. more

The case of the "second tongue"  

Body piercing is popular today in the United States and other western societies. One common type of body piercing is tongue piercing, which involves placing a “barbell”-type stud through the tongue. But wearing a tongue stud puts people at risk for chipped teeth, recessed gums, and nerve damage, warns the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). more

'Fringe' plastic surgery procedures more hype than reality, ASPS says

Vaginal rejuvenation, pectoral implants, buttock implants and calf augmentation have been touted in the media recently as the "hot" new procedures taking plastic surgery by storm. According to a statistics report released today in which the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) tracked these procedures for the first time, the reality is quite different from the hype. more