New treatment approach may help patients with eczema

For patients with eczema, applying fluticasone propionate cream twice a week, alongside daily emollient treatment, significantly reduces the risk of relapse, say researchers in this week’s BMJ. The study involved 376 patients with moderate to severe eczema from 39 dermatology clinics in six countries. All patients were experiencing a ‘flare’ of their condition.

Milky Way monster stars in cosmic reality show

The longest X-ray look yet at the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s center has given astronomers unprecedented access to its life and times. The new data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory revealed that our galaxy’s central black hole is a frequent bad actor, prone to numerous outbursts and occasional large explosions.

One in Three Children Regularly Exposed to Tobacco Smoke at Home

Second-hand tobacco smoke threatens the health of 21 million American children ? 35 percent of everyone age 17 and younger ? who live in homes where residents or visitors smoke once a week or more, according to a study published Nov. 13 by researchers from RAND and UCLA. The study is the most thorough ever conducted of youths’ exposure to environmental second-hand tobacco smoke at home. It found that 19 million American children ? 28 percent of everyone in the United States 17 and younger ? are exposed to tobacco smoke at home on a daily basis.