‘Groovy’ brains may be more efficient
Many grooves and dimples on the surface of the brain are unique to humans, but they’re often dismissed as an uninteresting consequence of packing an unusually large brain into a too-small skull.
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Urban areas in Missouri have higher rates of high-dose opioid prescriptions, study finds
Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have shed light on which populations are more likely to be prescribed a high dose of opioid medication. This increases their risk of developing opioid use disorder.
Drug candidate holds promise for difficult-to-treat heart disease
A study led by a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson’s Sarver Heart Center identified a drug candidate that appears to reverse the progression of a type of heart failure in mouse models, which could lead to expanded treatment options for humans. The results are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Gene variant linked to higher risk of long COVID symptoms
An international team of researchers has found a genetic link to long-term symptoms after COVID-19. The identified gene variant is located close to the FOXP4 gene, which is known to affect lung function. The study, published in Nature Genetics, was led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Finland.
Similar survival seen with simple versus radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer
For patients with low-risk cervical cancer, survival is similar following simple hysterectomy (SH) versus modified radical hysterectomy (MRH) or radical hysterectomy (RH), according to a study published online May 15 in JAMA Network Open.
Lack of sleep linked to negative body image in teens
Poor sleep quality is often tied to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, but new research from the University of Mississippi suggests it may also be related to how teens feel about their appearance.
Vitamin D supplements help slow telomere shortening linked to biological aging
Results from the VITAL randomized controlled trial reveal that vitamin D supplementation helps maintain telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten during aging and are linked to the development of certain diseases.
Good news for people who take migraine drugs before or during pregnancy: No increase in autism, ADHD, other disorders
There’s good news for people with migraine who take common drugs before or during pregnancy—a new study found no increase in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD in their children. The study, which looked at drugs used for migraine attacks called triptans, is published in Neurology.
Genomic score predicts patients’ progression to multiple myeloma
A new risk assessment score developed by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital reveals how multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, begins and progresses from precancerous to malignant states by tracing DNA mutations.
Generic drugs can be reliably supplied at big savings, study finds
A new study finds that CivicaScript, a not-for-profit drug manufacturer in the US, can reliably supply essential generic medicines at a price that saves patients over 60%, and public and private insurers over 90%, demonstrating the potential of the nonprofit health care utility (HCU) model to deliver a scalable solution to generic drug affordability.