Effective tips on how to prevent mosquito bites
When it comes to summertime pests, mosquitoes are public enemy number one. But why do mosquitoes bite us? Why do their bites itch? And how can you stop mosquitoes from biting you?
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Supreme Court case targets free preventive care provided by the Affordable Care Act
Colonoscopy for younger adults. Chest CT scans for lung cancer. Statin meds to lower cholesterol. Screening for drug addiction.
New research shows how smoking, vaping and marijuana affect airway health
Cigarette smoke has a greater impact on airway health than marijuana smoke or vaping, according to new research by UC Davis.
Light-activated probe reveals how tuberculosis evades immune defenses
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that kills more than a million people worldwide every year. The pathogen that causes the disease, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is deadly in part because of its complex outer envelope, which helps it evade immune responses of infected hosts.
Getting treatment for high blood pressure may reduce chances of developing dementia
Reducing high blood pressure substantially lowers the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment without dementia, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial involving almost 34,000 patients, published in Nature Medicine. These findings highlight the potential importance of widespread adoption of more intensive blood pressure control among patients with hypertension to reduce the global disease burden of dementia.
Programmable microglia target and clear toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease
A new way to deliver disease-fighting proteins throughout the brain may improve the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders, according to University of California, Irvine scientists. By engineering human immune cells called microglia, the researchers have created living cellular “couriers” capable of responding to brain pathology and releasing therapeutic agents exactly where needed.
Study shows inpatient psychiatric care can help teens amid a depressive crisis
There has been a troubling rise in adolescent mental health struggles and suicide rates over the past decade, with a dramatic increase following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has been accompanied by an increased demand for pediatric inpatient psychiatry units (IPUs) across the United States. However, despite the growing need, which has reached the point of bed shortages, the effectiveness of IPUs on teen mental health outcomes remains understudied.
New blood test detects tumor-derived cell-free RNA with high sensitivity
Somewhere in the body of a patient, a small clump of cells, growing undetected, has begun to form a tumor. It has yet to cause pain or visible symptoms of illness. Several months from now, or perhaps years, those first signs will prompt a doctor’s inquiry, a referral to a specialist, and an eventual diagnosis. Treatment will depend on how long the cancer has gone unnoticed and how far it has spread.
Researchers uncover barriers to opioid accessibility for seriously ill patients
In a study published in NEJM Catalyst, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai describe how measures to curb opioid overdoses in the general population have compromised a critical cornerstone of palliative care. Opioids are medically necessary analgesics for the relief of moderate to severe pain in patients with cancer and other serious illnesses, such as acute sickle cell crises, and for patients following surgery.
Study reveals new genetic mechanism behind autism development
Scientists from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV) have uncovered a genetic link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a rare genetic condition called myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).