Category: Health News

Japan adding more hospital beds in plan for next virus surge

The Japanese government’s preparations for the next virus surge include adding thousands more hospital beds to avoid a situation like last summer when COVID-19 patients were forced to stay home, even while dependent on oxygen deliveries. Even though Japan has a reasonable health insurance system and the world’s largest number of beds per capita, COVID-19

COVID-19 hot spots offer sign of what could be ahead for US

The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Mountain West and fueling disruptive outbreaks in the North, a worrisome sign of what could be ahead this winter in the U.S. While trends are improving in Florida, Texas and other Southern states that bore the worst of the summer surge, it’s clear that

COVID-19 may cause heart inflammation in cats and dogs

Researchers conducted a study to investigate whether there is a link between a spike in cardiac inflammation among cats and dogs and SARS-CoV-2. They found that the majority of pets studied had contracted SARS-CoV-2 shortly after it was either confirmed or suspected that their owners had the virus. The researchers conclude that pets can contract

Unhoused veterans struggle to find services

A year-long study of a group of military veterans experiencing homeless in Los Angeles found that few were able to obtain permanent housing over the course of the period, even though they lived near the region’s major VA service center. The project led by researchers from the nonprofit RAND Corporation and the University of Southern

Pancreatic cancer: Etiology and early detection

Pancreatic cancer forms in the cells of the pancreas, an organ in the abdomen that releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces hormones that help manage our blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer is a rare disease with poor survival—it causes some 466,000 deaths internationally per year. The number of cases is increasing and the prognosis

OPT-PEACE Calls Out GI Injuries With Post-PCI Antiplatelets

A novel noninvasive endoscopy trial lends further support for the safety of single antiplatelet therapy after a 6-month course of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Results from the OPT-PEACE trial show that patients at low bleeding risk on aspirin or clopidogrel monotherapy for an additional 6 months after DAPT

Phone apps can improve caregiver mental health

Those who care for older adults suffering with memory loss and other cognitive impairments can significantly reduce their depression, stress, and anxiety by focusing on what is going on at the moment and engaging in mindfulness therapy, according to new Rutgers research. The study, published in Aging & Mental Health, examined the feasibility, acceptability, and

What is a runner’s high?

Have you ever watched a group of exhausted runners limp across a marathon finish line and thought: Why would anyone ever do that voluntarily? Maybe it’s the runner’s high. Ask a runner to explain themselves, and chances are they’ll say something about the fabled runner’s high. But what, exactly, is a runner’s high? How does

Chronological changes in SARS-CoV-2 immune responses after BNT162b2 vaccine

Rapid transmission of a novel coronavirus, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This pandemic has massively affected the world’s economy and the healthcare system. In response to the pandemic, scientists and healthcare officials developed various pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures. Study: SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell

Fast Foods Contain Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to a variety of health problems are abundant in fast foods sold in the United States, such as chicken nuggets, hamburgers, and cheese pizza, new research suggests. The first-of-its-kind study, which measured concentrations of chemicals such as phthalates in foods and gloves from US fast food chains, is also the first to

Domestic cats drive spread of Toxoplasma parasite to wildlife

New UBC research suggests free-roaming cats are likely to blame in the spread of the potentially deadly Toxoplasma gondii parasite to wildlife in densely populated urban areas. The study—the first to analyze so many wildlife species over a global scale—also highlights how healthy ecosystems can protect against these types of pathogens. The researchers, led by

Short growing seasons limited the size of hunter-gatherer societies

Short growing seasons limited the possible size of hunter-gatherer societies by forcing people to rely on meat, according to a recent study by a team of international reseachers including McGill University professor Eric Galbraith. After looking at population size for the roughly 300 hunter-gatherer societies which existed until quite recently, the researchers found that many