Category: Health News

COVID-19 a Rare Trigger for Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. Although Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) may rarely follow a recent infection with SARS-CoV-2, a strong relationship of GBS with the novel coronavirus is unlikely, say researchers with the International GBS Outcome Study (IGOS) consortium. “Our study shows that COVID-19 may precede Guillain-Barré

Medication Accumulation in Gut Bacteria May Curb Drug Effectiveness, Alter Gut Microbiome

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many common medications such as antidepressants, diabetes and asthma drugs can accumulate in gut bacteria, altering bacterial function and potentially reducing drug effectiveness, researchers say. “It was surprising that the majority of the new interactions we saw between bacteria and drugs were the drugs accumulating in the bacteria, because up

AHIMA, AMIA, EHRA call for consensus on electronic health information

Three major healthcare informatics organizations this week published a new study designed to help guide the conversation around how electronic health information should be managed and put to use by healthcare providers and technology developers. WHY IT MATTERS The American Health Information Management Association, the American Medical Informatics Association and the HIMSS Electronic Health Record

Study reveals why SARS-CoV-2 is more infectious than SARS-CoV-1

Coronaviruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 are enveloped positive-sense RNA viruses that are a huge threat to public health globally. They can be transmitted from animals to humans and can cause many diseases ranging from the common cold to severe respiratory illnesses. Study: The supramolecular organization of SARS-CoV and

STEMI Latecomers Still Benefit From Coronary Revascularization

Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who delay seeking care for more than 12 hours still derive significant benefit from coronary revascularization of the infarct artery, new research shows. A large analysis of data from the French FAST-MI registry found that primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with improved short- and long-term outcomes

Pinning down Pin1: Potential COVID-19 therapy

In their recent study published in Nature Scientific Reports, scientists from Japan have demonstrated that Prolyl isomerase Pin1 is one of the key cellular molecules necessary for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) propagation. Study: Prolyl isomerase Pin1 plays an essential role in SARS-CoV-2 proliferation, indicating its possibility as a novel therapeutic target. Image

Explaining COVID-19 breakthrough infections

The U.S. has now vaccinated more than 208 million people with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. More people are getting vaccinated, but transmission rates in communities are still high, with 94% of U.S. counties classified as areas of high transmission. Amid the recent surge of infections and hospitalizations with Delta variant, people have

Six billion anti-COVID shots injected worldwide

More than six billion doses of anti-COVID vaccines have been given around the world, according to an AFP tally Wednesday based on official sources. The vaccination drive has reached a steady rhythm taking 29 days to clock up the sixth billion, almost the same speed as the fourth and fifth billion at 30 and 26

High-risk leukemia is more aggressive in children with Down syndrome

Children with Down syndrome have a lower chance of survival from a particular high-risk form of leukemia (ALL) than children without the disability, new research shows. Researcher Naomi Michels in the Den Boer group: “We need to continue the search for targeted therapies and immunotherapy for these children.” Children at higher risk of their cancer

Racial and ethnic disparities persist in lung cancer screening eligibility

Revised guidelines for lung cancer screening eligibility are perpetuating disparities for racial/ethnic minorities, according to a new study in Radiology. In 2014, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of medical experts, recommended lung cancer screening with low-dose chest CT in high-risk individuals to reduce cancer-related mortality. The initial eligibility guidelines had

What mutant flies can teach us about autoimmune disorders

From founding the field of genetics research to unraveling the mysteries of disease, tiny fruit flies have made a big impact on our understanding of human biology. While it may not look it, the insects share 60% of their genes with humans. Fruit flies have therefore become an important model organism for studying gene function