Category: Health Problems

More than 60 years after the drug thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have solved a mystery that has lingered ever since the dangers of the drug first became apparent: how did the drug produce such severe fetal harm? The answer,

A new study published in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, conducted by a Liverpool based research collaboration involving the University of Liverpool, has identified the drug that treats the extremely rare genetic disease alkaptonuria (AKU). An observational study at the NHS-funded Robert Gregory National Alkaptonuria Centre (NAC), based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, in collaboration

Individuals with defects in copper metabolism may soon have more targeted treatment options thanks to a discovery by a research team led by Dr. Vishal Gohil of Texas A&M AgriLife Research in College Station. A paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that an investigational anticancer-drug, elesclomol, can restore the production

A new study led by Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientists provides the first evidence of how the human brain recovers the ability to function after losing parts of the visual system. Published in Cell Reports, the researchers report on three years of behavioral and brain imaging tests on a nearly seven year-old boy—”UD”—who had a third

Women’s brains are much more vulnerable than men’s to injury from repeated soccer heading, according to a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore. The study found that regions of damaged brain tissue were five times more extensive in female soccer players than in males, suggesting that sex-specific guidelines

Today’s healthcare is full of technology that would seem like science fiction to our grandparents. But this is far from true in every area: some remain woefully neglected by innovation. Hop in a time machine back to ancient Egypt and you would find recognisable examples of the absorbent pads and catheters which are still a

Football scores from all angles for untrained middle-aged and elderly women and men with prediabetes. This is the conclusion from a study carried out in the Faroe Islands by football researchers and physiologists from the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark and the University of the Faroe Islands.

The human brain is organized of highly complex and expansive cellular and neuronal networks, but the existing scientific understanding of the developing brain is proportionately limited. Neuroengineering is an evolving field that employs advanced technology to manipulate neurons. The discipline can develop disease models of the central and peripheral nervous system to grasp neurological disorders,

There has been a decline in the uptake of life-saving treatments among people living with hepatitis C, according to new data released by the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney. The data, released ahead of World Hepatitis Day on 28 July, shows that 58,280 people have begun hepatitis C therapy since highly-curative treatments were placed on

At the 96th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), held in conjunction with the IADR Pan European Regional (PER) Congress, Benjamin Chaffee, University of California, San Francisco, USA gave a poster presentation “Nicotine and Carcinogen Exposure by Tobacco Product Type and Dual-Use.” The IADR/PER General Session & Exhibition is in London,

(HealthDay)—In recent years there have been low rates of osteoporosis treatment initiation after a hip fracture, according to research published in the July 20 issue of JAMA Network Open. Using a commercial insurance claims database, Rishi J. Desai, Ph.D., from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues analyzed osteoporosis treatment initiation rates between Jan.

Skin lightening is a longstanding practice that occurs in many parts of the world. It’s been done through the use of creams, lotions, soaps, folk remedies, and staying out of the sun. The desire for light skin has been extended to children too. Advice to “marry light” is not uncommon in Asian and black families,

The otic placode gives rise to the inner ear in vertebrates. A new study shows that even when it is transplanted to ectopic positions, the nerve cells that grow out of the transplanted ear can form functional connections in the brain. In vertebrates, the inner ear develops from the otic placode, a group of cells

An e-learning programme that trains care home staff to engage in meaningful social interaction with people who have dementia improves wellbeing and has sustained benefits. The average person with dementia in a care home experiences just two minutes of social interaction each day. They also showed that out of 170 available training programmes for nursing

Mind-body therapies—biofeedback, mindfulness, yoga, and hypnosis – provide a promising approach to the very common problem of anxiety in adolescents, according to a review in the March issue of The Nurse Practitioner. “A growing body of evidence supports the implementation of mind-body therapy as a low-risk and cost-effective strategy in the management of anxious teenagers,”

To ensure elimination of the Wuchereria bancrofti, a parasitic roundworm that causes lymphatic filariasis, public health workers must follow up mass drug administration with careful monitoring for recurrence. To that end, a study published this week in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases analyzes the effectiveness of mosquito screening as a tool to gauge parasite presence. The

A new gene associated with disease severity in models of rheumatoid arthritis has been identified by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The discovery could provide a new pathway for treatment and a way to measure the prognosis of patients diagnosed with the autoimmune condition. Through a series of experiments—on synovial

Immune cells that normally rush in to protect the eyes from infection might actually be disrupting moisturizing glands and causing dry eye, a disease that afflicts more than 30 million people in the United States. This finding from a research team led by Duke Eye Center could lead to more effective therapies for dry eyes

Do you know someone afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease? Odds are the answer to that question is yes, since Alzheimer’s is one of the most common age-related disorders in the United States. It’s also the fifth-leading cause of death among adults aged 65 and older. But as pervasive as the disease may be, one of its

Lowering blood pressure more than usually recommended not only helps prevent heart problems, it also cuts the risk of mental decline that often leads to Alzheimer’s disease, a major study finds. It’s the first time a single step has been clearly shown to help prevent a dreaded condition that has had people trying crossword puzzles,