Category: Health Problems

An analysis of recent high-quality research reveals that diet may affect individuals’ risks related to the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The findings are published in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology. The systematic review included the analysis of 18 high-quality studies. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet was linked with a decreased risk of

Brain tumours account for 20 per cent of all cases of childhood cancers as well as the highest number of cancer-related deaths in Canadian children under 20 years old. Despite improved clinical outcomes, patients live with extensive cognitive and physical delays resulting from toxicities associated with chemotherapy and radiation. “Better, more targeted and less toxic

In addition to revealing information about a patient’s condition, pneumococcal DNA also appears to provide information about the course of an infection. In the next issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc researchers describe several pneumococcal genes predicting whether a patient runs the risk of developing meningitis or dying from the disease. Use of such genetic

A critical link in mapping recurrent mutations of melanoma—the most serious form of skin cancer in humans—has been discovered by researchers at Washington State University School of Molecular Biosciences, in collaboration with researchers at Georgia State University. In a paper published July 6 in Nature Communications, researchers established that DNA binding by a specific set

Imagine a pathogen that infects completely healthy people and can cause blindness in one day and flesh-eating infections, brain abscesses and death in just a few days. Now imagine that this pathogen is also resistant to all antibiotics. This is the nightmare scenario that obsesses Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine in the Jacobs

Sixty million people in sub-Saharan Africa live at risk of African sleeping sickness, a disease caused by parasites transmitted through the tsetse fly. In the late stage of the disease, when the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier, the results are oftentimes fatal. Brigham Young University chemistry professor Ken Christensen, students and collaborators at Clemson University

Breathing in additional oxygen improves the function of blood vessels in the brain of people with breathing difficulties caused by lung conditions, according to new research published in Experimental Physiology. These findings could have implications for future research aiming to prevent the development of diseases affecting the brain, such as dementia. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Further exploration into the endpoints of the NRG Oncology/RTOG 0424 trial resulted in the discovery that MGMT promoter methylation is an independent prognostic biomarker of high-risk, low-grade glioma treated with temozolomide and radiation. This is the first study of its kind to validate the prognostic significance of MGMT promoter methylation in this patient population and

Growing miniature tumors from patient’s cells in the laboratory may help scientists personalize treatments for those with a rare form of prostate cancer, according a study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian scientists. Patients with prostate cancer often receive therapies that reduce levels of testosterone. Many of their tumors eventually become resistant to such hormone-reducing

Today, we hear about dangerous viral infections around the world on a regular basis. Social media and internet access may be an obvious explanation for their seeming increase. But it doesn’t just seem this way. The number of viruses and the infections they cause are truly increasing. Scientific advances, the way humans live today and

A new study has found that “skinny fat—the combination of low muscle mass and strength in the context of high fat mass—may be an important predictor of cognitive performance in older adults. While sarcopenia, the loss of muscle tissue that is part of the natural aging process, as well as obesity both negatively impact overall

You’ve seen the evidence on your pillow. You’ve found it on your clothes and in the shower. And although you may feel nervous, embarrassed or even scared, it’s important to know that the problem you’re dealing with is one that most women will face at some point in their lives. We’re talking about hair loss.

Imagine stepping onto a scale – not to measure your weight, but the chance of your heart failing. That’s the potential scenario envisioned by researchers who may have discovered a new risk factor for heart failure: leg bioimpedance. More frequently used to calculate body fat, bioimpedance uses low electrical currents to measure resistance within tissue.

Scientists in Dresden, Germany, have been successful in mimicking mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease in a novel, stem cell-based model system that reproduces features of human brain tissue. This experimental tool can be used to study mechanisms of pathology and help to find new therapeutic approaches, the researchers say. Their results, published in the journal Developmental

A potential new target for treatment has been identified in an aggressive form of bladder cancer, Mount Sinai researchers report in a recent study. Bladder cancers are categorized into subtypes based on molecular features. These subtypes are associated with different prognoses and responses to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. A type of bladder cancer called

If you suffer from IBS, you know when you’re having a flare-up. Your digestive system feels like it’s in overdrive, and the last thing you want to do is add even more stress to your body with a vigorous workout. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise (in fact, you should—exercise can help IBS symptoms), it just means

What one woman thought was tummy trouble turned out to be something much bigger. After suffering from stomach pain and weight gain, 30-year-old Alabama resident Kayla Rahn ended up undergoing surgery to remove a 50-pound ovarian cyst. In an interview with NBC affiliate WSFA, Rahn said she would get short of breath, couldn’t lose weight,

A new study has shown that despite excellent glycemic control and low glycemic variability throughout their pregnancies, women with type 1 diabetes tended to give birth to infants who were large for gestational age. Researchers documented elevated fetal weight and abdominal circumference percentages throughout the pregnancies that were consistent with accelerated prenatal growth, as documented

The complexity of the human brain presents scientists with immense challenges as they try to find new treatments for a host of diseases and conditions. But the advent of a new technology known as single-cell RNA sequencing is opening a window into how the brain works. Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an

In a summer outbreak that posed significant risks to pregnant women and their fetuses, 29 people in Miami-Dade County were infected with the Zika virus between late June and early August of 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To understand people’s perceptions, behaviors, and knowledge about the outbreak, and whether county