Tag: A

For five years, Patti Swearingen battled an infection that refused to go away. Doctors prescribed round after round of antibiotics, but the infection kept coming back. Eventually, the microscopic war inside her body left Swearingen so weak and debilitated she could barely leave her living room couch. In March, she and her husband Gary decided

The eye hosts a powerful biological computer, the retina. Understanding how the retina transforms images from the outside world into signals that the brain can interpret would not only result in insights into brain computations, but could also be useful for medicine. As machine learning and artificial intelligence advance, eye diseases will soon be described

In a study of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), blood pressure medications reduced protein excretion in the urine, which was linked with a lower risk of disease progression. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), provide valuable information for monitoring and treating pediatric

Paralysis of an arm and/or leg is one of the most common effects of a stroke. But thanks to research carried out by scientists at the Defitech Foundation Chair in Brain-Machine Interface and collaborators, stroke victims may soon be able to recover greater use of their paralyzed limbs. The scientists’ pioneering approach brings together two

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Struck by bullets on June 5, 1968, following his victory speech at the California Democratic Party presidential primary, Kennedy died of severe brain injury on the following day, June 6. Although much has been written about RFK’s assassination—some documented and some

As far as yogurt consumers go, I’m a big one. Early-onset osteoporosis runs in my family, but since I don’t eat a lot of cheese or milk, I make a point to have at least one serving of yogurt every day, if not two, to make sure I’m getting plenty of calcium. But recently, I

Thomas Markle — the only person in the world who can get away with calling the new Duchess of Sussex, formerly known to us Americans as just Meghan Markle, by her childhood nickname "Bean" — isn’t exactly shy about talking to the media about his famous daughter. We can’t imagine Meghan and Prince Harry are

People choose role models who have achieved success in ways that are in line with their own moral values, according to University of Queensland research. Dr. Kim Peters of the UQ School of Psychology examined the competency and moral characters of role models in the workplace and found that people did not blindly follow extraordinary

People react differently to positive events in their lives. For some, a small reward can have a large impact on their mood, while others may get a smaller emotional boost from the same positive event. These reactions can not only be objectively measured in a simple office evaluation, but researchers from the University of Illinois

Ever notice how when your tummy is rumbling, you’re more likely to lash out at unsuspecting loved ones or even innocent bystanders? This sudden, irrational rage is often referred to as “hanger” (a combo of hunger and anger) and experts say it is a very real thing. “When we do not eat, blood sugar goes low,” explains Deena Adimoolam, MD, an assistant professor in

Body image is an issue most commonly discussed among women, but new statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveal that it’s a conversation that is emerging among men. More men are seeking help from plastic surgeons to enhance their looks and build confidence. In fact, more than 1.3 million cosmetic procedures were

It’s the critical first step in treating everything from strokes to cancer: a timely and accurate diagnosis. Today, doctors often rely on biomarkers, such as cardiac troponin, the protein that appears in the blood after a heart attack, to help them figure out what’s going on with patients. But the information the biomarkers provide can

Yes, everyone wants to feel full for hours after they eat lunch and never be bloated again. But like, how?!? Well, there’s one solution that’s not exactly sexy (your grandma probably swears by it), but it works: fiber, baby. Okay, yes, so fiber bars can be kind of nasty. But you can (and should) get

Researchers at Emory University have found that depressed patients who have not responded to multiple antidepressants exhibit evidence of increased inflammation. Findings were recently published online in the journal, Psychoneuroendocrinology. The study shows that antidepressant treatment resistance is associated with increased inflammatory markers in patients with depression. One third of patients with depression fail to

One in every 125 babies is born with a heart condition – but thanks to modern medicine more infants are surviving than ever before. In the developed world, 90% will now live into adulthood, compared with just 20% in the 1940s. However, there is no cure for these conditions and the person needs lifelong medical

Metastatic breast cancer, a term for advanced breast cancer that’s spread to other parts of the body, is a devastating diagnosis: Its average life expectancy is just three years, and its five-year survival rate is just 22%. Tumors can be treated and symptoms can be managed, but most patients fight the disease for the rest

A study involving scientists from the University of Alicante and the United States notes that the accumulation of a protein known as alpha-synuclein in the retina is a key Parkinson’s biomarker that could help detect the degree of severity of the disease. The work has been published this month in Movement Disorders, a journal in

Fasting is a longstanding part of many religious traditions, including the Jewish and Muslim observances of Yom Kippur and Ramadan. A form of fasting known as intermittent fasting has also gained popularity as a weight-loss tool. Many studies have examined the benefits and risks of giving up food for a day, including how it affects

Who hasn’t stood under a fast food awning, mouth agape, trying to pick out the burger, fried chicken, or salad option that will destroy her sense of health and well-being the least? There’s nothing wrong with fast fixes for hunger pangs, of course—you know your cravings best—but for me, this scenario happens too often on

More than 2.5 million Americans are living with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). AFib is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. What doctors and researchers currently understand about treating AFib stems mainly from whether a patient has been diagnosed with the condition or not. University of Minnesota