WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2023 Following nearly two decades of decline, U.S. infant death rates edged up by 3% in 2022, new provisional government numbers reveal. “This was the first year we saw statistically significant increased rates of infant mortality in about 20 years,” said study author Danielle Ely, a statistician at the U.S. National Center… read on > read on >
Cellphone use might be blunting a fellow’s chances of becoming a father, a major new study reports. Young men who frequently use mobile phones have lower sperm concentrations and sperm counts than guys who rarely dial on the go, Swiss researchers found using more than a decade’s worth of data. However, the data also showed… read on > read on >
Despite progress in recent decades, too many Americans still have dangerously high LDL cholesterol levels, and about a quarter don’t even know it, new research finds. That puts those people at risk for a longer span of artery clogging disease and increases their risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study says. “We are… read on > read on >
Newer oral medications for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) do work quite well in the “real world,” despite some doubts that they would, according to a new study. The study, of 622 adults with RA, found that most were doing well on medications called JAK inhibitors, a relatively new drug class for the arthritic condition. They are… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2023 A new gene therapy for sickle cell disease was deemed safe by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Tuesday, paving the way for full approval by early December. The FDA had already decided that the therapy, known as exa-cel, was effective. Developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston and… read on > read on >
Many antibiotics long used to treat common childhood infections are no longer effective because of antibiotic resistance. The authors of a new study say global guidelines on antibiotic use need to be updated to reflect this, and they called for an increased focus on developing new antibiotics for infants and children. “We are not immune… read on > read on >
A new, more comfortable wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) device could be on its way. Researchers from Australia and India have created a compact, lightweight, gel-free hexagonal-shaped ECG patch that they say is ideally suited for point-of-care diagnostics. For those at risk, having a wearable device that can detect heart problems and assess overall cardiac health can… read on > read on >
Adding warning labels to meat about its impact on climate and health could lower its consumption, a new study suggests. British researchers investigated what adding cigarette-style graphic warning labels to meat in a cafeteria setting might do. “Reaching net zero is a priority for the nation and the planet. As warning labels have already been… read on > read on >
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, is debilitating and has no cure. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed an environmental risk score that will allow them to assess a person’s risk for developing ALS, as well as their survival after diagnosis. Toxins such as pesticides and carcinogenic PCBs affect a person’s… read on > read on >
In some big cities, mobile stroke units can deliver a powerful clot-busting drug to patients as these specialized ambulances speed to the hospital. Now, a new study shows these units deliver anti-clotting treatment a median of 37 minutes faster than when traditional ambulances drive stroke patients to the ER. And that extra time gives stroke… read on > read on >
