THURSDAY, May 25, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — The official word on COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization and the U.S. government, is that it’s no longer an emergency. But while that’s a milestone, it’s hardly an all-clear for everyone to behave as if the pandemic never happened, experts say. “It doesn’t mean… read on > read on >
Smallpox vaccines, which were routinely given into the 1970s, seem to provide protection from mpox, a new study says. The mpox virus, responsible for a worldwide outbreak last year, could surge again this summer, public health experts have warned. It was previously called monkeypox. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden wondered whether the smallpox… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, May 25, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — Alexis Simon, a special education teacher in the greater Pittsburgh area, was having a routine morning at school, sending an e-mail at her desk. The next thing she knew, she woke up at a hospital, disoriented and panicked. “Is my baby OK?” Simon, who was 8… read on > read on >
Ketamine may be an alternative to shock treatment for people with treatment-resistant major depression, a new study suggests. Currently, patients with major depressive disorder who don’t find a medication or therapy that works may undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as shock therapy. But researchers have also been studying intravenous ketamine — a powerful anesthetic… read on > read on >
Researchers have found another clue as to why some infants die suddenly in their sleep, and it’s related to a faulty chemical receptor in the brainstem. Experts said the findings provide another puzzle piece in understanding the root causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). By examining autopsied brain tissue, researchers found that a particular… read on > read on >
One potential solution to reducing chronic pain: Get moving. A new Norwegian study finds that physically active folks have greater pain tolerance compared to sedentary types. Those with higher levels of activity also had higher pain tolerance, according to the report published online May 24 in PLOS ONE. “Becoming or staying physically active over time… read on > read on >
(HealthDay News) – People with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease may have an increased risk of epilepsy, a new study says. And folks with a certain type of epilepsy may have higher odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Having Alzheimer’s was linked to a 5.3% increased risk of generalized epilepsy, researchers report in the journal… read on > read on >
The problem of “food deserts” in many parts of the United States has gained attention in recent years. Now, researchers are highlighting a similar issue: play deserts. In a recent study, investigators at the University of Georgia found that in many areas of the country — particularly the South — families have few safe, free… read on > read on >
When one of the heart’s valves springs a big leak, that can spell big trouble. The good news: The condition, known as degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR), is treatable using a minimally invasive intervention known as TEER (transcatheter edge-to-edge repair), a procedure that involves the insertion of a small clip to enable proper valve closure and… read on > read on >
A Dutch man with paralyzed legs can now stand and walk, thanks to a wireless brain-spine interface that responds to his thoughts by moving his legs. Gert-Jan Oskam, 40, suffered a spinal cord injury 11 years ago from a bike accident in China that left him unable to walk. Oskam now has a brain implant… read on > read on >
