Severe forms of autism could be linked to overgrowth of the brain’s outer layer that starts while a baby is in the womb, a new study finds. Toddlers with autism have cerebral cortexes — often referred to as “gray matter” — that are roughly 40% larger than those of children without the developmental disorder, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Though not at numbers seen in the 2022 outbreak, mpox cases are still circulating in the United States, largely among gay and bisexual men, new government data shows. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) viral illness in the United States during 2022 sickened more…  read on >  read on >

Higher amounts of the artificial sweetener xylitol might raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study warns. Xylitol is a zero-calorie sugar alcohol commonly used in sugar-free candy, chewing gum, baked goods and toothpastes, researchers said. But high blood levels of the sweetener is associated with an increased risk of suffering a…  read on >  read on >

America’s poison control centers are increasingly fielding calls on cases of deliberate or accidental poisonings that end in disability or death, a new report finds. Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System reviewed more than 33.7 million poison exposures reported to the 55 poison centers in the United States between 2007 and the end…  read on >  read on >

Common drugs used to control cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure might also lower a person’s risk of stroke, a new study finds. The researchers evaluated the risk of brain aneurysms that cause bleeding strokes in patients. For the study, they looked at the medical records for nearly 4,900 patients who had a bleeding…  read on >  read on >

One of the biggest obstacles to treating brain cancer is getting tumor-killing drugs past the blood-brain barrier that normally protects the brain from foreign invaders. Now, new research shows that ultrasound waves emitted from a device implanted in a cancer patient’s skull could be the key to getting chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs into the brain.…  read on >  read on >

Drug-resistant fungal infections are appearing in the United States, resulting in highly contagious and tough-to-treat cases of ringworm, also known as jock itch or athlete’s foot, experts warn in a pair of reports. The two fungi reported are among a group that cause skin rashes of the face, limbs, groin and feet, researchers said. Unfortunately,…  read on >  read on >