Artificial intelligence might be able to identify patients who have rare diseases years earlier than they would typically be diagnosed, a new study says. A newly developed AI program was able to successfully identify people at risk of developing a rare immune disorder, researchers report in Science Translational Medicine. Out of a group of 100…  read on >  read on >

Primates are capable of tending to wounds using medicinal plants, a new case report says. A male Sumatran orangutan treated a facial wound with a climbing plant known to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, researchers say in the journal Scientific Reports. The orangutan, named Rakus by observers, plucked leaves from a vine called Akar Kuning…  read on >  read on >

Many fewer Americans are falling prey to the most dangerous form of heart attack, a new study says. STEMI (ST‐segment-elevation myocardial infarction) heart attacks have declined by nearly 50% during the past 15 years in the United States, researchers found. STEMI heart attacks are caused by a near-total blockage of a coronary artery, researchers said…  read on >  read on >

Folks undergoing cardiac catheterization procedures to diagnose heart problems may be able to safely skip the traditional pre-op fasting that’s now the norm, new research shows. “Just as our techniques and technology for cardiac catheterization have evolved, so should our approach to pre-procedure management,” lead researcher Dr. Brian Mitchell said in a news release from…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will spend $3 billion to help states and territories identify and replace lead water pipes. “The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said, announcing…  read on >  read on >

Artificial intelligence might be able to help doctors by filling out rote paperwork, but it’s not going to be useful in the ER anytime soon, a new study shows. OpenAI’s ChatGPT program provided inconsistent conclusions when presented with simulated cases of patients with chest pain, researchers report. The AI returned different heart risk assessment levels…  read on >  read on >

Add one more damaging consequence of sleep apnea to the list: New research suggests it’s related to late-life epilepsy. Late-onset epilepsy is defined as seizures that tend to begin only after the age of 60. The condition might be related to underlying heart or brain illnesses, noted study co-author Dr. Rebecca Gottesman, chief of the…  read on >  read on >

The active chemical in magic mushrooms could prove to be a powerful antidepressant, a new review finds. Psilocybin outperformed a variety of “control” treatments in easing symptoms of depression, researchers reported May 1 in the BMJ. Those control groups received either placebo medications, the dietary supplement niacin (vitamin B), or microdoses of psychedelics. “This review’s…  read on >  read on >

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander people have cancer death rates that are two to three times higher than they are in whites, new data shows. The first-of-its-kind report, issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS) on May 1, focuses solely on the cancer risk of Americans who’ve descended from regions along the Pacific Rim,…  read on >  read on >