Exposure to air pollution, even for just a short time, drives up your risk of having a stroke over the next few days, new research warns. That conclusion stems from a review of 110 studies conducted across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Depending on the specific nature of the pollutant in question, stroke risk rose…  read on >  read on >

New research shows that an antibiotic effective for bacterial pneumonia also appears to fight treatment-resistant staph infections. The drug is ceftobiprole. It appeared successful in fighting methicillin-resistant staph infections, sometimes called MRSA. It showed similar benefit when tested against the antibiotic daptomycin to treat complicated Staphylococcus aureus infections. This means it could offer another option…  read on >  read on >

Being exposed to more estrogen throughout life — or a longer reproductive life span — may be good for the brain, according to new research that found a lower risk of cerebral small vessel disease in women who had more cumulative exposure. Cerebral small vessel disease happens from damage to small blood vessels in the…  read on >  read on >

Up to 2 million people in the U.S. experience rapid-fire heartbeats from time to time, and many end up in the hospital for treatment. But an investigational nasal spray may help folks with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) safely and quickly slow their heart rate on their own. “Currently, PSVT is treated with intravenous medication administered…  read on >  read on >

A new study is strengthening the evidence that stem cell transplants can be highly effective for some people with multiple sclerosis — sending the disease into remission for years, and sometimes reversing disability. Researchers found that of 174 MS patients who underwent stem cell transplants — with cells from their own blood — two-thirds had…  read on >  read on >

A newer understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggests that psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression may emerge long before classic MS symptoms. “For a long time, it was thought that MS only really began clinically when a person experienced their first demyelinating event, such as in the form of vision problems,” said senior author Helen…  read on >  read on >