KEY TAKEAWAYS: The progression of multiple sclerosis is particularly difficult to predict, varying widely between patients A new blood test uses a biomarker of nerve cell damage to accurately predict progression over the next two years If the test proves valid, it might help patients and their doctor plan optimal treatments, the researchers said One… read on > read on >
Climate change-driven hurricanes, floods and superstorms are threatening to create a surge in mold growth in people’s homes, sickening residents and robbing them of breath. Local hospitals witness a nearly twofold increase in diagnoses related to mold exposure following a storm-related natural disaster, according to a study being presented Thursday at the annual meeting of… read on > read on >
Young people who smoke and have prediabetes have triple the risk of suffering a stroke, a new study shows. Overall, hospitalized tobacco users with prediabetes had a 3.3 times higher risk that they were in the hospital due to a stroke, after researchers accounted for other risk factors. The findings “warrant early screening and prevention… read on > read on >
An experimental device that isolates blood flow to the brain has the potential to revolutionize brain research. The device redirects the brain’s blood supply through a pump that maintains or adjusts a range of variables necessary to maintain the organ, including blood pressure, temperature, oxygenation and nutrients, researchers report. When tested on a pig brain,… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Nov. 10, 2023 (Healthday News) — The first vaccine to prevent infection with the chikungunya virus was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. The single-dose shot, known as Ixchiq, is approved for adults who are at increased risk of exposure to the virus. “Infection with chikungunya virus can lead to… read on > read on >
Women and their doctors have long known that taking birth control pills can elevate the risk for a blood clot. Now, some good news: That added risk will disappear within a few weeks of stopping an oral contraceptive, a new study shows. “It’s reassuring to know that that possible harm of the pill goes away… read on > read on >
Having high insulin levels may be more than tough to manage when you have diabetes: New research shows it also appears to raise the risk of pancreatic cancer. In the study, scientists found excessive insulin levels overstimulated pancreatic acinar cells, which produce digestive juices. This overstimulation triggers inflammation that turns these cells into precancerous cells.… read on > read on >
A Mr. Magoo with thick glasses peering out from behind the wheel might not inspire confidence from his fellow motorists, but a new study shows other types of vision loss might be even more dangerous while driving. Loss of peripheral vision also can dramatically increase the risk of a car crash, Australian researchers presented in… read on > read on >
KEY TAKEAWAYS: An Arkansas man has received the world’s first whole-eye transplant, along with a partial face transplant The man suffered horrific injuries in 2021 when his face touched a live wire His surgery took 21 hours and a medical team of more than 140 surgeons, nurses and other health care professionals An Arkansas man… read on > read on >
Health care workers at America’s nursing homes are woefully under-vaccinated for both flu and COVID-19, threatening their own health and that of the frail elderly patients under their care, a new report finds. Looking at 2023 data collected at nearly 14,000 nursing homes nationwide, researchers found that that fewer than one in every four (22.9%)… read on > read on >
