A commonly prescribed component of the life-saving antiretroviral drug cocktails used to treat HIV may trigger weight gain, new research warns. The concern stems from tracking patients taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). Since the mid-1990s, the therapy has relied on various drug combinations to essentially outwit HIV, controlling viral loads and turning a once-deadly infection into…  read on >  read on >

Vaping high-strength nicotine can help adults with schizophrenia stop smoking traditional cigarettes, according to a new study. Between 60% and 90% of people with schizophrenia smoke, compared to 15% to 24% of the general population, the researchers noted in the report published March 16 in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Smoking is the main…  read on >  read on >

To the lingering damage of COVID-19 infection, add this side effect: New research shows that more than half of those sickened by COVID-19 report depression. Among more than 3,900 people who had COVID-19 surveyed between May 2020 and January 2021, 52% suffered symptoms of major depression, researchers found. “People who have been ill with COVID-19…  read on >  read on >

Dutch scientists report they have grown miniature tear glands that actually cry. They say these organoids — tiny 3D-structures that mimic the function of actual human organs — could lead to new treatments for dry eye disease and other tear gland disorders. “And hopefully in the future, this type of organoids may even be transplantable…  read on >  read on >

Katie Rodgers was just 15 years old when she started smoking, and in her early 20s when it became a more significant habit. Rodgers found quitting tough, but she managed to kick the habit at age 33 during a global pandemic because she knew that smoking would increase her anxiety and put her at higher…  read on >  read on >