A picture taken on August 21, 2018 in Neuchatel, at the research and development campus of cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company Philip Morris International shows an iQOS electronic cigarette, which heats tobacco sticks but does not burn them. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images Philip Morris International won authorization from the Food and Drug
Month: April 2019
Researchers compared complications of atrial fibrillation between treatments with catheter ablation and drug therapy. Atrial fibrillation is a serious condition where the heart does not make regular beats. It affects 2.7 million Americans and can cause extreme tiredness and shortness of breath in some patients. For many years, atrial fibrillation was treated with drug therapy.
An international working group of experts has agreed on guidelines to help increase scientific and public awareness about a brain condition that mimics Alzheimer’s disease. The condition is not new but has come to light in recent research and clinical trials. Researchers have identified a misfolded protein in the brain that may be ‘a possible
A recent study that includes data from more than 2,000 older adults finds an association between poor sense of smell and an increased risk of death. A reduction in the sense of smell is more common than most people realize. As we age, our sense of smell diminishes. However, compared with vision and hearing, we
A recent study investigated whether medications commonly prescribed for chronic physical conditions can treat individuals with serious mental illness. Serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and non-affective psychoses, are difficult to treat. Some drugs originally developed to treat unrelated conditions can potentially be repurposed as mental illness treatments. Statins, calcium channel blockers, and biguanides
The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease recently discussed the positive effects of exercise on non-motor Parkinson’s disease symptoms. When one imagines the life of an individual diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, they often think of symptoms that debilitate movements such as tremors or impaired balance. However, Parkinson’s disease symptoms affect more than just the musculoskeletal system. The
Researchers have recently examined the link between mental health conditions and obesity in over 12,000 children and teenagers. The results show that obesity raises the risk of anxiety and depression, which is something that physicians and healthcare professionals should be “vigilant about.” Obesity raised anxiety and depression risk by 33% among young boys. According to
More and more Democratic presidential hopefuls are adopting a single-payer health care stance, which could be devastating for any player in the health insurance business, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Monday. Following the lead of Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator who is one of the biggest mouthpieces advocating for “Medicare for All,” about eight candidates
A recent experiment examined the effectiveness of multi-nutrient supplements for depression treatment and prevention. Major depressive disorder receives much attention in research, due largely for it being the second greatest factor contributing to years lived with disability. As such, assessing strategies that may help prevent the disorder is undeniably important. In the past several years,
A new approach to cancer therapy suggests that doctors may be able to keep cancer in check by placing metastatic cells in a state of dormancy, thus blocking them from giving rise to new tumors. A recent study in mice has found that an existing drug could effectively contain metastatic breast cancer cells. A minimally
Researchers evaluated an immunotherapy-chemotherapy combination cream in the prevention of skin cancer following precancerous lesions in sun-damaged skin. Despite widespread awareness of the need to protect skin from the sun, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin is the second most common cancer in the United States, and its incidence continues to rise. Skin cancer
Saw palmetto extracts have been used to treat urinary symptoms resulting from benign prostatic hyperplasia, in addition to treating pelvic pain, migraines, and hair loss. Here we discuss the evidence behind its current medical uses. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small palm tree originally found in Southeastern United States. The active parts of this
The team from Medcorder Medcorder David Weekly is a veteran of the technology sector who built his career at Facebook and Alphabet. He had no intention of working in health care until multiple members of his family were diagnosed with cancer. Through the experience of supporting their care, he witnessed a number of problems with
A recent study in Circulation investigated the mechanisms underlying the negative effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer on heart function. Cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among cancer survivors. These complications, including impaired heart function, are thought to be caused, in part, by the anti-cancer therapy. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) and heart dysfunction
In late June the 400,000 women in the U.S. affected each year with postpartum depression will no longer be forced to endure the extreme sadness, anxiety, exhaustion and other symptoms that define this debilitating, often misunderstood condition. That’s because that’s when Zulresso, the first and only medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to
A study conducted in the United States determined the health benefits of raspberry for glucose control in individuals with prediabetes. Glucose control is the first and most essential step in diabetes. Prediabetes is defined as the condition with blood glucose levels in between the normal and diabetic range. Such individuals are at risk of developing
The FBI raided uBiome’s San Francisco office on April 25 The FBI raided the San Francisco office of health start-up uBiome on Friday, because of the questionable ways the company has billed consumers. Federal agents showed up at the office at 360 Langton Street in the South of Market neighborhood for “court-authorized law enforcement activity,” an FBI
Researchers find that existing drug treatment is effective against SCCOHT, a rare and fatal form of ovarian cancer that affects young women. Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare, highly malignant tumor that affect young women with a median age of diagnosis of 24 years. Approximately 3% of cancers in women affect the
A long-term study supports earlier suggestions that testing the blood for levels of a certain protein could be a noninvasive way to track the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. Detecting a protein in the blood could track the progress of Alzheimer’s onset. The protein is called neurofilament light. It spills out of damaged and dying nerve
New research has looked at human cancer cells implanted into mice, human tumor samples, and other assays in an attempt to better understand what drives the spread of certain aggressive cancers. A ‘chemical messenger’ could be helping aggressive cancers grow and spread. A team at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, MD, has recently conducted a
A study explored the efficacy of aerobic exercise compared to a less intense stretching program to help adolescents recover from concussions related to sports injuries. Concussions related to sports injuries are a significant public health problem without effective treatment. Up to 30% of children and adolescents have symptoms such as confusion, amnesia, dizziness, ringing in
Certain diets are associated with a higher risk of heart failure. A new study seeks to understand why this relationship exists. We frequently hear that a high-fat diet increase the risk of obesity and heart failure. The type of fats in vegetable oil, in particular, seem to be particularly risky. However, scientists still don’t know
It is relatively common for newborns and older babies to have some dry skin on their faces. In most cases this dry skin is harmless, and it tends to clear up without treatment. Babies often have dry skin on their faces because their skin is more sensitive than adults. Their skin may be adjusting to
Bausch Health, formerly known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals, said Thursday that it and its dermatology business, Ortho Dermatologics received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its DUOBRII lotion to treat plaque psoriasis. “With today’s approval of DUOBRII, patients suffering from plaque psoriasis now have an innovative topical treatment option that uniquely combines two well-known
Piaget’s stages are a theory of how a child’s cognition — meaning their knowledge and understanding about the world — develops between birth and adulthood. Jean Piaget was an early psychologist who specialized in child development from the 1920s onward. Piaget developed his theories by watching children and making notes about their progress. The core
A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss, occurring during the later stages of the disease. But what if it was possible to restore memories? Researchers in Buffalo, New York are investigating how this could be possible. The combination of environmental and genetic risk factors results in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, when
Food additives are a mainstay of Western diets. New research shows how a commonly used anti-mold agent alters sugar metabolism and drives insulin resistance in mice and men. Does a common preservative in bread alter our metabolism? Obesity and type 2 diabetes have reached epidemic levels, with nearly 40 percent of adults in the United
Researchers recently studied if frequent light exercise reduces the risk of heart disease in older women. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the leading cause of mortality around the world. Heart attack and coronary heart disease (CHD) rates are more prevalent among women aged 85 and above. Under the age of 85, heart attacks and CHD