Jason Lee

Some U.S. health officials are conceding that monkeypox is probably not going away anytime soon. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-monkeypox.html

The US suicide rate rose in 2021, particularly among young men, according to official data out Friday—an increase that ends a two-year-decline. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-suicide-rose-falling-years.html

A box truck equipped with a bright LED billboard began circling around the University of Idaho campus Friday. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-abortion-info-university-affects.html

Bronchodilators, the most common type of asthma-fighting drug, inhibits contractions of airway smooth muscle that are induced by stimulating receptors on the muscle's surface. New research highlights a novel mechanism for the drugs and will aid in the development of better medications for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The findings are detailed in a new article by researchers from Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland and Queen's University in Northern Ireland. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-asthma-copd-drugs-side-effects.html

Using advanced diffusion neuroimaging technology, Kessler Foundation researchers investigated the relationship between the rate of cognitive fatigue to microstructural changes in the brain in persons with multiple sclerosis. Their findings help fill a gap in the current understanding of how brain pathology influences the development of fatigue over time. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-advances-knowledge-role-brain-pathology.html

Indonesia has approved its first locally developed Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, the head of the country's public health agency said Friday, hailing it as a step toward "the nation's independence in access to medicine". source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-indonesia-homegrown-covid-vaccine.html

New UCLA-led research suggests certain gut bacteria—including one that is essential for a healthy gut microbiome—differ between people who go on to acquire HIV infection compared to those who have not become infected. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-gut-bacteria-contribute-susceptibility-hiv.html

Much of the research on scleroderma, a connective tissue disease that causes scarring, or fibrosis, has focused on the increased number of proteins promoting fibrosis in these patients. A Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) research team took a different tact and measured the levels of an antifibrotic protein, Cathepsin L, in these patients. They report in Rheumatology that patients with scleroderma had reduced levels of this antifibrotic protein, and the Cathepsin L that they did have was packaged in an inactive state that deprived it of its antifibrotic function. The team was led by Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D., the Kitty Trask Holt Endowed Chair for Scleroderma Research, and M.D.-Ph.D. student Joe Mouawad, a National Scleroderma Foundation predoctoral fellowship awardee. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-reversing-lung-fibrosis-scleroderma-requires.html

Enrolling representative populations in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease is critical for finding treatments that will be safe and effective for all patients. African Americans and Latinos are disproportionately affected by this disease yet are substantially underrepresented in trials of promising therapies. For example, an analysis of data from more than 100 clinical trials testing new treatments for Alzheimer's disease found that only 12% of participants were of any non-White race or Hispanic ethnicity. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-diverse-alzheimer-clinical-trial.html

Researchers have known that race and ethnicity play a role in the intensity of medical care at the end of life, but the difference is more pronounced among individuals with dementia, the researchers found. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-ethnicity-end-of-life-medicare-patients-dementia.html

Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus have created a new way of measuring cancer lesions response to treatment that could better inform the development of new cancer drugs. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-method-accurately-cancer-lesions-response.html

In late summer 2022, for children and adolescents, there was an increase in acute respiratory illness (ARI) resulting from enterovirus (EV)-D68 in the United States, according to research published in the Sept. 27 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-acute-respiratory-illness-due-ev-d68.html

Young women cancer survivors are at much higher risk of sexual problems, including loss of libido and discomfort, according to research published in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Oncologica. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-highlights-sexual-problems-young-women.html

McMaster University researcher Sheila Singh and her team have discovered how glioblastoma, a lethal brain cancer, can evade treatments and kill. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-deadly-brain-cancer-evades-treatments.html

Non-invasive sensors laid on the skin's surface to measure bioelectrical activity could offer a better alternative for patients suffering with poor gut health. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-surface-reliable-diagnostic-tool-gut.html

A USC-led team of scientists has found indications that a special blood test called a liquid biopsy could determine whether a patient has breast cancer at its early stage and if that cancer is unlikely to return. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-next-generation-liquid-biopsy-nano-sized-breast.html

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the US, with more than 45,000 people dying by suicide in 2020. Experts recommend many strategies and treatments to decrease the risk of suicide, including psychotherapy, peer support, economic support, and medications like antidepressants. Few if any would be likely to put folic acid supplements on that list, but a recent study done at the University of Chicago may change that. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-folic-acid-treatment-decreased-suicide.html

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, so it's not surprising that exposure to poor air quality worsens patient outcomes. But how does air pollution affect people who are vaccinated? source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-exposure-air-pollution-worsens-covid-.html

Wearing a large hat protecting her face from the sun's rays in Cameroon, 63-year-old Jeanne now bitterly regrets using skin whitening products after being diagnosed with skin cancer. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-skin-whitening-products-popular-cameroon.html

A device known as a bionic pancreas, which uses next-generation technology to automatically deliver insulin, was more effective at maintaining blood glucose (sugar) levels within normal range than standard-of-care management among people with type 1 diabetes, a new multicenter clinical trial has found. The trial, conducted partly at Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-clinical-trial-bionic-pancreas-diabetes.html

Neurological diseases often begin with an inflammatory process and the degradation of the myelin layer, which surrounds the nerve fibers (axons) like a protective insulating layer. This is usually followed by damage to the nerve fibers (axonal neurodegeneration). The clock is now ticking: while the inflammatory process is still easily treatable in the early stages of neurological conditions, the relevant therapies are often no longer effective enough in the later stages. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-neurology-early-treatment.html

Saliva samples could soon be key to predicting the severity of someone's case of COVID-19, allowing hospitals to triage patients effectively, according to new research from the University of Surrey. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-saliva-early-severe-covid-cases.html

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with a greater capacity for selective and sustained attention in adolescents, while alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is associated with lower impulsivity, according to a study co-led by ISGlobal, a center supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation and the Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (ISPV). The results, published in European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, confirm the importance of having a diet that provides sufficient amounts of these polyunsaturated fatty acids for a healthy brain development. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-omega-fatty-acids-dha-attention.html

A research group led by CiRA Junior Associate Professor Kazuo Takayama and Associate Professor Yoshiaki Okada of Osaka University has revealed that SARS-CoV-2 disrupts the vascular endothelial barrier by suppressing the expression of Claudin-5 (CLDN5) to invade the blood vessels. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-organ-on-a-chip-reveals-mechanism-sars-cov-invasion.html

High-dose folic acid is protective against congenital malformations if the mother is at particular risk of having a child with congenital malformations. Treatment with antiseizure medication in pregnancy is associated with risk of congenital malformations in the children, and women with epilepsy are therefore often recommended a supplementary high dose of folic acid (4–5 mg daily) before and during pregnancy. However, some studies have raised concern that folic acid can increase the risk of cancer not only in the mother, but in the child when exposed during pregnancy. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-cancer-children-born-mothers-epilepsy.html

Far more must be done to safeguard mental health on the job, the United Nations said Wednesday, presenting new guidelines on how to lessen psychological strains linked to the workplace. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-urges-action-mental-health-heavy.html

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by a genetic mutation and affects one in every 5,000 boys born. Because the affected gene is on the X chromosome, girls are carriers of the mutant gene but develop the disease only very rarely (one in about 50 million). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-scientists-fatal-muscle-disease-significant.html

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is an extremely common disorder, affecting approximately two children in every classroom. Children with DLD struggle to comprehend and use their native language, facing trouble with grammar, vocabulary, and holding conversations. Their language difficulties considerably increase the risk of having difficulties when learning to read, underachieving academically, being unemployed, and facing social and mental health challenges. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-language-difficulties-children-linked-brain.html

A new paper in Biology Methods & Protocols, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that some pre-existing conditions—including degenerative neurological diseases, dementia, and severe disabilities—matter a lot more than once thought when assessing who is at risk for death due to COVID-19. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-comorbidities-impacts-covid-outcomes.html

Molecular damage accumulates and contributes to the development of aging-related frailty and serious diseases. In some people these molecular processes are more intense than in others, a condition commonly referred to as accelerated aging. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-lonely-unhappy-aging.html

Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Monday to expand use of its updated COVID-19 booster shot to children ages 5 to 11. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-pfizer-omicron-booster-year-olds.html

Canada will suspend Covid-19 border restrictions in October, the country's public health agency said Monday. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-canada-covid-border-restrictions.html

Fecal transplantation in the intestine is an effective cure—and far superior to today's standard treatment—for a life-threatening infection that affects between 2,500 and 3,000 people in Denmark every year. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-fecal-transplantation-effective-remedy-life-threatening.html

Placental malaria as a consequence of Plasmodium falciparum infections can lead to severe complications for both mother and child. Each year, placental malaria causes nearly 200,000 newborn deaths, mainly due to low birth weight, as well as 10,000 maternal deaths. Placental malaria results from parasite-infected red blood cells that get stuck within tree-like branch structures that make up the placenta. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-placenta-on-a-chip-mimics-malaria-infected-nutrient-exchange.html

The flow velocity in our digestive system directly determines how well nutrients are absorbed by the intestine and how many bacteria live inside it. This is the result of a new study by researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS). The researchers revealed the physics mechanisms of how the intestine can regulate itself to optimize nutrient absorption while limiting unwanted bacterial growth at the same time. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-velocity-gut-nutrient-absorption-bacterial.html

Pediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS)—bedside tools used by nurses to assess the health of hospitalized children and identify urgent medical issues—are not widely used in resource-limited hospitals, in part due to challenges with implementation. A recent article published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, reports on a successful collaboration to support implementation of a PEWS for children with cancer in Latin American hospitals. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-pediatric-early-children-cancer-success.html

Patients with chronic heart failure who received collaborative, home-based palliative care were less likely to die in hospital and more likely to die at home than people who received usual care, according to new research in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-collaborative-home-based-palliative-people-die.html

From 2019 to 2020, more than 11,000 people who had been using drugs were treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries that occurred while riding a bicycle, according to a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-hospitals-thousands-drug-related-bike-injuries.html

Babies in the womb are big fans of carrots but not so much leafy green vegetables—and show it in their faces, scientists said in a new study published Thursday. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-babies-womb-react-differently-flavours.html

Neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell, are the body's first line of defense against infection. Foreign pathogens can stress the body and activate neutrophils. When activated, neutrophils employ various weapons to protect the body. But if overactivated, these weapons can damage the body's own tissues. Lung tissue is saturated with blood vessels, making them very susceptible to neutrophil attacks. If severe enough, acute lung injuries can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the leading cause of death due to COVID-19. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-immune-lethal-lung-response.html

When it comes to love, do opposites attract or do birds of a feather flock together? Surprisingly, the scientific research on romantic compatibility has produced conflicting results, with some studies suggesting that similarities in personality, demographics and attractiveness predict happily ever after, and others suggesting it's the differences that sustain a relationship. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-synchronized-brains-happy-marriages.html

Dog owners whose pets meet during a walk are familiar with the immediate sniffing investigation that typically ensues. Initially, the owners cannot tell whether their dogs will wind up fighting, playing, or trying to mount each other. Something is clearly happening in the dog's brain to make it decide how to behave toward the other dog—but what is going on? source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-friend-foe-mice-war.html

A research team led by Matthias Preusser from MedUni Vienna's Division of Oncology had already demonstrated that cancer patients benefit from a third vaccination to protect them against COVID. A recent study now also supports fourth vaccination for this vulnerable group. However, passive immunization by administering an antibody combination to cancer patients does not seem to provide adequate protection. The study has now been published in the journal JAMA Oncology. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-fourth-sars-cov-vaccination-cancer-patients.html

Breast cancer can happen in people of any gender. Learn about what factors affect breast cancer risk in transgender people. source https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/features/breast-cancer-risk-transgender-people?src=RSS_PUBLIC

U.S. health officials say 4.4 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the updated COVID-19 booster shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count Thursday as public health experts bemoaned President Joe Biden's recent remark that "the pandemic is over." source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-44m-americans-sleeves-omicron-targeted-boosters.html

A newer-generation clot-busting drug called tenecteplase outperforms the traditional treatment for ischemic strokes in several key areas, including better health outcomes and lower costs, according to a new study published today in the American Stroke Association's journal Stroke. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-transition-clot-busting-drug-patient-outcomes.html

Why do some people become seriously ill with COVID-19, while others have no symptoms at all? The answer may lie in the proteins our immune system has previously been exposed to. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-immunity-random-food-allergens-lucky.html

Admissions to drug treatment programs declined by nearly one-quarter during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the cuts steepest among people of color, according to a new RAND Corporation study. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-drug-treatment-admissions-fell-sharply.html

If you've had COVID-19, it may still be messing with your brain. Those who have been infected with the virus are at increased risk of developing a range of neurological conditions in the first year after the infection, new research shows. Such complications include strokes, cognitive and memory problems, depression, anxiety and migraine headaches, according to a comprehensive analysis of federal health data by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-covid-infections-long-term-brain-problems.html

Researchers have developed a simple and fast way to perform optoretinography, an imaging technique that measures light-induced functional activity in the eye's retina, the network of neurons in the back of our eyes responsible for detecting light and initiating vision. More than 50% of people in the U.S. over age 60 are affected by retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. These diseases affect the retina's function in ways that reduce eyesight and can progress to blindness if not treated. The new approach could help accelerate the development of new treatments for eye diseases. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-imaging-technique-eye-disease-treatments.html

A team of scientists from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a quick test kit that can tell if a person has immunity against COVID-19 and its variants, based on the antibodies detected in a blood sample. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-quick-kit-person-immunity-covid-.html

Vaccinations and lifestyle adjustments in at risk-populations have enabled public health authorities to gradually get a better handle on monkeypox in the U.S. However, a new study warns that it's too soon to relax. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-intervention-monkeypox-difficult.html

A team led by Scripps Research scientists has uncovered key details of an immune cell process that frequently underlies excessive inflammation in the body. The findings could lead to new ways of preventing and/or treating inflammation-related conditions such as sepsis, arthritis, and coronary artery disease. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-discovery-strategy-inflammation.html

Among the problems highlighted in the report were outdated data-sharing systems, while staffing and training for food inspectors was below normal. source https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20220921/fda-admits-flaws-in-response-to-infant-formula-shortage?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Though well-known as a respiratory illness, COVID-19 can also affect the nervous system, bringing on headaches and fatigue and wiping out the sense of smell. But it's unclear whether these symptoms are caused by an immune response or the virus itself invading the central nervous system (CNS). Now, researchers reporting in ACS Infectious Diseases have developed a new tool and possible vaccine candidate that could help scientists understand how SARS-CoV-2 could be invading these cells. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-sars-cov-mimics-vaccine-safer.html

Should your skin tone affect your daily skin care routine? Find out what dermatologists say. source https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/skin-tones-skin-types?src=RSS_PUBLIC

With the eradication of COVID-19 out of reach, are we close to a "new normal" in which we can leave restrictive non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) behind—such as masks and social distancing—while simultaneously limiting the burden of disease and deaths? According to researchers at MIT Sloan School of Management, the answer depends on the ongoing risks versus communities' tolerance for those risks. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-countries-positioned-covid-.html

Simple computer-based neurocognitive training—using positive words and pictures designed to boost self-worth—prolongs the antidepressant effects of ketamine in people with treatment-resistant depression, University of Pittsburgh researchers report today in the American Journal of Psychiatry. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-images-people-antidepressant-effects-ketamine.html

Substance abuse among American adolescents is diminishing, except for an uptake in cannabis and vaping use—show new findings published today in the peer-reviewed journal Substance Use & Misuse. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-american-adolescent-substance-abuseexcept-cannabis.html

A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used in cardiovascular disease (CVD) populations has found that most fall short of quality standards required to guide clinical research and practice. Few measurements reported on the validation of all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recommended psychometric properties, had psychometric properties rated as sufficient by Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN), or had minimally important differences established. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-cvd-related-proms-fall-short-quality.html

Malaria is an infection of red blood cells and is caused by parasites that are transferred to humans by mosquitoes. If left untreated, it can be fatal. In 2020 alone, nearly half the globe's population was at risk of being infected, with an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-drugs-malaria.html

The 4-7-8 breathing technique can give people the opportunity to be at peace as a way to help them go to sleep. source https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20220919/the-breathing-technique-may-help-you-get-to-sleep?src=RSS_PUBLIC

The highly contagious Ebola virus has claimed more than 15,000 lives since it was first identified in central Africa in 1976. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-ebola-virus-profile-dreaded-killer.html

Lower immunity and recurring infections are common in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that the immune systems of people with diabetes have lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, which compromises the urinary bladder's cell barrier, increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. The study is published in Nature Communications. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-link-diabetes-urinary-tract-infections.html

Obesity is a known risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer, in part because it creates ever-present inflammatory state. For years, one researcher has wondered if there's more to the story than inflammation. New research from the lab of Dr. Elda Grabocka shows a new way that obesity may drive cancer formation in pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival of 11% for the majority of patients. In a study published in Cancer Discovery, the researchers found that stress granules are much more abundant in obesity-related pancreatic cancer compared to non-obese patients, and importantly, blocking their formation stopped cancer growth in animals. The research reveals a new direction for developing cancer therapy. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-stress-granules-obesity-associated-pancreatic-cancer.html

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Our activity patterns and sleep cycles could influence our risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. New research published in Experimental Physiology has found that wake/sleep cycles cause metabolic differences and alter our body's preference for energy sources. The researchers found that those who stay up later have a reduced ability to use fat for energy, meaning fats may build up in the body and increase risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-night-owls-greater-diabetes-heart.html

A healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of dementia in those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a study of hundreds of thousands of people in the U.K. being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Stockholm, Sweden (19–23 Sept). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-healthy-lifestyle-halves-dementia-people.html

A top Chinese health official has warned the public to avoid "skin-to-skin contact with foreigners" to prevent the spread of monkeypox after the country confirmed its first case. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-china-health-chief-foreigners-monkeypox.html

First, pause and take a deep breath. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-smartphone-camera-people-blood-oxygen.html

Millions of people in the Chinese megacity of Chengdu emerged Monday from a COVID-19 lockdown that had closed schools, disrupted businesses and forced residents to stay home for over two weeks. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-china-weeks-long-lockdown-southwest-megacity.html

Artificial Intelligence may spell the end of the control group. source https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/ai-digital-twins?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Performing proactive surgery to adjust the mechanics of the foot, appears to be effective to treat diabetic foot ulcers, a common and debilitating complication of diabetes, without the potential complications and at significantly lower cost compared to conservative management. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-simple-inexpensive-surgical-procedure-diabetic.html

For people at high risk of overdose enrolled in a safer opioid supply (SOS) program, there was a rapid decrease in emergency department visits and hospitalizations soon after initiation, according to new research published in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMJA). These programs may help to address the devastating drug poisoning overdose crisis in Canada. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-safer-opioid-outcomes-people-high.html

With the school year underway around the U.S., parents and caregivers are once again faced with the age-old struggle of wrangling groggy kids out of bed in the morning. For parents of preteens and teenagers, it can be particularly challenging. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-school-late-screen-exacerbate-deprivation.html

High body mass index (BMI), rather than high blood sugar levels, are associated with excess risks of COVID-19 infection and long COVID, according to a meta-analysis of over 30,000 UK adults from nine large prospective cohort studies. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-excess-weight-high-blood-sugar.html

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, or NH/PIs, comprising more than 20 ethnic groups hailing from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, are understudied despite being the third fastest growing racial group in the United States. Two studies now report that NH/PIs have been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-covid-toll-native-hawaiianpacific-islander.html

Health systems are increasingly interested in integrating health care with social care, but little is known about cancer patients' social welfare and how it affects their health outcomes. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-cancer-patients-housing-instability-greater.html

Though many patients regain some weight in the first couple of years after bariatric surgery, a new study finds pain and movement benefits seem to stand the test of time. source https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20220916/weight-loss-surgery-has-long-term-benefits-for-pain-mobility?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Standing? Sitting? Lying down? Your body position may impact how well oral medication works, Johns Hopkins scientists report. source https://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/news/20220916/new-science-reveals-the-best-way-to-take-a-pill?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Conventional wisdom holds that low protein intake is essential for kidney disease patients. However, scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University demonstrated that it might not always be the case with their recent study on the relationship between protein intake and skeletal muscle mass in kidney transplant recipients. Their findings were published in Clinical Nutrition. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-healthy-restrict-protein-intake-kidney.html

Blocking the inhibition of PKD1 and PKD2 gene expression by deleting a binding site for microRNAs hindered the formation and growth of kidney cysts in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) models, UT Southwestern researchers reported. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest a strategy for gene therapy with the potential to arrest or cure ADPKD. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-gene-therapy-polycystic-kidney-disease.html

Across much of the world, childhood diarrhea is a major killer. Could a probiotic pill somehow be engineered to help stop the scourge in its tracks? source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-pill-childhood-mortality.html

The young and old could learn a thing or two from each other, at least when it comes to mental health and cognition. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-adults-poorer-cognition-well-being-age.html

Families have changed and so have dinners. But many families still make it a priority to connect over a meal. Here’s how. source https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/family-dinners-are-important?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Obese women who use oral contraceptives containing estrogen and progestin have a 24-fold increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with non-obese women not using the drugs, according to a review paper published today in ESC Heart Failure. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-combined-birth-pill-linked-blood.html

A single research test has the potential to predict which patients treated with immunotherapies—which harness the immune system to attack cancer cells—are likely to have their cancer recur or have severe side effects, a new study found. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-experimental-side-effects-cancer-patients-immunotherapy.html

Drugs like enzalutamide that inhibit male hormones from activating the androgen receptor have been used to treat advanced prostate cancer for more than a decade. While successful in most cases, these drugs can eventually stop working, but there is a limited understanding about how this change occurs. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-commonly-prostate-cancer-treatment-rewires.html

Evil spirits bedevil the families that seek blessings from an elderly Bangladeshi mystic—but he knows his prayers alone are not enough to soothe their troubled minds. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-bangladeshi-mystic-demons-psychiatry.html

Findings from a pilot study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) suggest that portable thermal imaging cameras might provide a new approach to assessing and improving hand-hygiene practices among health care professionals (HCPs). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-portable-thermal-imaging-hygiene-technique.html

After a heart attack, people with an autoimmune disease were more likely to die, develop heart failure or have a second heart attack compared to people without an autoimmune disease, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-higher-complication-heart-people-autoimmune.html

Breathing particulate matter (i.e., tiny particles suspended in the air) air pollution may trigger irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in healthy teenagers, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-air-pollution-spur-irregular-heart.html

A new national survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds many Americans are losing sleep over stress and worry about the current state of the world. After a global pandemic, polarizing political division and more than two years of turbulent events, nearly one in five survey respondents report struggling to fall asleep at night. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-survey-stress-state-world-americans.html

Adversity occurring early in a woman's life will likely continue taking its toll physically and mentally years after those stressors have been removed. A new study suggests that a history of psychosocial stressors (physical or sexual abuse or financial instability) can lead to worse menopause symptoms and poorer well-being almost 2 decades later. Study results are published online today in Menopause. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-history-abuse-worse-menopause-symptoms.html

Slugging involves slathering some sort of sealing agent -- like Vaseline or another petroleum-based ointment -- onto the skin. source https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20220913/tiktok-slugging-trend-has-people-coating-their-faces-with-grease?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A two-pronged approach to imaging breast density in mice, developed by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, has resulted in better detection of changes in breast tissue, including spotting early signs of cancer. The researchers hope that this approach will be translated from mice and improve breast imaging for people; it may also help with prognosis of disease as density can be linked to specific patterns of mammary gland growth, including signs of cancer development. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-technique-mice-aid-cancer-dense.html

Millions of children worldwide are under legal guardianship of the state, often due to abuse, neglect, parental death or other circumstances—leaving governments to determine how best to care for them. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project has shed light on ways to improve the quality of caregiving for children. Initiated in 2000, the BEIP is a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care for children who experienced severe psychosocial deprivation. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-foster-family-placement-sustained-cognitive.html

A new study led by Paul Morgan, Harry and Marion Eberly Faculty Fellow and professor of education (educational theory and policy) and demography, and published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities, examines which sociodemographic groups of children are more likely to be overdiagnosed and overtreated for ADHD. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-white-children-overdiagnosed-adhd.html

When vaccine access is prioritized for the most disadvantaged communities, it improves both social utility and equity—even when such populations have strong vaccine hesitancy. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-focusing-covid-vaccination-efforts-advantaged.html

Three-quarters of people prefer to do a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) rather than a colonoscopy for their regular colorectal cancer screening, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-patients-stool-colonoscopy.html

What's the daily routine like for older people in residential aged care facilities? source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-aged-residents-day-tracked.html

The treatment of blood cancers has dramatically improved in the last five years, thanks to a new class of cancer immunotherapies called CAR-T cell therapy. This therapy—which involves engineering a patient's own T cells in the lab to kill cancer cells and then infusing them back into the patient—cures about 40% of people with otherwise incurable lymphoma. But others relapse or don't respond to the treatment at all. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-cancer-immunotherapy-patients-reveals-markers.html

The highly selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib was well-tolerated and achieved durable objective responses across multiple tumor types in the Phase I/II LIBRETTO-001 trial, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-ret-inhibitor-selpercatinib-durable-responses.html

Starting twice daily flushing of the mucus-lined nasal cavity with a mild saline solution soon after testing positive for COVID-19 can significantly reduce hospitalization and death, investigators report. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-twice-daily-nasal-irrigation-covid-related-illness.html

A new rodent study shows that even small quantities of alcohol can trigger epigenomic and transcriptomic changes in brain circuitry in an area that is crucial in the development of addiction. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-exploring.html

Former Wonder Woman Star Lynda Carter is creating the Robert & Lynda Carter Altman Family Foundation Research Fund in honor of her late husband who died of a rare form of blood cancer. source https://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20220909/a-woman-of-wonder-commits-to-cancer-research?src=RSS_PUBLIC

NUS scientists have discovered that blood levels of the chemokine protein CXCL9 reliably predict the risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in Chinese men. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-blood-marker-osteoporotic-hip-fractures.html

When Emmanuel Obeng-Dankwa is worried about making rent on his New York City apartment, he sometimes holds off on filling his blood pressure medication. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-americans-health-ap-norc-poll.html

The number of opioid-related deaths of Americans ages 55 and up soared 1,886% between 1999 and 2019 source https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/grandma-grandpa-drugs-senior-citizen-opioid-epidemic?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Almost 500 students at China's premier college for broadcast journalists have been sent to a quarantine center after a handful of COVID-19 cases were detected in their dormitory. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-china-quarantines-college-students-strict.html

Researchers from the University of Oxford and their partners have today reported new findings from their Phase 2b trial following the administration of a booster dose of the candidate malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M—which previously demonstrated high-level efficacy of 77% over the following 12 months in young west African children in 2021. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-malaria-booster-vaccine-who-specified-efficacy.html

Scientists said Saturday they had identified the mechanism through which air pollution triggers lung cancer in non-smokers, a discovery one expert hailed as "an important step for science—and for society". source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-scientists-air-pollution-triggers-lung.html

A large study suggested Thursday that artificial sweetener could be associated with a higher risk of heart disease, however experts urged caution about the findings. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-sweeteners-linked-heart-disease.html

The billions of immune cells that help protect us from diseases do amazing things, but sometimes they need a little boost. For decades, scientists have been trying to figure out ways to engineer living immune cells to better combat aggressive diseases, like cancer. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-immune-cells-cancer.html

Doomscrolling can be a normal reaction to living through uncertain times. It's natural to want to understand dramatic events unfolding around you and to seek out information when you're afraid. But becoming absorbed in bad news for too long can be detrimental. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-doomscrolling-literally-bad-health.html

Recent research suggests kids who walk, skateboard or ride their bikes to school when they are young are more likely to keep it up as they get older, reaping the health benefits. source https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20220909/getting-kids-walking-biking-to-school-can-lead-to-long-term-fitness?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cancer cells often grow in environments that are low in nutrients, and they cope with this challenge by switching their metabolism to using proteins as alternative "food". Building on genetic screens, an international team of scientists could identify the protein LYSET as part of a pathway that allows cancer cells to make this switch. Their findings are now published in the journal Science. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-proteins-starving-cancer-cells-food.html

New research has suggested that recommended vaccinia virus (VACV)-based vaccines will mount a robust immune response against the monkeypox virus observed in the current outbreak (MPXV-2022). source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-vaccine-strong-immune-responses-monkeypox.html

A research team led by the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), with collaborators from the Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) and local and international partners, have developed a new technology ROTA (Retinal nerve fiber layer Optical Texture Analysis) to unveil the optical texture and trajectories of the axonal fiber bundles on the retina. ROTA outperforms the current clinical standards, attaining 15.0% to 28.4% higher in sensitivity in detecting early optic nerve damage in glaucoma—the leading cause of irreversible blindness. The research has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. source https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-technology-visualize-axonal-fiber-bundles.html