Injections of ‘superglue’ could be the latest quick fix for varicose veins – as the new procedure is approved for routine NHS use The move raises hope that thousands more patients will be offered the treatment 20-minute treatment involves injecting a medical glue to seal problematic veins New guidance from watchdog means it can now […]
Spending More Time Inside Could Be The Reason Your Feet Are Killing You Lately
If spending more time at home due to COVID-19 has meant less time wearing shoes (or sporting your favorite pair of slippers, sandals, or flip flops), you may be experiencing more foot pain than usual. Or, if you’ve added at-home workouts to your schedule, not wearing the proper footwear or working out barefoot more often […]
Biomaterial immune control discoveries could reduce implant rejection
The team from the University of Nottingham’s Schools of Pharmacy and Life Sciences have found that the surface shape (topography) and chemical composition of polymer materials can be changed to create materials that control the body’s immune response. This could have future applications in the fight against rejection of medical devices including artificial joints, dental […]
Feeling anxiety? Reverse-engineering the brain could help
The anxiety you may be feeling right now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic stems back to our prehistoric need to survive. Biologists have explored this principle for decades. Those breathing techniques that your mobile app, HR office or best friend might be recommending? They can help—psychology studies have proven this. But what’s happening […]
Could Legionnaires’ bacteria lurk in idled buildings?
Many businesses are closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and some building managers have shut off water and air conditioning to conserve resources. Unfortunately, warmth and lack of clean water flow can contribute to the growth of potentially dangerous microbes, including the bacteria that contribute to Legionnaires’ disease. Illinois Sustainable Technology Center chemist […]
Coronavirus vaccine developed in the UK could be ready by fall, if it works
Scientists at Oxford University have begun clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine that has shown promise in rhesus monkeys, according to news reports. If the vaccine can effectively protect humans against the novel coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2,i the first doses could potentially be administered by the autumn, according to a blog post on the official […]
Reopening could require thousands more public health workers
Before Washington state lifts its stay-at-home order, public health workers in Seattle’s King County want to be ready to douse any new sparks of infection. That task, they say, requires at least 20 more investigators to call people who test positive for the coronavirus, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine. Without the […]
JK Rowling’s breathing technique could spread coronavirus
Harry Potter author JK Rowling says a breathing technique has helped her coronavirus-like respiratory symptoms, a claim that has been widely reported and shared on social media. Her tweet includes a video from a UK hospital doctor describing the technique, a type of controlled coughing. This involves taking six deep breaths and on the last […]
Chinchona bark is not a ‘cure’ for COVID-19 and it could seriously harm those who take it
Posts touting the curative effects of cinchona, or fever tree, bark have recently been circulating on social networks such as Instagram and Facebook. These posts promise a “natural” source of the prescription-only drug chloroquine. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are currently being researched as potential treatments for COVID-19. The public has paid increased attention to these drugs […]
Addressing unhealthy lifestyles could increase life expectancy of those with severe mental illness
Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study showed that tackling unhealthy lifestyle factors would provide the greatest benefit in increasing life expectancy among those with SMI. In particular, interventions that aim to stop smoking among people with schizophrenia and approaches to lessen sedentary behaviour among people with bipolar disorders appear to be the most […]