Wearable fitness trackers and step counters help people who are overweight/obese and/or who have weight-related health conditions to shed the pounds, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. More than 1.9 billion adults around the world are overweight (BMI of at least 25) and […]
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine offers 97% protection, Israel study finds
BREAKING NEWS: Pfizer vaccine gives 97% protection for COVID-19 and is 94% effective at preventing infections from people who are not showing symptoms, Israel study finds Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE’s coronavirus vaccine prevented 97% of symptomatic cases, hospitalizations and deaths It was also 94% effective at blocking asymptomatic cases of infection The results were […]
Study provides evidence that bone marrow cell injections help heal the brain after stroke
Results of a clinical trial released in Stem Cells Translational Medicine provide evidence that treating patients with an injection of bone marrow cells may lead to a reduction in brain injury after a stroke. The study was conducted by Muhammad E. Haque, Ph.D., Sean I. Savitz, M.D., and colleagues from the Institute for Stroke and […]
Pfizer's vaccine DOES work against Brazilian covid variant, study says
Pfizer’s vaccine DOES work against the Brazilian coronavirus variant, study suggests: Second dose of the shot ‘neutralized’ the mutant virus in lab tests Scientists tested antibodies in the blood of people who had two doses against an engineered variant They saw in the lab that the antibodies were able to ‘neutralize’ an infectious spike protein […]
Obesity a big risk factor for severe COVID-19, study confirms
(HealthDay)—Yet another study confirms what doctors have long known: Being obese greatly raises the odds that if you contract COVID-19, your case could be a severe one. The study, from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, supports calls for obese Americans to move to the head of the line for protective […]
Study shows opioid use among US patients with knee osteoarthritis costs 14 billion dollars in societal costs
Although guidelines do not recommend use of opioids to manage pain for individuals with knee osteoarthritis, a recent study published early online in Arthritis Care & Research, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Rheumatology Professionals, estimates that 858,000 Americans use opioids such as tramadol and oxycodone for their […]
Gulf War illness not caused by depleted uranium from munitions, study shows
Inhalation of depleted uranium from exploding munitions did not lead to Gulf War illness (GWI) in veterans deployed in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a new study co-authored by a leading researcher of the disease at UT Southwestern suggests. The findings, published today in Scientific Reports, help eliminate a long-suspected cause of GWI that has […]
Deaths from food allergy rare and decreasing in the UK, finds study
Deaths from serious allergic reactions (“anaphylaxis”) due to food have declined over the past 20 years, an analysis of UK NHS data had found. This is despite an increase in hospital admissions for food-induced anaphylaxis over the same time. The analysis, conducted by scientists from Imperial College London and published in the BMJ also found […]
Study reveals how air pollution may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease
Tiny particles of air pollution—called fine particulate matter—can have a range of effects on health, and exposure to high levels is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that fine particulate matter has a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health by activating the production of […]
NSAIDs might exacerbate or suppress COVID-19 depending on timing, mouse study suggests
New research shows that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced both antibody and inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice. The study appears this week in the Journal of Virology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. The research is important because “NSAIDs are arguably the most commonly used anti-inflammatory medications,” said principal investigator Craig […]