Obesity is in the genes
(Jeffrey M. Friedman/ Scientific American) — In a recent monologue, the comedian James Corden addressed his struggles with being overweight. Despite his best efforts, he said, he has never been able to control his weight confessing that he has “good days and bad months.”
The monologue was a response to an on-air editorial by Bill Maher, …
Long-awaited cystic fibrosis drug could turn deadly disease into a manageable condition
(Carolyn Y. Johnson/ Washington Post) — A new cystic fibrosis therapy dramatically improved patients’ lung function and showed clear signs of targeting the genetic root of the disease, instead of just alleviating symptoms — a breakthrough so long-sought that many doctors and patients are moved to tears when talking about it.
The data, …
A new study on measles reveals a scary side effect: “immune-system amnesia”
(Julia Belluz/ Vox) — As measles cases soar worldwide, scientists have discovered yet another danger of the disease: the measles virus can wipe out the immune system, making people more susceptible to other illnesses later. The research sheds new light on a virus that’s infected humans for centuries.
The phenomenon is called “immune …
When depression doesn’t respond to treatment
(Eric Patterson/ NewLifeOutlook.com) You’ve taken the pills. You’ve sat through the individual therapy, the group therapy, and the family therapy. You’ve even taken yoga classes, but to this point, nothing has worked.
No matter what you do, it seems you can’t change your depression. Over the years, it is unchanged as depression weighs …
Quebec will slash hospital parking rates, ‘but we don’t know when’
(Aaron Derfel/ Montreal Gazette) — Patient-rights groups in Montreal appear to have won a four-year battle to persuade the Quebec government to slash exorbitant hospital parking rates after Health Minister Danielle McCann confirmed on Monday that she will cap rates at $7 to $10 as early as next month.
But patient advocates urged the …
Men with erectile dysfunction have 59% higher risk of heart disease: study
(Ebony Bowden/ New York Post) — Fellas, here’s some news that’s hard to take.
Erectile dysfunction could be a sign that a heart attack is right around the corner, as males suffering from ED have a 59 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease and a 34 percent higher risk of stroke, a new study has found.
The research drew on studies of more …
Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study
(Dr. Liji Thomas/ Medicakl Life Science News) — A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful …
We will find a breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease
(Maria C. Carrillo/ Time) — I have spent my entire career interested in the mysteries of the brain: what it looks like, how it works and what happens when it doesn’t. Alzheimer’s disease has been the primary focus of my professional life, starting as a young researcher looking at brain scans, and leading up to now, as the head of the …
Antibiotic resistance has doubled in the last 20 years, new research finds
(Madison Dapcevich/ IFL Science) — Across much of Europe, resistance to antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections associated with common stomach conditions has more than doubled in the last two decades, according to new research.
Preliminary findings presented at United European Gastroenterology Week Barcelona 2019 suggest …