Posts in category: Uncategorized

Five years ago, a cluster of people in Wuhan, China, fell sick with a virus never before seen in the world.

Glaucoma is a progressive eye disorder characterized by fluid buildup inside the eye, causing ocular hypertension. By 2040, it is estimated that 111.8 million people worldwide will be affected by glaucoma, potentially leading to blindness if left untreated. Currently, there are treatments available to manage ocular hypertension, but a cure for glaucoma remains elusive.

Genomics is being integrated into biomedical research, medicine, and public health at a rapid pace, but the capacities necessary to ensure the fair, global distribution of benefits are lagging. A new special report outlines opportunities to enhance justice in genomics, towards a world in which genomic medicine promotes health equity, protects privacy, and respects the rights and values of individuals and communities.

Walking in a winter wonderland may sound serene and peaceful, but shoveling your sidewalks to take that walk could quickly change delightful to deadly. According to the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, research shows that the exertion of shoveling snow may lead to an increased risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.

Nearly half of U.S. adults say starting a new diet is one of their New Year’s resolutions, according to a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey. Of that group, fewer than one in 10 say they’ll try a plant-based or vegan diet, which research shows is among the most effective for losing weight and keeping it off.

New research led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) suggests that many people already have immune cells on standby to fight the H5N1 virus, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza.

There is a common culprit behind many broken New Year’s resolutions and other unrealized goals, and it can influence your thoughts and actions without your awareness, says Safia Debar, M.B.B.S., a general practitioner and resiliency expert at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London. If you are having difficulty achieving goals such as exercising more, eating nutritious meals and taking other steps toward a healthier lifestyle, it may be worth considering whether a self-limiting belief is to blame, Dr. Debar says.

A study published in Health Data Science has shed light on the complex relationship between smoking behavior and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Using data from over 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank cohort, the researchers conducted both traditional observational studies and advanced Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore whether smoking behavior directly contributes to CKD.

Inflammation is a crucial part of the body’s defense mechanism, playing a key role in fighting infections and repairing tissue damage. Basophils, a type of immune cell that makes up less than 1% of white blood cells, have recently emerged as critical players in triggering allergic responses by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-4. Despite the established role of basophils in inflammation, the molecular mechanisms controlling their cytokine production have remained unclear.

In 2022, Sweden became the first country in the world to allow body checking in women’s ice hockey. Major hockey nations are now following Lund University’s research on the consequences of tougher plays on the ice. A first study shows that almost nine out of ten players in the Swedish women’s hockey league are in favor of body checking—regardless of their own size.