Your diet—the foods and drinks you eat, not short-term restrictive programs—can impact your heart disease risk. Evidence-based approaches to eating are used by dietitians and physicians to prevent and treat cardiovascular (heart) disease.
Immune system cells in the gut linked to stress-induced depression
In experiments with mice and humans, a team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers says it has identified a particular intestinal immune cell that impacts the gut microbiome, which in turn may affect brain functions linked to stress-induced disorders such as depression. Targeting changes mediated by these immune cells in the gut, with drugs or other therapies, could potentially bring about new ways to treat depression.
Patients found to overwhelmingly prefer immediate access to test results, even when the news may not be good
In April 2021, new federal rules went into effect mandating that health care providers make nearly all test results and clinical notes immediately available to patients. Evidence suggests that patients may gain important clinical benefits by reviewing their medical records, and access through electronic patient portals has been advocated as a strategy for empowering patients to manage their health care and for strengthening patient-clinician relationships. However, concerns remain about the effects of releasing test results to patients before clinicians offer counsel or interpretation.
20 years post-invasion, many Iraq veterans haven’t found peace, expert says
On March 20, 2003, a U.S.-led military coalition invaded Iraq, toppling the government of Saddam Hussein before a fierce insurgency rose up to oppose Western forces. As the fighting unfolded over eight years, more than a million U.S. service members deployed to the region, and many returned with complex physical and mental wounds no single treatment can erase.
Developing postoperative delirium associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline, says study
Research published today (March 20) in the JAMA Internal Medicine finds that developing postoperative delirium is associated with a 40% faster rate of cognitive decline over those who do not develop delirium.
Stigma-coping intervention empowers people with HIV and drug use to engage in health, substance use care
Stigma negatively impacts the health of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those with HIV who inject drugs experience stigma on multiple levels. Stigma leads to impaired utilization and retention in addiction treatment, less access to harm reduction services and reduces HIV care success. Unfortunately, there is a lack of interventions specifically targeting stigma related to HIV and substance use among people with HIV who inject drugs.
Young people in affluent areas drink more alcohol, study finds
A La Trobe University study examining Australia’s heavy drinkers has found that young people 14- to 24-years-old living in higher socio-economic areas are more likely to drink higher quantities of alcohol than those from lower socio-economic areas.
E-cigarette explosions cause lifelong injuries: Systematic review
As schools and parents alike battle with the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes or “vaping,” worried about the health of their young people’s lungs, there’s another cause for alarm; the risk to their face, teeth and jaw.
Runaway immune reactions can cause long COVID breathing problems
Stanford Medicine researchers have found a mechanism behind one of the most common symptoms of long COVID—shortness of breath. Post COVID-19 breathing problems are caused by a condition known as lung fibrosis, when damaged lungs form scar tissue, which makes it difficult for lungs to expand and contract.
Spectroscopy probe could enhance deep brain stimulation procedure for Parkinson’s
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become an increasingly common treatment for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, but the procedure still carries significant risks. A new probe that performs two types of spectroscopy could make the procedure safer and improve success rates by helping doctors more accurately navigate instruments inside the brain. The research team identified white and gray matter using principal component analysis (PCA), proving that spectroscopic measurements could be suitable for neuronavigation.