Electronic cigarette use (“vaping”) is associated with wheezing in adults, according to a new study published in the journal Tobacco Control. People who vaped were nearly twice as likely to experience wheezing compared to people who didn’t regularly use tobacco products. Wheezing; which is caused by narrowed or abnormal airways, is often a precursor to other…
Cognitive ability is an important predictor of mental health outcomes that is influenced by neurodevelopment. Evidence suggests that the foundational wiring of the human brain is in place by birth, and that the white matter (WM) connectome supports developing brain function. It is unknown, however, how the WM connectome at birth supports emergent cognition. In…
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in the adult; humans are about 11 centimeters (4.3 in) in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood exits into the paired renal veins. A tube that carries excreted urine to…
House lawmakers who will write the next spending bill for federal medical programs criticized the Trump administration’s bid to cut the budgets of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At a Wednesday hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory disease of the small airways in the lungs, affects 16 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Identifying small airway disease in its earliest stages, when it is most treatable, could…
Green tea cut obesity and a number of inflammatory biomarkers linked with poor health in a new study. Mice fed a diet of 2 percent green tea extract fared far better than those that ate a diet without it, a finding that has prompted an upcoming study of green tea’s potential benefits in people at high…
Early palliative care consultation may reduce antimicrobial consumption in patients at the end of life, according to recently published study findings. “Physicians often choose to continue antibiotics to improve quality of life or reduce symptom burden. However, whether these outcomes are achieving is unclear, with some studies showing no difference,” Jason P. Burnham, MD, instructor in…
Recently a number of school boards and police services issued statements advising parents; of an alleged cyberbullying threat called the Momo challenge. It is unclear how many videos actually exist of the creepy-looking mask apparently telling children to harm themselves, or to what extent they have circulated; among children or elsewhere. The social media While…
Low-risk patients undergoing a total hip replacement with a posterior approach can skip the standard hip precautions; currently recommended for post-surgical recovery; according to a new study conducted at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Eliminating standard precautions in this population did not increase the risk of hip dislocation; In the last ten years, surgeons have…
Emergency room doctors often have only a few minutes to determine which patients are in need of a blood transfusion. But currently doctors have no direct method to assess the health of one of the most critical component of the blood platelets. These tiny blood cells play a huge role in helping blood clot after…
Mitral regurgitation Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a highly prevalent condition among elderly patients, affecting almost 10% of the general population aged 75 and older. From a mechanistic point of view, MR is usually classified into two different categories: primary and secondary MR. The latter condition is further subdivided into ischaemic and non-ischaemic aetiology. Degenerative mitral…
Since the first human spaceflight by Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin in 1961, more than 560 persons have flown in space. The vast majority of highly trained and rigorously selected astronauts in excellent physical condition and health. Currently, astronauts and other participants in spaceflights to the International Space Station must adhere to medical certification; standards set by…