Health & Fitness

By recording close-up images of eyes through an app, researchers at the University of California San Diego are making it possible for people to screen for Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD and other neurological diseases and disorders from the comfort of their own homes. The app uses a near-infrared camera, which is built into newer smartphones for facial recognition, along with a regular selfie camera to track how a person’s pupil changes in size. These pupil measurements can be used to assess a person’s cognitive condition, researchers said in a press release published on April 29. Read more: Alzheimer’s research at University of Lethbridge gets huge funding boost “While there is still a lot of work to be done, I am excited about the potential for using this technol...

King’s College London researchers are turning to the same technology behind the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to develop the first damage-reversing heart attack cure. They used mRNA to deliver the genetic instructions for specific proteins to damaged pig hearts, sparking the growth of new cardiac muscle cells. “We are using exactly the same technology as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to inject micro RNAs to the heart, reaching surviving heart cells and pushing their proliferation,” lead researcher Mauro Giacca told The Times of London. “The new cells would replace the dead ones and instead of forming a scar, the patient has new muscle tissue.” Researchers are turning to the same technology behind Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines to develop the first damage-reversing heart attack cure. Broken h...

Placeholder while article actions load During those terrifying early days of the pandemic, scientists offered one piece of reassuring news about the novel coronavirus: It mutated slowly. The earliest mutations did not appear to be consequential. A vaccine, if and when it was invented, might not need regular updating over time. This proved overly optimistic. The coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has had billions of chances to reconfigure itself as it has spread across the planet, and it continues to evolve, generating new variants and subvariants at a clip that has kept scientists on their toes. Two-and-a-half years after it first spilled into humans, the virus has repeatedly changed its structure and chemistry in ways that confound efforts to bring it fully under control. And it’s not showing...

If you’re interested in keeping in shape you may already be including protein powder in your diet. But did you know that not all protein powders are created equal? Some are more concentrated, some contain more essential amino acids than others, some will make you feel fuller for longer, and some will be suitable for vegans. And that’s just for starters. Read on for our complete guide to protein powders; where they come from, how they are made, and what they are good for. Once you’ve decided if it's right for your health goals, check out our guide to the best protein powders and the best vegan protein powders on the market. What is protein powder? Protein powder is a supplement that is now commonly used by professional athletes and people who are serious about training, to help them ...

Placeholder while article actions load For a decade, the number of babies born with syphilis in the United States has surged, undeterred. Data released this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows just how dire the outbreak has become. In 2012, 332 babies were born infected with the disease. In 2021, that number had climbed nearly sevenfold, to at least 2,268, according to preliminary estimates. And 166 of those babies died. About 7 percent of babies diagnosed with syphilis in recent years have died; thousands of others born with the disease have faced problems that include brain and bone malformations, blindness and organ damage. For public health officials, the situation is all the more heartbreaking, considering that congenital syphilis rates reached near-hist...

Placeholder while article actions load Our recent warm weather has reawakened ticks, and one type in particular is becoming more common in the D.C. area: the lone star tick. One bite from this tick, which is easily identified by the white spot on its back if it’s a female, can cause a life-long adverse reaction to eating red meat. The lone star tick originated in the southern states but has spread north and west to cover much of the eastern half of the country. With a warming climate, more ticks survive the winter months, and their range is expanding. Unlike the black-legged (deer) tick, the lone star tick doesn’t transmit Lyme disease, but it can produce a severe food allergy in people known as alpha-gal syndrome, which is an allergy to red meat. How to protect yourself from ticks When...

Originally published April 29, 2022 MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Several cases of a rare-yet-severe children’s liver illness have been reported in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. READ MORE: University Of Minnesota Senior Hopes To Inspire Girls To Get Into CodingLast week, the Center for Disease control issued an alert after a cluster of hepatitis and adenovirus cases were detected in children between the ages of 1 and 6. M Health Fairview reported two cases of of the illness to the Minnesota Department of Health on Friday. Dr. Heli Bhatt, a pediatric gastroenterologist at M Health Fairview, said a baby recently received a liver transplant. At the time, doctors did not know to test for the cases of hepatitis and adenovirus popping up across the nation, but looking back,...

By Anchorage Daily News Updated: 12 hours ago Published: 18 hours ago Alaska has identified its first case involving the highly pathogenic bird flu viruses that have led to the deaths of millions of birds across the Lower 48 this year. The case in Alaska involved “a non-commercial backyard flock of chickens and ducks in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough,” the state Department of Environmental Conservation said in a statement Saturday. Many wild bird advocates and backyard flock owners in the state have been watching the spread of avian influenza across the U.S. with concern. As of Saturday, over 35.5 million domestic poultry in 30 states have died from the virus or needed to be euthanized because of exposure, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Experts said that based on migra...

Gabriela experienced the painful joint inflammation and draining fatigue that was her own immune system turning against her at an early age. Presenting with scarily high blood pressure and a leaky heart valve, the young Spanish patient was diagnosed with a severe case of lupus when she was only seven years old.    Now Gabriela's genome may have revealed an important clue to this potentially fatal and incurable disease that impacts around 5 million people worldwide.  Symptoms vary significantly among – and even within – patients, as the immune system can start attacking any part of the body. This makes lupus challenging to diagnose. Symptoms can include different degrees of rashes, fevers, fatigue, joint pains, anemia, and kidney and other organ problems. "It has been a huge challenge...

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