Author: healthadmin

Emory University’s Lena Ting and colleagues investigated how brain and muscle activity during balance recovery changes with age and Parkinson’s disease. Previously, Ting’s research group found that when they pulled the rug out from under young people to trigger balance recovery, these people experienced immediate involuntary brainstem and muscle responses, followed by a second wave of brain and muscle activity with more difficult balance disorders. In this new study of older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease, e-neuroresearchers found that these populations had larger brain responses and more muscle signals, even when the balance deficit was small. In these populations,…

Gilead is increasing Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Day’s compensation by 20% to $28.4 million in 2025, making him one of the highest-paid CEOs in the industry. It’s the biggest raise for O’Day, 61, in seven years at the California company, and roughly matches the $29.1 million package he received in his first full year at Gilead, which included a hefty inducement to hand over the golden parachute he left on a table after 30 years at Roche. Gilead paid Mr. O’Day $19 million in 2020, and the company has increased his compensation every year since. His 2025 package (PDF) included…

Nearly three years after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was declared over, conservative estimates suggest that between 80 million and 400 million people around the world are still suffering from long-term illness from the novel coronavirus. The chronic illnesses associated with this infection are associated with more than 200 symptoms, including fatigue and shortness of breath, as well as neuropsychiatric problems ranging from cognitive dysfunction and sleep disorders to depression and memory loss. These problems affect quality of life and interfere with daily tasks and work performance. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms (processes that occur within the body and help explain certain symptoms…

Heart disease is the leading cause of adult mortality worldwide, and the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease has become a global health priority. An echocardiogram, or heart ultrasound, is one of the most commonly used imaging tools used by doctors to diagnose a variety of heart diseases and conditions. Most standard echocardiograms provide a two-dimensional visual image (2D) of the three-dimensional (3D) heart anatomy. These echocardiograms often capture hundreds of 2D slices, or views, of the beating heart, allowing doctors to make a clinical assessment of the heart’s function and structure. To improve diagnostic accuracy for heart disease, researchers…

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers are leading an international study to advance our understanding of the immunomodulatory nature of human tissues, providing breakthrough insights into how fibroblasts function as core regulators of structural immunity in the oral cavity. Cover story for the first issue of Cell Press Blue, Kevin Matthew Byrd, DDS, a member of Massey’s Cancer Biology Research Program and assistant professor of oral and craniofacial molecular biology in the VCU School of Dentistry, and Jinze Liu, PhD, a Massey research member and professor in the VCU School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics, show how the findings…

During intensive care after premature birth, babies may experience hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in their tissues and cells. Hypoxia is associated with poor brain health and lifelong memory loss, but the mechanisms are unclear. Researchers led by Art Riddle and Stephen Buck at Oregon Health and Science University discovered the contributing mechanism by creating a mouse model of mild hypoxia after preterm birth. “Historically, the field has focused on how hypoxia damages the brain’s white matter and destroys neurons,” Riddle said. “This study is the first to explore how mild hypoxia changes brain development during this neonatal period, without…

A study of more than 5,000 Finnish parent-adolescent pairs found that good parental mental health was associated with increased physical activity and decreased digital media use in children aged 11. These associations were still present at 14 years of age. The paper was published in mental health and physical activity. In recent decades, there has been a noticeable increase in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. At present, these represent major global health challenges. Additionally, childhood overweight tends to persist into adulthood, increasing the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. Reduced physical activity and…

A new warning about a common combination drug for Parkinson’s disease is needed after the FDA reported 14 seizures in patients taking the drug. The agency requires drug companies that sell products that incorporate levodopa and carbidopa to update their prescribing information to clearly state that these drugs can cause vitamin B6 deficiency or seizures related to vitamin B6 deficiency (PDF). Healthcare providers should assess patients’ baseline vitamin B6 levels before and during treatment and supplement patients with the vitamin as needed, the alert states. The label update affects Amneal’s Crexont and Rytary. Dhivy from Avion Pharmaceuticals. Merck’s Sinemet and…

In addition to the newly approved lung disease drug Brin Supplement, which InsMed expects to be a blockbuster this year, the New Jersey company revealed trial results for its older lung disease drug Aricais, which could pave the way for a major label expansion. The Phase 3b Encore study tested the antibiotic combination of inhaled Aricace and azithromycin and ethambutol versus the antibiotic combination plus a placebo in patients with newly diagnosed Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung infections. The study met primary and multiplicity-controlled secondary culture conversion endpoints, the company said in a March 23 release. The Arikayce regimen demonstrated…

Recent research suggests that there is no experimental evidence to prove that corporal punishment is an effective method of disciplining children. The results of this study show that alternative, non-physical strategies can be just as effective at encouraging children’s cooperation, without the potential risks associated with spanking. The study was published in the journal Child Abuse and Neglect. Spanking remains a widespread form of discipline and is considered normative and socially acceptable in many cultures. Despite disapproval from some health organizations, it is estimated that two out of three children between the ages of two and four are spanked worldwide.…