Author: healthadmin

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can scrutinize electronic health records (EHRs) and electrocardiograms to identify individuals in the general population at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 400,000 people a year in the United States, with a survival rate of only 10%. The discovery represents a major advance in predicting the largely unpredictable medical emergencies that often strike people with no known heart disease. Artificial intelligence applications and health record data can be used to predict cardiac arrest in the general population. ” Dr. Neil Chatterjee, Principal Investigator…

Autistic children’s eating behaviors and early feeding patterns shape their gut microbiota. Targeted diet and probiotics may help repopulate the microbial community associated with intestinal inflammation. Study: The influence of feeding behavior and dietary patterns on the formation of the gut microbiota in children with autism spectrum disorders. Image credit: Juriah Mosin/Shutterstock.com Recent research published in journals nutrients Found to have autism spectrum disorder is associated with changes in the composition of children’s gut microbiota, depending on dietary habits and food choices. This study also highlights the potential importance of individualized dietary interventions in altering gut microbiota composition and intestinal…

Cacti are notoriously slow-growing, but scientists have discovered that these desert plants are actually evolving at an astonishing pace. A new study shows that cacti form entirely new species surprisingly quickly, revealing that deserts are much more dynamic than they seem. Biologists have believed for decades that pollinators and highly specialized flowers are the main forces in the development of new plant species. However, researchers at the University of Reading have discovered that cacti follow a different pattern. Rather than flower size or pollinator type driving diversification, the key factor appears to be how rapidly cactus flowers change shape over…

During the first heat wave of 2025, 55-year-old Shauna Thomas was found dead in her suburban St. Louis apartment after spending at least three days without air conditioning or running water. Police said she had “several medical issues” that may have played a role. Clinicians, community leaders, and public health workers often advise people with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, to use air conditioning or go to air-conditioned buildings. But that advice assumes that air conditioning is actually affordable and available. Thomas’ tragic death highlights why cooling should be added to major government programs that provide heating. Extreme heat isn’t…

I recently helped a woman in her early 60s reduce the dose of fluoxetine (commonly known by its brand name Prozac) that she had been taking for over 35 years, and subsequently the dose of bupropion (also known as Wellbutrin) that she had been taking for over 10 years. But Kennedy’s effort confuses true clinical need with claims that are unsupported by evidence, some of which are clearly dangerous. When she came to see me in 2024, she had been trying to taper off fluoxetine twice before, many years apart. But each time her depression returned, she had to go…

BATON ROUGE, La. — When it comes to Bill Cassidy, almost everyone in Louisiana politics, supporters and detractors alike, feels bad for the senator. During his 20 years as a politician, he was mostly a doctor in the clothes of a congressman. He sticks to the evidence and carefully calculates the right policy prescription for the problem at hand, according to more than a dozen people who have worked with or for him. These qualities, along with his first-hand knowledge of America’s health care system, have made him a respected leader on this issue on Capitol Hill. He may have…

The United States is not the only country where binge drinking and binge eating are a problem. But Americans face a unique crisis. The country’s obesity and diabetes epidemics, combined with excessive alcohol consumption, are making more people sick with a liver disease that until recently had no name. Metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD) is now a top concern among physicians in the United States, as more young people and women face serious illness and die from the condition. Doctors worry that more Americans are silently developing MetALD, at least in part because many people don’t realize they’re…

THis little device slides smoothly into the modest space above my washing machine. A pipe snakes down from there, sucking in wastewater from the laundry. At the end of each wash cycle, your washer will make a gentle whistling sound. According to inventor Adam Root, this is the sound of groundbreaking technology in action. That invention is a microplastic filter.“The number one thing I hear[from customers]is, “I can’t believe how much laundry comes out of my washer,” says Root. “Someone sent me (a photo of) a dinner plate.”About three weeks after installation, it will beep to let you know it’s…

The way people speak during everyday conversations may provide valuable insights into brain health, according to new research from Baycrest University, the University of Toronto, and York University. Scientists have discovered that subtle speech characteristics, such as pauses, fillers such as “um” and “um”, and difficulty with word retrieval, are closely related to executive function, the mental abilities involved in memory, planning, attention, and flexible thinking. The findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date linking natural speech patterns and key cognitive abilities. This study also extends previous research showing that older adults who speak faster tend to maintain…

Scientists have identified surprisingly high levels of a little-known silicone pollutant in the atmosphere, raising new questions about its potential risks to human health and the climate. This chemical, known as methylsiloxane, is commonly used in cosmetics, industrial products, transportation goods, and household products. Researchers have found these compounds in a wide range of environments, from large cities to rural villages and forests. The study was led by researchers from Utrecht University and the University of Groningen and was published in the journal. atmospheric chemistry and physics. Hidden silicon pollution discovered around the world Contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics…