Author: healthadmin

Entering the dating world or experiencing a breakup increases the likelihood that teens will experience suicidal thoughts and behavior. Recent research published in adolescent journal They followed Chinese students over a year to understand how forming a new romantic relationship affected their mental health. Researchers found that starting a relationship or experiencing a breakup increased the odds of suicidal behavior, highlighting the clear need for better psychological support for teens. Adolescence is a time of rapid physical and emotional changes. Teenagers are figuring out who they are and how they fit into the social world around them. This difficult transition…

A machine learning model developed by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers could give clinicians early warning of complications that may occur later in pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a sudden-onset condition associated with high blood pressure before childbirth. It affects approximately 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide and can have serious consequences for both parents and children. A new study published March 6 in JAMA Network Open describes a machine learning-based computer model that provides continuously updated predictions of preeclampsia risk based on electronic health record data recorded during the third trimester of pregnancy. The study was co-led by Fei Wang, Ph.D., associate…

Research uncovering the origins of pineoblastoma, a rare childhood brain tumor, also reveals dependencies across multiple brain tumor types that share similar molecular programs. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, and Uppsala University have collected and profiled the largest cohort of pineoblastoma tumors to date at single-cell resolution. They discovered a set of light-sensing-related genes that are essential for pineoblastoma formation in the developing pineal gland. Researchers subsequently extended this finding to medulloblastoma and retinoblastoma, demonstrating a common developmental condition and potential common treatment dependence that could serve as a target for…

A new generation of Alzheimer’s disease drugs, the first to be shown to alter the course of Alzheimer’s disease, typically extends patients’ lives by 10 months. These antibodies, called monoclonal antibodies, reduce the buildup of amyloid, a harmful protein, in the brain and require high-dose infusions of the drug once or twice a month. Now, to reduce the frequency of treatments and potentially increase the effectiveness of anti-amyloid therapy, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new cellular immunotherapy that requires just one injection to prevent amyloid plaques from forming in mice before they…

In the 1970s, contraceptive pills were the most frequently used contraceptive method in Western countries. In Germany, for example, one in three women used the pill. It’s safe, reliable, covered by (most) health insurance, and was also seen as a means of self-determination for women, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. However, over time, many side effects associated with hormonal contraceptive methods have become apparent, ranging from nausea, weight gain, and breast tenderness to more serious risks such as high blood pressure, liver dysfunction, and thrombosis. Some medications, such as certain antibiotics and St. John’s wort products, can make the…

Ethics guardrails surrounding chemical appointees at the agency are expiring as President Donald Trump pushes for deregulation at the agency. The “cooling-off” or recusal period for top executives at the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (typically the year after political officials are barred from serving in government and speaking to former clients) began to end in January. More revocations are expected this summer and fall, according to a review of ethics documents obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News. It’s one of the few restrictions on leadership within the EPA’s chemical division, which members of the Make America Healthy…

If part of the small intestine becomes diseased or dies, treatment may include surgically removing the affected tissue. Although this surgery, called radical small bowel resection, is lifesaving, it can lead to long-term liver damage and liver failure, requiring a liver transplant. There are no medications to prevent or manage this serious complication, which is reported to affect up to 15% of patients after small bowel resection. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have synthesized and tested in mice a new compound that may protect the liver from damage and improve nutrient absorption after small…

The “hygiene hypothesis” suggests that exposure to different types of microbes may protect against the development of diseases caused by allergens, but a new study in mice from Cornell University reveals that exposure to a variety of microbes and allergens in adults may actually worsen certain allergic symptoms. Professor of Immunology Avery August said: “Our data suggest that it is important to think about how we move around in the world and protect ourselves from exposure to microorganisms, because depending on our condition, if we move from a clean environment to a dirty environment, or from a dirty environment to…

A new report from the Geriatric Society of America (GSA) summarizes findings on the readiness of primary care providers to implement digital cognitive assessment (DCA) for use in the diagnostic process for cognitive impairment and dementia. Although the clinical literature consistently emphasizes early detection as a key tool in the management of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, subtle changes in cognition remain difficult to detect. Current reliance on analog, paper-based screening introduces a level of subjectivity and coarseness in the data, which can potentially miss subtle markers of early stage decline. ” Dr. Lisa C. McGuire, FAPA, FGSA,…

The herpes simplex virus partially liquefies the tightly packed gel-like interior of human cell nuclei to copy itself faster, a new study shows. The research focuses on how the nucleus of each human cell houses the genetic machinery used to copy instructions encoded in DNA as the cell divides and multiplies as part of growth. Viruses invade human cells and use their machinery to copy themselves, but their entry can be blocked by the dense structure of the nucleus. The new study, led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, found that the herpes simplex virus uses a protein called infectious…