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Autoimmunity-associated heart dilation linked with heart-failure risk in type 1 diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes, particularly those with poor glycemic control, are at markedly increased risk for cardiovascular disease than the general population.

6 Apr 2020

Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy promises a benefit

On behalf of the Federal Joint Committee, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care investigated whether it is meaningful to test newborns in Germany for spinal muscular atrophy in combination with earlier diagnosis and treatment.

6 Apr 2020

Bedroom air filters provide asthma relief for children

A new study by American and Chinese scientists, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, in April 2020, shows that a simple bedroom filter can help asthmatic children breathe better.

6 Apr 2020

Rush participates in clinical trial to test remdesivir as potential treatment for COVID-19

Rush University Medical Center is participating in a new clinical trial to test the effectiveness of the drug remdesivir in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This disease currently has no approved treatment.

6 Apr 2020

'Smart toilet' looks for signs of disease

A Stanford study published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering in April 2020 reports the development of a new kind of toilet that can pick up signs of an extensive range of diseases, from molecules in stool and urine. This could be extremely useful in repeatedly and inexpensively screening high-risk groups for certain conditions, including those for which a genetic tendency is possible – such as prostate cancer or certain kinds of kidney cancer.

6 Apr 2020

Experimental drug APN01 prevents COVID-19 infection in the lab

With the world gripped with the COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a frantic rush to find an effective drug that can be used to treat the disease.

6 Apr 2020

Discovery of novel brain-digestive link

Scientists across the globe have long studied the link between the brain and the digestive system. Previous studies have tied brain networks and how they influence the gastrointestinal tract or vice versa. Food has a unique effect on humans as food tastes or flavors often dictate food-seeking behaviors. So is the palate the only thing that controls food choices among humans?

6 Apr 2020

Healthy lifestyle, greater disease-free life expectancy

For years, doctors have been advocating a healthy diet, more regular exercise, stress relief, and weight control. However, no study has examined a combination of all these factors with the number of years that one can live free of major chronic disease. This could help communicate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle more convincingly than the commonly reported relative risk of disease with each of these risk factors.

6 Apr 2020

DsbA-L gene may play a role in protecting respiratory function of the elderly

The lungs are constantly exposed to the external environment and maintain homeostasis by adapting to stress and tissue damage.

6 Apr 2020

UC San Diego Health expands COVID-19 testing capacity

From the beginning, the ability of front line clinicians to test patients for COVID-19 -- to determine whether a person is infected with the disease-causing novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 -- has been part and parcel of the pandemic.

6 Apr 2020

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics launches COVID-19 antibody test

Aligned with its mission to improve and save lives with diagnostics, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics today announced it is launching to market its SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19/coronavirus) antibody test—the VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Reagent Pack. Testing kits are expected to be available in a few weeks.

From Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. 6 Apr 2020

Study suggests targeted cancer therapy could help with rare neurologic disease

A targeted therapy currently studied for treatment of certain cancers may be beneficial in treating other neurologic diseases.

6 Apr 2020

International group determines best method for sequencing single-cell RNA

To ensure that single-cell RNA sequencing makes use of the best methods, an international group has benchmarked 13 methods.

6 Apr 2020

Immunotherapy prior to surgery is effective in colon cancer

Patients with colon cancer, but no distant metastases, can benefit from immunotherapy while waiting for surgery.

6 Apr 2020

Grip strength metrics may be useful screening tool for diabetes risk

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reports valuable new grip strength metrics that provide healthcare practitioners with an easy-to-perform, time-efficient screening tool for type 2 diabetes.

6 Apr 2020

Long-standing racial and income disparities seen creeping into COVID-19 care

The new coronavirus doesn’t discriminate. But physicians in public health and on the front lines said they already can see the emergence of familiar patterns of racial and economic bias in the response to the pandemic.

6 Apr 2020

Coronavirus pandemic affecting the Earth's movement

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic has changed many things across the globe bringing chaos to lives and economies. However, efforts to curb the spread of the virus, have lowered pollution levels, carbon emissions, and oceans and rivers appear cleaner. Now, it seems that the lockdown efforts have also affected the planet's movement.

5 Apr 2020

COVID-19 and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Network in April 2020 deals with the use of a widely used category of cardiovascular medications in COVID-19 patients with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the most common medical conditions that are found in COVID-19 patients and contribute disproportionately to mortality.

5 Apr 2020

Immunosuppressant shows promise in addressing COVID-19 symptoms for patients with blood cancers

A case study of a patient in Wuhan, China, suggests that the immunosuppressant tocilizumab may be an effective COVID-19 treatment for very ill patients who also have multiple myeloma and other blood cancers.

5 Apr 2020

Antibody recovered from SARS survivor reveals potential vulnerability of new coronavirus

An antibody recovered from a survivor of the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s has revealed a potential vulnerability of the new coronavirus at the root of COVID-19, according to a study from scientists at Scripps Research.

3 Apr 2020