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Alcohol Consumption Weakens Bones of People Living with HIV

For people living with HIV, any level of alcohol consumption is associated with lower levels of a protein involved in bone formation, raising the risk of osteoporosis, according to a new study by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health.

3 Mar 2020

Updated USPSTF recommendations on hepatitis C screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection screening for adults in the age group 18 to 79 years. This update comes against the background of increasing HCV over the last ten years, primarily due to higher injection drug use, and closer monitoring. The recommendation ensures that this screening will be covered by insurance as well without cost-sharing.

2 Mar 2020

New direct-acting antiviral therapies effectively target Hepatitis C virus

New direct-acting antiviral therapies are highly effective at eliminating the Hepatitis C virus infection, according to a systematic evidence review by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

2 Mar 2020

Health effects of the Australian bushfires

A viewpoint published in the journal JAMA internal Medicine February 28, 2020, discusses the lessons learned from the recent Australian bushfires in regards to climate change and public health.

2 Mar 2020

Researchers identify major landmarks of peripheral artery disease recovery

Novel biomedical advances that show promise in the lab often fall short in clinical trials. For researchers studying peripheral artery disease, this is made more difficult by a lack of standardized metrics for what recovery looks like.

2 Mar 2020

A protein critical for wound healing and neural repair following spinal cord injury identified

Plexin-B2, an axon guidance protein in the central nervous system (CNS), plays an important role in wound healing and neural repair following spinal cord injury (SCI), according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today in Nature Neuroscience. T

2 Mar 2020

Using robotics in neuroendovascular procedures

Surgeons at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University are pioneering the use of robotics in neuroendovascular procedures, which are performed via the blood vessels of the neck and brain.

2 Mar 2020

Mayo study recommends genetic testing to all women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 66

A study by researchers at Mayo Clinic published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that all women with a breast cancer diagnosis under the age of 66 be offered germline genetic testing to determine if they have a gene mutation known to increase the risk of developing other cancers and cancers among blood relatives.

2 Mar 2020

Harmless fMRI provides the earliest peek into visual cortex of newborns

Within hours of birth, a baby's gaze is drawn to faces. Now, brain scans of newborns reveal the neurobiology underlying this behavior, showing that as young as six days old a baby's brain appears hardwired for the specialized tasks of seeing faces and seeing places.

2 Mar 2020

The changing face of the COVID-19 epidemic

The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) virus, which hit China with the disease now named COVID-19 in December 2019 and has since spread to over 70 countries, has caused over 90,000 cases, and 3,117 fatalities, with 95% or more of both being in China.

2 Mar 2020

Alzheimer's could be detected early using a blood test

Researchers from the ARTFL-LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (ALLFTD) research consortium, have reported that a blood test could soon be an important diagnostic tool in detecting the abnormal proteins deposits in the brain that lead to the progressive and debilitating condition of Alzheimer's disease. The study titled, "Diagnostic value of plasma phosphorylated tau181 in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration," was published in today's issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

2 Mar 2020

Irregular sleep could be linked to poor cardiovascular health

A new study from the researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital has revealed that irregular sleep patterns could be adversely affecting the cardiovascular health of an individual. Their study titled, "Actigraphy-measured Sleep Regularity and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis," was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Mar 2020

How cannabis interacts with medications

A new practice guideline published in the journal CMAJ in February 2020 describes five types of drug interactions possible with the use of cannabis. Cannabis is a plant-derived drug containing the psychoactive ingredient delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD). These cannabinoids are broken down by the liver enzymes cytochrome P450 C(YP)34A, and CYP2CC9.

2 Mar 2020

New blood test could be deployed in primary care setting for people with memory issues

A blood test that may eventually be done in a doctor's office can swiftly reveal if a patient with memory issues has Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment and can also distinguish both conditions from frontotemporal dementia.

2 Mar 2020

WFIRM scientists develop miniature organ model to test drug toxicity

Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicinehave developed the world's most sophisticated laboratory model of the human body, creating a system of miniaturized organs that can be used to detect harmful and adverse effects of drugs before they are prescribed to patients.

2 Mar 2020