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UCI research team uncovers new unexpected mode of neurotransmitter-based communication

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine have discovered the first example of a novel mode of neurotransmitter-based communication.

22 May 2018

Researchers reveal mechanisms of periodic paralysis in people with rare genetic disorder

A rare genetic disorder in which people are suddenly overcome with profound muscle weakness is caused by a hole in a membrane protein that allows sodium ions to leak across cell membranes, researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have found.

21 May 2018

First epoetin alfa biosimilar receives FDA approval to treat certain types of anemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Retacrit (epoetin alfa-epbx) as a biosimilar to Epogen/Procrit (epoetin alfa) for the treatment of anemia caused by chronic kidney disease, chemotherapy, or use of zidovudine in patients with HIV infection.

16 May 2018

Researchers to take 'unprecedented look' into protein behind hypertension, epilepsy, and overactive bladder

The seemingly unrelated conditions of hypertension, epilepsy and overactive bladder may be linked by electrical activity in a protein long studied by a biomedical engineer at Washington University in St. Louis.

15 May 2018

Genomic science can help healthcare professionals to identify, treat inherited cardiac conditions

The family history questions asked during patient assessments are becoming even more important with the rise of precision medicine and genetic testing.

11 May 2018

New research finds simple solution to minimize noise-induced hearing loss

It's well known that exposure to extremely loud noises - whether it's an explosion, a firecracker or even a concert - can lead to permanent hearing loss. But knowing how to treat noise-induced hearing loss, which affects about 15 percent of Americans, has largely remained a mystery.

8 May 2018

Natural substances in Chinese medicinal plant can trigger heart arrhythmias

A medicinal plant frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - Evodia rutaecarpa - contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmia. This is what researchers from the Universities of Basel, Vienna and Utrecht have recently found out.

2 May 2018

Artificial sweeteners linked to obesity warn researchers

While people are getting more and more health conscious they are increasingly bending in favor of artificial sweeteners especially zero-calorie ones. New research has found that these replacements for sugar are likely to cause health changes which may be associated with diabetes and obesity.

22 Apr 2018

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

Revealing surprising answers to a long-standing enigma about the brain target of the anti-obesity hormone leptin, neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have used CRISPR genome editing to identify a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism in mediating leptin's anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and have identified two distinct mechanisms underlying leptin's inhibition of appetite.

19 Apr 2018

Researchers develop microsensor that enables kidney dialysis to be customized

Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology have developed a microsensor that makes it possible to directly monitor and adjust the composition of kidney dialysis fluid.

27 Mar 2018

Less nutritious diet mainly contributes to Type 2 diabetes among U.S.-based South Asians

Less nutritious dietary choices made by South Asians living in developed countries like the U.S. are a key contributor to the group's rising rate of Type 2 diabetes, UT Southwestern researchers report.

22 Mar 2018

Study shows benefits of hair loss drug in improving cognitive function and vascular health

Minoxidil, a popular drug used on the scalp to treat hair loss, might improve blood flow to the brain, lower blood pressure and increase elasticity in the blood vessels if taken in an oral form, according to a new study in mice.

20 Mar 2018

Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners could promote metabolic syndrome, increase diabetes risk

Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners could promote metabolic syndrome and predispose people to prediabetes and diabetes, particularly in individuals with obesity, a new study on human fat-derived stem cells and fat samples suggests.

19 Mar 2018

Boosting the brain's immune cells may prevent or reduce severity of Alzheimer's disease

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Research Institute researchers have published two new studies in Neuron that describe how TREM2, a receptor found on immune cells in the brain, interacts with toxic amyloid beta proteins to restore neurological function.

8 Mar 2018

Study: Other aspects of diet may not offset harmful effect of sodium on blood pressure

An international study suggests other aspects of the diet may not offset the harmful effect of sodium on blood pressure. The study, published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension, also reaffirms the need for widespread sodium reduction in the food supply.

5 Mar 2018

Healthy diet may not counteract effects of high salt intake on blood pressure, study suggests

A healthy diet may not offset the effects of a high salt intake on blood pressure, suggests a new study.

5 Mar 2018

Concerns raised about saline in intravenous fluid

A new set of studies has explored the saline used in intravenous fluids in hospitals and found that they may not be as safe as earlier believed. These two large studies have found that the presently used concentration of saline leads to an increased risk of kidney damage and death and replacing them with an alternate fluid could reduce the deaths by 50,000 to 70,000 and reduce the number of kidney failures by 100,000 annually in the United States.

27 Feb 2018

DASH diet benefits extends beyond hypertension to preventing depression

The DASH diet or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet has been a popular one to reduce the risk of hypertension. A new study has found that it may also reduce the risk of depression later in life.

26 Feb 2018

Vitamin D cannot be metabolized without sufficient magnesium levels, review finds

There is a caveat to the push for increased Vitamin D: Don't forget magnesium. A review published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found Vitamin D can't be metabolized without sufficient magnesium levels, meaning Vitamin D remains stored and inactive for as many as 50 percent of Americans.