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Type of upper airway bacteria could influence asthma severity

A new study raises the possibility of modulating asthma symptoms via the bacteria that commonly live in the upper airway. The work, which was published on December 16, 2019, in the journal Nature Communications, shows that in children who have mild to moderate asthma, the microbiome of the upper airway could determine how severe the symptoms are.

16 Dec 2019

E-cigarettes have long-term adverse effects on health

A new study has revealed that use of electronic cigarettes is associated with a raised risk of developing chronic lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) or emphysema.

16 Dec 2019

Poorest countries have high levels of both obesity and malnutrition

Malnutrition involves consuming nutrients that are either too much or not enough in a way that it causes health problems. The health issue has been a longstanding predicament worldwide, and now, a new study shows that a third of the poorest countries in the world are facing high levels of obesity, as well as undernutrition.

16 Dec 2019

Scientists modify approved cancer drug to develop new antibiotic

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasingly the source of deadly infections. A team of scientists from the Technical University of Munich and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig have now modified an approved cancer drug to develop an active agent against multidrug-resistant pathogens.

16 Dec 2019

Getting closer to personalized medicine for patients with atrial fibrillation

Patients with atrial fibrillation, the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia, are closer to accessing personalized medicine.

16 Dec 2019

Modifying a cancer drug has created a new agent for multi-resistant infections

Researchers have modified a cancer drug to create an agent that is effective at treating multi-drug-resistant infections.

16 Dec 2019

New gene technology shows 100-fold efficiency in targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Taking advantage of powerful advances in CRISPR gene editing, scientists at the University of California San Diego have set their sights on one of society's most formidable threats to human health.

16 Dec 2019

Study suggests link between bacteria in the upper airway and asthma severity

A new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests there is a link between bacteria that live in the upper airway and the severity of asthma symptoms among children with mild to moderate asthma.

16 Dec 2019

E-cigarette use linked to increased risk of chronic lung diseases

E-cigarette use significantly increases a person's risk of developing chronic lung diseases like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to new UC San Francisco research, the first longitudinal study linking e-cigarettes to respiratory illness in a sample representative of the entire U.S. adult population.

16 Dec 2019

New study assesses causes of death after breast cancer diagnosis

Survival rates for patients with breast cancer have improved significantly in the last four decades, and many patients will eventually die from non-cancer-related causes.

16 Dec 2019

Study shows non-TB lung infections rising; more in women and older people

Each year, more and more people are getting mycobacterial lung infections, and the total number living with such diseases is going up, according to a new study published in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Those at greatest risk are people above the age of 65 years and the elderly.

15 Dec 2019

Medications prescribed to children with chronic kidney disease may harm their kidneys

An analysis of records from primary care practices in the United Kingdom found that many children with kidney disease are prescribed medications that may be toxic to their kidneys.

13 Dec 2019

Study reports case-specific monetary estimates for childhood illness linked to air pollution

A new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is the first to compile the estimated per-case costs of six childhood health conditions linked to air pollution--estimates that can be incorporated into benefits assessments of air pollution regulations and climate change mitigation policies.

12 Dec 2019

New Year's resolutions to improve the quality and quantity of sleep

New Year's Day is the sleepiest day of the year according to American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey results of 2,003 U.S. adults.

12 Dec 2019

Study finds African children are growing better because of America’s Feed the Future program

A new Stanford study published on December 11, 2019, in the BMJ, says that Feed the Future is indeed making an impact on over 2 million children in sub-Saharan Africa, who have been saved from experiencing malnutrition with its related issues. Feed the Future is a US governmental program that focuses on reducing global hunger and ensuring greater food security.

12 Dec 2019

Gulf war illness – one or two diseases?

A study of veterans who have Gulf war syndrome shows that moderate exercise can bring about a spectrum of brain imaging abnormalities, which fall into one of two groups. This could mean that this is a more complicated illness than was first thought. The study was published on December 12, 2019, in the journal Brain Communications.

12 Dec 2019

Research suggests contributory role of 'Asian glow' mutation and alcohol to Alzheimer’s

A new study from Stanford, published on December 12 in the journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications, suggests that an important enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the body is defective in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Understanding its relationship with alcohol and with genes that predispose to AD could help avert the latter in humans at risk.

12 Dec 2019

New study finds 2 out of 5 antibiotic prescriptions could be unnecessary

A new study in the British Medical Journal published on December 11, 2019, finds that up to 2 in every 5 prescriptions in the US might not be relevant clinically. This means that clinicians have a long way to go in rational antibiotic use and achieving proper antibiotic stewardship. The characteristics linked with antibiotic prescription without documented indication could help improve practices in this field.

12 Dec 2019

Scientists develop an approach to vaccinate against gut inflammation

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term that describes many disorders that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These conditions are tied to certain alternations in the gut flora.

12 Dec 2019

Wayne State's College of Engineering receives $1.7 million to develop novel insulin delivery system

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin -- a hormone that regulates blood sugar -- or the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. According to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, the disease is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States, with an estimated 30.3 million people currently with diabetes.

12 Dec 2019