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Enrolment in high-deductible health plan may not be linked to asthma exacerbations

How does the switch to a high-deductible health plan affect children with asthma? A new study led by researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute suggests that enrollment in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) may not be associated with changes in asthma medication use or asthma exacerbations when medications are exempt from the deductible.

26 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

New chemical process uses photocatalytic membrane to remove steroid hormones

Micropollutants such as steroid hormones contaminate drinking water worldwide and pose a significant threat to human health and the environment even in smallest quantities.

22 May 2021

Fungal disease is emerging among hundreds of COVID-19 patients in India, shows study

Authorities scramble to provide drugs to treat a fungal disease affecting India's COVID-19 patients. A fungal disease called mucormycosis is emerging among hundreds of COVID-19 patients in India, placing further strain on hospitals already at breaking point.

12 May 2021

Study suggests new avenues for treating Black patients who disproportionately die of prostate cancer

A study designed to enroll an equal number of Black and white men with advanced prostate cancer confirms key findings that have been evident in retrospective analyses and suggest potential new avenues for treating Black patients who disproportionately die of the disease.

7 May 2021

Thin, weakened bones associated with heightened risk of heart attack or stroke in women

Thin and brittle bones are strongly linked to women’s heart disease risk, with thinning of the lower (lumbar) spine, top of the thigh bone (femoral neck), and hip especially predictive of a heightened heart attack and stroke risk, suggests research in the journal Heart.

6 May 2021

Asthma Awareness: Fighting Asthma in 2021

In light of World Asthma Day, News-Medical interviewed Dr. Samantha Walker from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation about fighting asthma in 2021.

5 May 2021

World Asthma Day 2021: How could smart inhalers improve asthma care?

For World Asthma Day 2021, News-Medical interviews Krisnah Poinasamy from Asthma UK about smart inhalers and their benefits for improving asthma care.

5 May 2021

Study uncovers protein 'signature' of severe COVID-19

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the protein "signature" of severe COVID-19, which they describe in a new study published in Cell Reports Medicine.

4 May 2021

Researchers discover new way to improve the subcutaneous administration of mRNA

If not before, then certainly since the first messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to combat the SARS CoV2 virus were approved in Germany, mRNA has become a recognized term even outside scientific circles.

4 May 2021

Study characterizes anti-inflammatory effect of strawberry geranium on the skin

Strawberry geranium (Saxifraga stolonifera) has been used in Japan as a herbal medicine to treat wounds and swelling, and continues to be an ingredient in food and cosmetics.

23 Apr 2021

Ovarian follicular function unaffected by SARS-CoV-2 infection or Pfizer vaccine, study finds

A new study by researchers in Jerusalem indicates that while specific antibodies to the virus are present in both serum and ovarian follicles following infection or vaccination, there is no apparent adverse effect on follicular function as a result.

15 Apr 2021

Alpaca nanobodies effective against South African SARS-CoV-2 variant

Researchers in South Africa and the UK have identified alpaca-derived nanoantibodies that potently neutralize variants of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Apr 2021

Study: Low fat diets reduce men’s testosterone levels

A new study conducted at the University of Worcester and published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has found low fat diets decrease men’s testosterone levels by 10-15%.

9 Apr 2021

Researchers evaluate new drug for spinal muscular atrophy in a broader spectrum of patients

The rarity of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) means that promising new treatments may be tested in only a limited spectrum of patients before approval. Investigators evaluated a newly approved drug, onasemnogene abeparvovec, in a broader spectrum of patients in order to obtain expanded data on its side effects profile.

6 Apr 2021

Mother's stress levels during conception could be a determinant of fetal sex

A study carried out by scientists from the University of Granada has revealed that women who experience stress both before becoming pregnant and during conception are almost twice as likely to have a girl as a boy.

6 Apr 2021

Taking progestogens during high-risk pregnancy could reduce preterm birth

Taking progestogens - steroid hormones - during pregnancy could reduce the risk of preterm birth in high-risk single baby pregnancies, research has shown.

31 Mar 2021

Corticosteroid therapy in pregnant women with COVID-19

A new study describes the outcome of corticosteroid use in pregnancy.

29 Mar 2021

Scientists seek Covid treatment answers in cheap, older drugs

Could a decades-old antidepressant be a secret weapon against covid? A few scientists think so, after two small studies showed that fluvoxamine, typically prescribed for obsessive-compulsive disorder, prevented serious illness in all participants who took the pills soon after developing symptoms.

29 Mar 2021

Her doctor’s office moved one floor up. Her bill was 10 times higher.

Kyunghee Lee's right hand hurts all the time. She spent decades running a family dry cleaning store outside Cleveland after emigrating from South Korea 40 years ago. She still freelances as a seamstress, although work has slowed amid the covid-19 pandemic.

26 Mar 2021