The sun and our skin have a complicated relationship. No matter how much our skin might love the warmth that radiates from the hot ball of glowing gases at the center of our solar system, the rays that emanate from it can cause some serious damage. There are plenty of skin care products on the...
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What can cause lower back pain?
By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA Reviewed by William Morrison, MD Lower back pain is very common. It usually develops due to overuse or a minor injury, but sometimes there may be no obvious cause. Lower back pain can also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and...
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Exercises for easing and preventing upper back pain
By Nicole Galan Reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT Upper back pain and tension are common complaints, particularly when people feel stressed or spend a lot of time hunched over desks or computers. Exercises that stretch the neck, shoulders, and upper back can help relieve pain and loosen tight muscles. Muscles tension in the shoulders can...
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Hidden epidemic? Childhood concussion may lead to long term cognitive and behavioral problems
by Mark Linden, Ann Glang And Audrey Mckinlay, The Conversation At age 15, Jamie is a keen soccer player who loves nothing more than getting stuck into every tackle, practice and game. As a result, Jamie experiences injury like any young person might do. During a routine sports physical, Jamie complains to the doctor about...
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For civilians, finding a therapist skilled in PTSD treatments is a tough task
by Caroline Covington Lauren Walls has lived with panic attacks, nightmares and flashbacks for years. The 26-year-old San Antonio teacher sought help from a variety of mental health professionals—including spending five years and at least $20,000 with one therapist who used a Christian-faith-based approach, viewing her condition as part of a spiritual weakness that could...
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Virtual reality can spot navigation problems in early Alzheimer’s disease
by University of Cambridge Virtual reality (VR) can identify early Alzheimer’s disease more accurately than ‘gold standard’ cognitive tests currently in use, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge. The study highlights the potential of new technologies to help diagnose and monitor conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more than 525,000 people in the UK. In 2014, Professor John O’Keefe of UCL was jointly...
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If you could learn every disease your child could possibly develop in life, would you?
Adding genomic sequencing results to traditional newborn screening means a baby could potentially test positive for numerous conditions that might not develop within their lifetime UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH CARE CHAPEL HILL, NC – Newborn screening is required in the U.S. and differs slightly depending on which state you live in. For the most part, it’s done before a newborn...
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Why Anti-vax Doctors Are Ordering 23andMe Tests
Naturopaths have long been obsessed with a gene called MTHFR. Now vaccine skeptics are testing for it too. David Reif, now a biologist at NC State, realized his old paper had taken on a dangerous second life when he saw it cited—not in the scientific literature, but in a court case. The paper was titled...
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Biomarkers help tailor diuretic use in acute heart failure patients
by European Society of Cardiology Adrenomedullin activity predicts which acute heart failure patients are at the greatest risk of death without diuretic treatment post-discharge, according to late breaking research presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “Therapy at discharge often remains unchanged for several weeks and even...
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T2DM is risk factor for liver fibrosis progression in NAFLD
Toshifumi Tada, M.D., from Ogaki Municipal Hospital in Japan, and colleagues examined clinical risk factors for progression of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Data were included for 1,562 patients with NAFLD (aged 36 to 64 years) and less severe liver fibrosis (FIB-4 index, <1.3). The researchers found that 186 patients progressed to advanced fibrosis (FIB-4 index, >2.67) during follow-up. For progression to advanced fibrosis, the three-, five-, seven-, and 10-year cumulative incidence rates...