Fran Lowry Regular recreational use of cannabis is associated with potentially adverse features of left ventricular size and subclinical impairment of left ventricular function, compared with rare or no cannabis use, an observational study concludes. Previous use of recreational cannabis was not associated with such features, suggesting that any deleterious effects may not be permanent....
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15 Studies That Challenged Medical Dogma in 2019
Eric J. Topol, MD DISCLOSURES My favorite scientific papers are the ones that challenge the prevailing wisdom, or dogma. As I did in 2018, I’ve compiled a list of 15 such articles from 2019, in no particular order. 1.New neurons proliferate in the hippocampus as we age, even into the ninth decade of life, researchers...
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5 things you can do to make your microbiome healthier
by Connie Rogers and Darrell Cockburn, The Conversation Fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you and your gut microbes. Credit: Teri Virbickis/Shutterstock.com It’s common for people to focus on their health at the start of the year. But few consider the well being of the microbes that live inside the human gut—the microbiome—which are vital to...
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Targeting cholesterol metabolism in macrophages to eliminate viral infection
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS Recent evidence suggests a link between cholesterol metabolism and innate immunity. Upon viral infection, macrophages show reduced cholesterol synthesis accompanied by enhanced expression of antiviral genes, including type I interferon (IFN-I). IFN-I can induce 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) accumulation, which blocks viral entry. However, it has been unclear whether other cholesterol-associated metabolic...
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Researchers identify new therapeutic target for colorectal cancer
ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY PRESS Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified a key protein that supports the growth of many colorectal cancers. The study, which will be published December 27 in the Journal of Cell Biology, reveals that a protein called Importin-11 transports the cancer-causing protein βcatenin into the nucleus of colon cancer cells, where it...
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A key area of the brain is smaller in women on the pill
At the base of the brain is a small but crucial area that acts as a control hub for the nervous and hormonal systems. Now, a study has found that among women, it is significantly smaller in those using birth control pills. New research finds an intriguing link between birth control pills and the size...
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Toward a Speech Neuroprosthesis
Edward F. Chang, MD1; Gopala K. Anumanchipalli, PhD1 Author Affiliations Article Information JAMA. Published online December 27, 2019. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.19813 poken communication is a basic human function. As such, loss of the ability to speak can be devastating for affected individuals. Stroke or neurodegenerative conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, can result in paralysis or dysfunction...
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Women with single dose of HPV vaccine gain similar protection as multiple doses
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON A new study revealed that one dose of the HPV vaccine may prevent infection from the potential cancer-causing virus, according to research published in JAMA Network Openfrom The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 34,800 new...
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Severity of autism symptoms varies greatly among identical twins
by NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Identical twins with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience large differences in symptom severity even though they share the same DNA, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that identifying the causes of this variability may...
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Liposuction benefits women with lipedema
(HealthDay)—Liposuction improves the quality of life for women with lipedema, according to a study published in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Anna-Theresa Bauer, M.D., from Technical University Munich in Germany, and colleagues conducted an online survey of 209 female patients (average age, 38.5 years) with lipedema who had undergone tumescent liposuction to...