Everything epidemiology can tell us about the new coronavirus. Matthew R. Francis Scientists, medical professionals, and governments around the world are working to understand how the new respiratory disease ravaging Hubei province spreads—and how bad it could be for the rest of the world. Part of this effort is epidemiology: the study of how infections...
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ACR releases reproductive health guideline for patients with rheumatic diseases
by American College of Rheumatology Today, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published the 2020 Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases. This is the first, evidence-based, clinical practice guideline related to the management of reproductive health issues for all patients with rheumatic diseases. With 131 recommendations, the guideline offers...
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Shingles Vaccine Linked to Lower Stroke Risk
Damian McNamara LOS ANGELES — Prevention of shingles with the Zoster Vaccine Live (Zostavax, Merck) may reduce the risk of subsequent stroke among older adults as well, the first study to examine this association suggests. Shingles vaccination was linked to a 20% decrease in stroke risk in people under 80 years of age in the...
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What you need to know about travelling during the coronavirus crisis
by David Beirman, The Conversation The coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) has now reached more than 80,000 recorded cases, largely concentrated in China, with a death toll over 2,700 and rising. There are few signs the epidemic is abating. In fact, new cases have emerged in a host of European countries in recent days, while significant outbreaks...
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HEARING AIDS MAY PROTECT YOUR THINKING ABILITY
U. MELBOURNE “But despite the effectiveness of hearing aids as a treatment of hearing loss, it’s estimated that up to 76% of people who need hearing aids do not have them,” says researcher Julia Sarant. Using a hearing aid may delay cognitive decline, new research shows. Here, Julia Sarant, an associate professor in the audiology...
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Coronavirus Alert!
Hello, As you may have been aware, in the past few months news of coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak from China has been rampant. Orange County recently declared a local health emergency in response to this coronavirus. This emergency declaration came after one confirmed case of the virus in Orange County and Orange County officials are taking...
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Shingles Vaccine Linked to Lower Stroke Risk
LOS ANGELES — Prevention of shingles with the Zoster Vaccine Live (Zostavax, Merck) may reduce the risk of subsequent stroke among older adults as well, the first study to examine this association suggests. Shingles vaccination was linked to a 20% decrease in stroke risk in people under 80 years of age in the large Medicare...
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Antibodies: The body’s own antidepressants
by Max Planck Society If the immune system attacks its own body, it can often have devastating consequences: autoantibodies bind to the body’s structures, triggering functional disorders. The receptors for glutamate, a neurotransmitter, can also become the target of autoantibodies. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen have been investigating the...
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Handheld Eye Scanner to Detect Autism Spectrum Disorder
Researchers at Flinders University in Australia have developed a handheld eye scanner that could help to identify children with autism spectrum disorder. The device allows clinicians to obtain light-adapted electroretinograms, which involves detecting electrical signals in the retina. The device could help in diagnosing children with autism much earlier, meaning that they can get appropriate...
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Quality of life similar after surgery, antibiotics for uncomplicated appendicitis
For patients being treated for uncomplicated acute appendicitis, quality of life (QOL) is similar at seven years after appendectomy or antibiotic therapy, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in JAMA Surgery. Suvi Sippola, M.D., from Turku University Hospital in Finland, and colleagues assessed postintervention QOL and patient satisfaction and treatment preference during follow-up...