By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Network in April 2020 deals with the use of a widely used category of cardiovascular medications in COVID-19 patients with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the most common medical conditions that are found in COVID-19 patients and contribute...
By Osman Shabir, M.Sc. Reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Logan, MD, MPH Dietary proteins are essential for a healthy diet and development. Proteins break down in the body to their constituents, called amino acids, which are then used for protein synthesis by the cells of the body to survive and to replicate, amongst other important cellular...
(HealthDay)—Even if you’re already wearing a face mask to cover your mouth and nose, taking steps to protect your eyes might also help guard against coronavirus infection, eye health experts say. Here are some tips from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): Don’t wear contact lenses—switch to glasses. People who wear contact lenses tend to...
The circadian rhythms of the body’s biological clock may inform when you should start intermittent fasting, according to new research. In recent years, diet trends such as intermittent fasting have popularized the practice of delayed or restricted eating for many people looking to manage caloric intake. Still, many open to restructuring their schedules have the...
Brianne N. Hobbs, OD; Kaila M. Osmotherly, OD Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. As we await evidence from multiple ongoing trials of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the treatment of COVID-19, clinicians have had to make do with conflicting reports regarding its potential efficacy. Although HCQ is one of the...
(HealthDay)—The use of the antimalarial drug chloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients has been halted at several Swedish hospitals due to reported side effects such as cramps and loss of peripheral vision. Sahlgrenska University Hospital is one of those facilities. It stopped the use of chloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19 about two weeks ago. “There...
by CNBP There are three main types of pain: nociceptive pain, the type we’re most familiar with, from bee stings and ankle strains to inflammatory arthritis. There’s neuropathic pain, arising from damage to the peripheral nervous system or the brain itself due to disease or injury. Then there are functional pain disorders arising from complex...
by Heather Caslin, Vanderbilt University Natriuretic peptides (NP) are hormones released from the heart that reduce blood pressure, insulin resistance and body fat accumulation. Low NP levels may be associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, a condition more common in African-Americans and Hispanics than in white individuals. In a recent PLOS ONE publication,...
Tori Marsh, MPH Tori Marsh, MPH, is on the Research team at GoodRx and is the resident expert on drug pricing and savings. Posted on April 7, 2020 Key takeaways: Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, which are both being tested as possible treatments for COVID-19, are officially experiencing shortages. Multiple other drugs that are essential in treating...
by Andrew Scheuber, Caroline Brogan, Imperial College London A new DnaNudge Lab-in-Cartridge test is beginning evaluation on patients—requiring no lab and significantly reducing waits for results. Imperial College London’s Regius Professor of Engineering, Chris Toumazou FRS, is working with clinical researchers to test a rapid, lab-free PCR test that detects COVID-19 and delivers results in...
