Written by Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD | Reviewed by Christina Aungst, PharmD Key takeaways: Over-the-counter (OTC) medications don’t require a prescription. They’re readily available to help you self-treat symptoms of allergies, pain, and more.Many different types of medications are available OTC. Examples include motion sickness pills like Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and pain relievers like Advil (ibuprofen).GoodRx can...
Written by Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP | Reviewed by Katie E. Golden, MD Key takeaways: The nocebo effect occurs when negative beliefs about a treatment lead to a harmful effect. It’s the opposite of the placebo effect.The nocebo effect can make interventions or treatments more painful and less effective. It can also lead to more side effects than...
Researchers at MIT have developed an enhanced mRNA vaccine system that can elicit a greater immune response at lower doses. The vaccine technology is so potent that it may be useful for intranasal COVID-19 vaccines. This would have the benefit of localized immunity in the nasal mucus membranes that could kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus before...
Itchy palms are often the result of common skin conditions, such as eczema. But they can also signal more severe underlying issues, for instance, liver disease. According to superstition, itchy left and right palms are thought to foretell that a person will give away or receive some money. However, in reality, a person’s palms may...
Phase III trial finds 32% lower chance of disease recurrence, progression, or death with immunotherapy plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone Peer-Reviewed Publication UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER JOHN HEYMACH M.D., PH.D. CREDIT: THE UNIVERSITY OF MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER HOUSTON ― A regimen of pre-surgical immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by post-surgical immunotherapy...
by Wiley Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainComplications of diabetes can have numerous negative health effects, from impaired vision and nerve damage to kidney dysfunction and heart disease. In an analysis of information on adults with colorectal cancer, patients who also had diabetes—particularly those with diabetic complications—faced a higher risk of dying early. The research is published in...
Novavax’s protein-based vaccine is the latest FDA-authorized COVID booster available this fall. Here’s what you should know By Sara Reardon on October 16, 2023 As the updated COVID vaccines roll out around the country, one more competitor has joined the mix. In early October the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a new booster shot made by the...
By Paul McClure A new study into using ketamine to treat depression has yielded surprising results. Despite the unique way in which the researchers ensured the trial was ‘blind’, those who received a placebo had the same improvement in symptom severity as those administered the psychoactive drug. Clinical trials of psychoactive drugs like LSD, MDMA and...
by Erin Digitale, Stanford University Sources of heterogeneity in diabetes. Credit: Nature Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02502-5Diabetes can show up in almost anyone: pregnant women, babies, kids, teens, adults both young and old. But the condition’s various forms, all of which affect how the body processes blood sugar, can manifest quite differently in the hundreds of millions...
by Stephanie Baum , Medical Xpress The relationship between vestibular loss and the risk of dementia. Credit: Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42598-wExisting research shows a link between hearing loss and the risk of dementia, and a new study adds to growing evidence that vestibular loss can increase dementia risk as well. Results from this work,...
