Written by Cherilyn Cecchini, MD | Reviewed by Katie E. Golden, MD Key takeaways: – Parkinson’s disease symptoms can be subtle in the early stages of the condition. They include stiffness, loss of smell, trouble sleeping, and constipation.– As Parkinson’s disease progresses, many of the movement symptoms become more apparent. This includes an uncontrollable tremor,...
by Emily Reeve, Jacinta L Johnson, Janet Sluggett and Kate O’Hara, The Conversation Credit: ShutterstockPeople are living longer and with more chronic health conditions—including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and dementia—than ever before. As societies continue to grow older, one pressing concern is the use of multiple medications, a phenomenon known as polypharmacy. About 1 million...
by Aaron Nieto, Baylor College of Medicine Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public DomainElectrical blackouts pose a serious threat to those who rely on at-home medical devices to live. An expert with Baylor College of Medicine explains why preparation for a sudden loss of power is crucial. “While we are in the middle of hurricane season and a...
by Stefanie Tremblay, The Conversation Modifiable risk factors for dementia include high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and infrequent social contact. Credit: ShutterstockA 65-year-old woman repeatedly seeks medical help for her failing memory. She is first told it’s nothing to worry about, then, a year later, that it’s “just normal...
by Ernie Mundell Brown rats found and analyzed near Atlanta now carry rat lungworm, researchers report. It’s a parasite that can trigger a dangerous brain encephalitis in both people and pets, and which now threatens a wide area of the U.S. Southeast. Researchers in Georgia say the microscopic rat lungworm, known scientifically as Angiostrongylus cantonensis,...
By REBECCA DYER A false-color scanning electron microscope image of a fibrin blood clot before and after the buildup of protofibrils. (Anurag Sharma/Pradeep Singh)Lecanemab received FDA approval in January after a phase 3 trial showed it slows cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients. While we know lecanemab clears amyloid beta buildup, it was unclear how...
UNIVERSITY OF BASEL IMAGE: A SNAPSHOT OF THE INTERACTIVE NETWORK “PROTEIN UNIVERSE ATLAS”. CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF BASEL, BIOZENTRUM A research team at the University of Basel and the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics uncovered a treasure trove of uncharacterised proteins. Embracing the recent deep learning revolution, they discovered hundreds of new protein families and even...
by Deb Balzer, Mayo Clinic Credit: Mayo Clinic News NetworkDe Quervain’s tenosynovitis (pronounced da-KWUHR-vanes teena-sine-ah-VITE-us) is a complicated name for a condition that’s been referred to as “mother’s thumb,” “mommy wrist” and “gamer’s thumb”—all associated with repetitive use of the hands and wrist. It is a condition that causes extreme pain in the wrist and...
by American Society for Radiation Oncology Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public DomainA type of head and neck cancer predominantly diagnosed in people who reside in low- and middle-income countries may be treated effectively with fewer but higher doses of radiation, a large new international study suggests. The study—a randomized phase III clinical trial involving 10 countries across...
Faced with growing reports of inaccurate clinical lab tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced that it will for the first time regulate these vital diagnostic tools. “A growing number of clinical diagnostic tests are being offered as laboratory developed tests without assurance that they work. The stakes are getting higher as...
