Christina Szalinski Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the world, largely because so many patients are diagnosed late. Screening more patients could help, yet screening rates remain critically low. In the United States, only about 6% of eligible people get screened , according to the American Lung Association. Contrast that with screening rates for...
The US hasn’t seen syphilis numbers this high since 1950. Other STD rates are down or flat
This 1966 microscope photo made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a tissue sample with the presence of numerous, corkscrew-shaped, darkly-stained, Treponema pallidum spirochetes, the bacterium responsible for causing syphilis. The U.S. syphilis epidemic continues to worsen, according to a new government report released Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, that also contains...
Think Outside the Traditional Toolbox to Treat Itch
ORLANDO — “Itch may not be as sexy as Mohs surgery or aesthetic procedures,” but treating it is important and meaningful to patients, particularly those who’ve found little relief previously, Shawn G. Kwatra, MD, said at the annual ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgery Conference. Chronic itch is common, with presentations that range from annoying to...
Retaining Lean Body Mass While Taking Weight Loss Drugs
Eugene Lucas, MD Semaglutide and tirzepatide have dramatically altered obesity treatment. Significant weight loss is now more achievable than ever before, and additional weight loss medications of similar or greater potency will probably become available in the coming years. Greater amounts of weight loss are not without potential for downsides, however, namely the potential for...
Ketamine vs Esketamine: Critical Differences Explained
Megan Brooks In recent years, media reports touting ketamine as a fast-acting, highly effective treatment for severe depression have increased. In part, this phenomenon is due to the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) 2019 approval of ketamine’s cousin, esketamine (Spravato), the first antidepressant in a new drug class for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Yet, news...
Why Does My Nose Run When I Eat? Doctors Explain
If you get a runny nose after mealtime, here’s what to know. BY MADELEINE HAASEMeet the Experts: Meha Fox, M.D., assistant professor in the department of otolaryngology at Baylor College of Medicine; David A. Gudis, M.D., chief of rhinology and anterior skull base surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Benjamin Tweel, M.D., medical director...
Five Bold Predictions for Long COVID in 2024
Sara Novak With a number of large-scale clinical trials underway and researchers on the hunt for new therapies, long COVID scientists are hopeful that this is the year patients — and doctors who care for them — will finally see improvements in treating their symptoms. Here are five bold predictions — all based on encouraging...
Long COVID: New Info on Who Is Most Likely to Get It
Solarina Ho The COVID-19 pandemic may no longer be a global public health emergency, but millions continue to struggle with the aftermath: Long COVID. New research and clinical anecdotes suggest that certain individuals are more likely to be afflicted by the condition, nearly 4 years after the virus emerged. People with a history of allergies,...
MIT RESEARCHERS INNOVATE 3D PRINTED SELF-HEATING MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES FOR AFFORDABLE DISEASE DETECTION
ADA SHAIKHNAG Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed 3D printed self-heating microfluidic devices, offering potential applications in affordable disease detection tools. MIT’s research team adopted multimaterial 3D printing, a cost-effective method, to create self-heating microfluidic devices in a single manufacturing step. This technique allows for customization, enabling engineers to design microfluidic devices with...
How to make eating healthy easier? The answer may be on the tip of your tongue
by Michael Precker, American Heart Association Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainIf your New Year’s resolution was to cut down on salt and sugar in your diet, you may have an unexpected ally: your taste buds. Research, and personal anecdotes, suggest that taste buds might adapt themselves to help us enjoy lower levels of salt and sugar and...