by Wiley Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Based on focus groups with children and young people with peanut allergy, experts have published guidance for clinicians working in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) to help them safely and equitably implement Palforzia peanut oral immunotherapy. Their recommendations are published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy. In 2022, the...
The rules for measuring blood pressure—and why they exist
by Karen Schmidt, American Heart Association Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The last time your blood pressure was measured, did you rush to the appointment while sipping coffee? Were you perched on an exam table with your legs dangling or your arm hanging? Were you chatting with a medical staff member or scrolling social media on...
Improving prostate cancer screening for transgender women
by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainTransgender women are still at risk for prostate cancer. A new study led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators, published in JAMA concludes that current screening guidelines could miss early-stage prostate cancer in transgender women on hormone therapy. The prostate, a small gland that helps make semen, also produces a...
Neurologist advocates for AI, ultrasound to help prevent blindness from giant cell arteritis
by Hillary Smith, University of Kentucky An article recently published in The Journal of Rheumatology by UK Health care’s Jagannadha (Jay) Avasarala, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology, outlines the promise of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in the diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). Misdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis of GCA can result in blindness...
No evidence” new COVID variant LB.1 causes more severe disease, CDC says
By Alexander Tin Edited By Paula Cohen June 25, 2024 / 5:10 PM EDT / CBS News There are no signs so far that the new LB.1 variant is causing more severe disease in COVID-19 patients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, as infections have begun to accelerate in this summer’s wave around...
Diabetic Foot Infections: A Peptide’s Potential Promise
Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology > ADA 2024 David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD DISCLOSURES | June 24, 2024 At the recent American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions, researchers unveiled promising data on a novel antimicrobial peptide PL-5 spray. This innovative treatment shows significant promise for managing mild to moderate infected diabetic foot ulcers. Of the...
Identifying depression, anxiety symptoms prior to puberty in adolescent females
by Brooke Killmon, Pennsylvania State University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Regardless of age, symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescent females showed little to no variation prior to their first menstruation, indicating an early screening window prior to puberty, according to a study led by a team of Penn State researchers. They also found that...
CDC strengthens RSV vaccine advice for those over 75
by Robin Foster In new vaccination guidance issued Wednesday, U.S. health officials now recommend that all Americans aged 75 and older get an RSV vaccine before fall arrives. However, those a bit younger—ages 60 to 74—should only seek the shot if they are vulnerable to severe RSV because of chronic medical conditions such as lung...
Success in treating persistent pain now offers hope for those with long COVID
by Hamish Wilson and John Douglas Dunbar, The Conversation Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from PexelsThe emergence of long COVID as a mysterious new illness has refocused attention on the incapacitating nature of persistent fatigue. Around the world, this unexpected outcome of the pandemic is now a significant health issue causing considerable personal suffering, absences from work...
Hearing voices is common and can be distressing. Virtual reality might help us meet and ‘treat’ them
by Leila Jameel, Imogen Bell, Neil Thomas and Rachel Brand, The Conversation A screenshot from HekaVR, the software used in the Australian AMETHYST trial. Credit: HekaVR, CC BY-NDHave you ever heard something that others cannot—such as your name being called? Hearing voices or other noises that aren’t there is very common. About 10% of people...