Milan, Italy: Regular use of disinfectants is linked to a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to new research looking at incidence of the disease in over 55,000 nurses in the USA. Dr Orianne Dumas (PhD) from INSERM, Villejuif, France, will tell the European Respiratory Society International Congress today (Monday) that...
Category: <span>Miscellaneous</span>
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New autism diagnosis guidelines miss the mark on how best to help children with developmental problems
Autism has become a default consideration for any child who struggles socially, behaviourally, or with sensory stimuli. The first national guidelines for diagnosing autism were released for public consultation last week. The report by research group Autism CRC was commissioned and funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in October 2016. The NDIS has taken over the...
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The Types of Cancer that Immunotherapy Can Help Treat
Immunotherapy is a breakthrough cancer treatment that harnesses your own body’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells. When doctors talk about immunotherapy as a cancer treatment, they are actually referring to different kinds treatments that fall under the umbrella of immunotherapy, such as antibodies, vaccines, cytokines, and checkpoint inhibitors. Each immunotherapy treatment affects...
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10 Exciting Medical Technologies That Will Make You Hopeful About Our Future
Here are the science fiction technologies that make us believe the future of medicine is bright. I follow practically all of the latest advances and developments related to medical technology. I wake up every day to news that make me feel like living in a science fiction movie. Naturally, when sharing my analyses, I strive...
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Physicians say more than a fifth of all medical care is unnecessary
Dive Brief: A survey of 2,106 U.S. physicians found that, on average, they believe 20.6% of medical care is unnecessary, including 22% of prescriptions, 24.9% of tests and 11.1% of procedures. An overwhelming majority (84.7%) attributed overtreatment to fear of malpractice, according to the study in Plos One. Other oft-cited reasons were patient pressure (59%) and...
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IBM pitched its Watson supercomputer as a revolution in cancer care. It’s nowhere close
t was an audacious undertaking, even for one of the most storied American companies: With a single machine, IBM would tackle humanity’s most vexing diseases and revolutionize medicine. Breathlessly promoting its signature brand — Watson — IBM sought to capture the world’s imagination, and it quickly zeroed in on a high-profile target: cancer. But three...
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Here’s someone to blame for skyrocketing drug prices
They operate in secret. They have no laboratories or research centers, and produce nothing. But they control a critical intersection of our health care system, influencing the price we pay for prescription drugs and skimming off billions of dollars for themselves. OPINION They are called “pharmacy benefit managers,” or PBMs. From their creation in the...
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Can these goggles STOP you getting diabetes? Light-emitting glasses could control blood sugar levels
Around seven million people in the UK are thought to have pre-diabetes Furthermore, some 10 per cent will go on to develop full-blown type 2 diabetes Australian product Re-Timer, worn for an hour each day, could regulate sugar High-tech goggles that emit bright light into the eyes could stop people from developing type 2 diabetes....
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New ransomware virus targets healthcare organizations
Dive Brief: Cybersecurity experts have identified a new ransomware strain that is targeting healthcare organizations, FierceHealthcare reports. The virus, dubbed Defray, spreads via a Microsoft Word attachment in emails sent to potential victims. The messages are customized to appear to come from a trusted source. Cybersecurity firm Proofpoint, which discovered the ransomware, said in a blog post last...
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Medicare to foot the bill for treadmill therapy for leg pain
Three times a week, Rita Driscoll steps onto a treadmill at a Minnesota hospital under the eye of a rehab therapist. She walks until it hurts—pushing her limits, walking faster and adding steeper inclines. The retired school aide has leg pain caused by clogged blood vessels. Until recently, monitored walking wasn’t an option for people...