Senseonics, a company based in Germantown, Maryland, won FDA approval for its Eversense continuous glucose monitoring system. This is the first implantable, long term blood sugar monitor that can be used for up to three months at a time. The technology relies on a small device that’s implanted under the skin of the upper arm. A...
Post
Direct-acting antivirals effective for hepatitis C in seniors
(HealthDay)—For older patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is effective, according to a study published online May 25 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Chiara Mazzarelli, M.D., from King’s College Hospital in London, and colleagues conducted a retrospective review involving individuals aged 65 years and older treated with DAA therapy for HCV. Participants were...
Post
Researchers make FAST work of antibiotic resistance
Researchers from The University of Western Australia have showcased exciting results from a screening test to detect antibiotic resistance and to ensure the right antibiotics can be prescribed quicker. The time-saving solution known as FAST (Flow cytometer-assisted Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing) has been proven to accurately measure how resistant bacteria will be 21 hours faster than the international...
Post
Why do some people with autism have restricted interests and repetitive movements?
As a society, we’ve come a long way in our understanding of the challenges people with autism face with social communication. But there is a large gap in our understanding of another cluster of behaviours that form part of an autism diagnosis: restrictive and repetitive behaviours and interests (RRBs). Anxiety can drive obsessions and resistance...
Post
Eggshell membrane waste beneficial for wound healing
EU research has brought the benefits of eggshell membrane (ESM) protection from the chick to ‘hard-to-heal’ open wounds. Delayed chronic wound healing is the so-called ‘vicious cycle’ of many illnesses. Chronic inflammation, excess protease, a key risk factor in healing, and tissue degradation are the hallmarks of this condition that can lead to further debilitation for...
Post
Myth that persistent musculoskeletal pain with no obvious cause can be cured
It’s a myth that most persistent musculoskeletal pain with no obvious cause can be cured, argue experts in an editorial published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Doctors and other healthcare professionals need to be a lot more honest with patients about what they can really expect, write Professor Jeremy...
Post
FDA approves country’s first medicine made from marijuana
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the country’s first drug derived from marijuana, a medication that treats two rare and devastating forms of epilepsy. The drug, GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex, is made of cannabidiol, or CBD, a component of marijuana that does not give users a high. It is given as an oil, and...
Post
Teenage boy dying from cystic fibrosis begs UK health officials to approve the life-extending ‘wonder drug’ that has transformed his life
Benat Broderick argued his life has been transformed since taking Orkambi Ireland’s Health Service Executive approved the use of the drug in April 2017 But UK watchdogs have denied patients access to the £100,000 medication Experts believe using the tablets could stop the illness from becoming severe A 14-year-old boy dying from cystic fibrosis today...
Post
Low-cost plastic sensors could monitor a range of health conditions
Date:June 22, 2018 Source:University of Cambridge Summary:An international team of researchers have developed a low-cost sensor made from semiconducting plastic that can be used to diagnose or monitor a wide range of health conditions, such as surgical complications or neurodegenerative diseases. A low-cost sensor made from semiconducting plastic could be used to diagnose or monitor...
Post
New drugs are improving survival times for patients with aggressive type of blood cancer, study finds
Survival times for a highly aggressive type of blood cancer have nearly doubled over the last decade due to the introduction of new targeted drugs, a Yorkshire study has shown. The University of York and NHS clinicians followed the treatment of 335 people with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in hospitals across Yorkshire and Humberside between 2004 and 2015. Survival times...