(HealthDay)—”140/90″ had long been the line in the sand for getting high blood pressure under control. But in 2017, leading medical organizations lowered the definitions of normal, elevated and high blood pressure with the idea that starting treatment at lower “high” levels can better reduce heart attacks and strokes. This dramatically added to the number of people diagnosed with high blood pressure and redefined...
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NSAID pretreatment impairs immune response in heart failure, worsens heart and kidney damage
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are widely known as pain-killers and can relieve pain and inflammation. However, prolonged use raises the risk of heart and kidney failure events. A heart attack causes death of heart muscle cells by lack of oxygen, and it also significantly injures the kidneys. To understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms...
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Innovative, simple treatment to combat the Candida Albicans fungus
A study led by the UPV/EHU has developed an innovative, simple treatment based on uterine stem cells to combat the Candida albicans fungus, responsible for vaginal candidiasis. Despite not being life-threatening, this disease, which is very widespread among women, reduces patient life quality owing to its symptoms (itching and stinging). This research has been published...
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Absentmindedness points to earlier warning signs of silent strokes among people at risk
Adults who notice that they frequently lose their train of thought or often become sidetracked may in fact be displaying earlier symptoms of cerebral small vessel disease, otherwise known as a “silent stroke,” suggests a recent study. Image: A diagram of a brain with cerebral small vessel disease, otherwise known as silent stroke. Credit: Provided...
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TestCard, a $4 Urine Test Read by Your Smartphone
Recently announced as one of the Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2019, TestCard is a UK-based company that allows users to turn their smartphones into a clinical-grade urinalysis kit. The process starts with a postcard-like card mailed directly to the consumer. The card costs about $4 and contains three fold-out urine test strips, each...
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New Biosensor Accurately Measures Glucose in Saliva
The iQ Group Global, an Australian consortium, has announced that it developed a biosensor capable of accurately measuring glucose in a person’s saliva. The technology, originally acquired from the University of Newcastle in Australia, uses modified organic thin film transistors, which work in combination with glucoseoxidase, to measure the concentration of glucose in a sample. The complete system consists of a Glucose Biosensor Unit, which does the measurements, and...
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Type 2 diabetes risk up with PCOS regardless of BMI
(HealthDay)—Irrespective of age and weight, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in Diabetes Care. Nadira S. Kakoly, M.P.H., from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues estimated nationwide incidence rates and predictors of type 2 diabetes using data from...
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Doctors want you to stop using “horse paste”
An increasing number of patients suffering from rosacea are self-medicating with a product that was designed for horses. And dermatologists want them to stop. The veterinary product uses the same active ingredient as an FDA-approved gel for rosacea treatment, but has never been tested on humans for safety or effectiveness. But the FDA-approved treatment is...
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Vitamin D helps treat lethal drug-resistant TB
Vitamin D has been found to speed up the clearance of tuberculosis (TB) bacteria from the lungs of people with multi-drug resistant TB, according to a study of 1,850 patients receiving antibiotic treatment, led by Queen Mary University of London. Lead researcher Professor Adrian Martineau from Queen Mary University of London said: “Multi-drug resistant TB...
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Expert panel strongly recommends against surgery for the most common shoulder pain
Surgery should not be performed in almost all patients with a common cause of shoulder pain known as subacromial pain syndrome or SAPS (also called shoulder impingement or rotator cuff disease), say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Their strong recommendation against surgery is based on new evidence...