GERMAN CENTER FOR INFECTION RESEARCH NTMs are closely related to tuberculosis bacteria and can (but do not need to) cause infectious diseases in humans. They are called “nontuberculous mycobacteria” (NTMs) to distinguish them from tuberculosis bacteria. There are approximately 200 different species and subspecies of these bacteria. Patients with bronchiectasis (dilation of the airways) are...
Month: <span>July 2020</span>
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A micro-lab on a chip detects blood type within minutes
A novel lab-on-a-chip device reveals the blood type within minutes, holding much potential for use in an emergency TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE Blood transfusion, if performed promptly, is a potentially life-saving intervention for someone losing a lot of blood. However, blood comes in several types, some of which are incompatible with others. Transfusing an incompatible...
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Apathy not depression helps to predict dementia
Apathy offers an important early warning sign of dementia in individuals with cerebrovascular disease, but depression does not, new research led by the University of Cambridge suggests. Depression is often thought to be a risk factor for dementia but this may be because some depression scales used by clinicians and researchers partially assess apathy, say...
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New, remote weight-loss method helped slash pounds
Losing weight during COVID-19 pandemic is urgent as obesity increases risk of severe disease and death NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CHICAGO — Losing weight during the COVID-19 pandemic has increasing urgency because obesity increases the risk of severe disease and death. Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and...
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Skin rash may be a symptom of COVID-19
By Sally Robertson, B.Sc. Researchers at King’s College London and Zoe Global Ltd have conducted a study suggesting that skin rashes could be valuable predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a large community-based study, 8.8% of people who had tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also reported having a skin...
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Experts strongly recommend varenicline over the patch for adult smokers hoping to quit
ATS publishes new practice guideline on tobacco dependence treatment AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY ATS PUBLISHES NEW CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE ON TREATING TOBACCO DEPENDENCE IN ADULTS. view more CREDIT: ATS July 15, 2020 – Smoking cessation initiatives notwithstanding, along with provocative public health campaigns and clinical guidance, quitting tobacco has remained elusive for many smokers. The American...
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New Drug Combo Shows Promise in Fight Against High Cholesterol
Adding certain drugs to your statin can reduce cholesterol levels better than taking a statin alone. Here, a Michigan Medicine doctor breaks it all down. If you’ve ever been diagnosed with high cholesterol, also known as hyperlipidemia, your doctor has probably prescribed a statin. And while statins have been the go-to drug for managing cholesterol...
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Adults with obesity more likely to develop H1N1 influenza
Adults with obesity are more susceptible to influenza A/H1N1pdm—the swine flu virus, according to a new study that did not, however, find a similar association with the seasonal flu. The results could be relevant in understanding the mechanisms by which infectious diseases such as influenza or the ongoing coronavirus pandemic might affect different segments of...
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How microbiome multi-omics can bolster human health
Sequencing technologies are enabling a deeper analysis of the gut’s microbiome. Researchers can now explore what our microbial inhabitants are doing and how they contribute to, or protect from, disease. investigator of the Human Microbiome Bioactives Resource (HMBR), which provides platforms and methods to integrate 16S sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and meta-metabolomics for microbiome discovery....
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Physicians give first comprehensive review of COVID-19’s effects outside the lung
by Columbia University Irving Medical Center After only a few days caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients at the start of the outbreak in New York City, Aakriti Gupta, MD, realized that this was much more than a respiratory disease. “I was on the front lines right from the beginning. I observed that patients were...