Can Paxlovid, Molnupiravir Benefit Hospitalized COVID Patients Too?
During the Omicron BA.2 wave, antivirals molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) appeared to have clinical benefit in hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who did not require oxygen therapy, a retrospective cohort study from Hong Kong showed. For patients who were treated with the antivirals within 2 days of hospitalization, a 52% and 66% lower risk of […]
Removing Small Asymptomatic Kidney Stones Significantly Reduces Recurrence
Removing small, asymptomatic kidney stones during endoscopic removal of ureteral or contralateral stones significantly prolonged the time to relapse as compared with leaving the asymptomatic stones behind, a randomized trial showed. The time to relapse averaged about 4.5 years with removal of asymptomatic stones versus about 2.5 years without (P<0.001). The difference represented an 82% […]
Communication makes hunting easier for chimpanzees
Similar to humans, chimpanzees use communication to coordinate their cooperative behavior — such as during hunting. When chimpanzees produce a specific vocalization, known as the “hunting bark,” they recruit more group members to the hunt and capture their prey more effectively, researchers at the University of Zurich and Tufts University have now shown. Chimpanzees don’t […]
Opinion | What Comes After Death?
I once attended a funeral during which the guests were invited to take a flower from atop a young mother’s casket as a memento. A little boy, her son, was being held by his father. He had been remarkably quiet throughout the funeral and interment process up to this point. Then, I began watching him, […]
‘I Wish Everyone Would Just Pay’: When Med Students Flock to Pirated Study Tools
During one particularly grueling year of medical school, cartoons marked the start of every day for Anna Moshkovich. But she wasn’t watching “Tom and Jerry” or “Scooby-Doo.” Instead, she was watching animated videos about medicine on the subscription-based test-prep website Sketchy. At least tens of thousands of other medical students learn the same way, thanks […]
Can I Use My Expired At-Home COVID Tests?
People who stocked up on at-home COVID-19 tests during this past winter’s Omicron surge may have expired test kits on hand. But before tossing them in the trash, check to see if their shelf-life has been extended, as the FDA has updated expiration dates for some tests based on new data. Among those tests are […]
Immune protein may drive alcoholism relapse
The anxiety that occurs during withdrawal from excessive alcohol use, and contributes to relapse, may be driven in part by the release of an immune protein in the brain, according to a new study from scientists at Scripps Research. The discovery, reported online June 6, 2022, in Molecular Psychiatry, illuminates the molecular details of the […]
Billie Eilish’s Tourette Syndrome
During an interview with David Letterman for his Netflix series, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” singer Billie Eilish made a sudden movement, whipping her head around and opening her mouth. Letterman asked her what was going on — was it the fly that had been flying around them earlier? “No. I’m ticcing,” she said. […]
Screening Colonoscopy with Add-On AI Could Save $290 million a Year
Using artificial intelligence (AI) during screening colonoscopy could be a cost-savings strategy that also could boost the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality, a researcher reported. Among a simulated cohort of patients at average risk for CRC, and compared with no screening, the relative reduction of CRC incidence was 44.2% with screening colonoscopy […]
Hormonal changes during menopause are directly related to decline in cardiovascular health
Levels of bad cholesterol rise during menopause, and 10% of this increase is due to shifts in sex hormones. That’s the finding of research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC. Women usually undergo menopause at the age of 48 to 52 years, leading to a decline in […]