Psychedelics for Psych Conditions Made Their Mark in 2023
In January, we reported on an investigational psychedelic that alleviated symptoms of depression in a mid-stage trial. In this report, we follow up on what has happened since that study was published. In the phase IIa trial, an investigational N,N-dimethyltryptamine treatment — commonly known as the hallucinogen DMT — significantly reduced depressive symptoms by 7.4 […]
FDA Warns Amazon Over Supplements Containing Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
The FDA hit Amazon with a warning letter on December 20 for distributing energy supplements for men that contain potentially harmful pharmaceutical ingredients. These products, according to the letter, “are labeled as energy enhancing supplements or food, but laboratory analyses confirmed that they contained undeclared and potentially harmful active pharmaceutical ingredients.” The FDA held Amazon […]
You Think the TREE Is Crooked: Penile Fractures Up at Christmas
Talk about taking a break for the holidays: A new German study found that penile fractures are more likely to occur around Christmas Day. From 2005 to 2021, 3,421 men in Germany required a hospital stay for penile fractures, with 1.2% occurring from December 24-26 in each year, reported Nikolaos Pyrgidis, MD, MSc, of University […]
The Most Common COVID Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing This Holiday Season
ljubaphoto via Getty Images Experts share the most common COVID-19 issues that they are seeing in their patients. In unfortunate news, cases of COVID-19 are increasing just in time for the holidays. Behind this uptick is a new strain called JN.1, which accounted for 21.4% of cases in the United States as of Dec. 9, […]
Red Meat Consumption Tied to Higher Chance of UC Flare
ORLANDO – For people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), that hamburger may come with more than just a side of fries — red meat consumption was linked with a higher risk for ulcerative colitis (UC) flare, researchers reported. According to an analysis of data from the IBD Partners research, patients with UC who were in […]
AI study reveals individuality of tongue’s surface
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D images of the human tongue have revealed that the surface of our tongues are unique to each of us, new findings suggest. The results offer an unprecedented insight into the biological make-up of our tongue’s surface and how our sense of taste and touch differ from person to person. The […]
Companies Market Stem Cell Treatments to Long COVID Patients
Clinics that sell stem cell and exosome treatments have turned their attention to long COVID patients, researchers found. Among 38 businesses selling such treatments for COVID-19, the majority (36) marketed those therapies for long COVID, stated Leigh Turner, PhD, of the University of California Irvine, and colleagues in Stem Cell Reports. “We didn’t think the […]
Manipulation of gut microbiota with flaxseed could reduce breast cancer risk
A new study demonstrates that the human gut microbiome may be a factor in breast health. Lifestyle and diet have long been known to affect human health. In the study, flaxseed components called lignans were shown to influence the relationship between gut microorganisms and the expression of mammary gland microRNAs (miRNAs). A subset of these […]
‘End of This Phase’: Trial Halts Testing of HIV Vaccine Candidates
The PrEPVacc trial has stopped administering two investigational HIV vaccines that showed no efficacy in preventing infection, investigators announced on Wednesday during the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in Zimbabwe. “Vaccinations to PrEPVacc trial participants have been stopped because an analysis of the data collected so far by our Independent Data Monitoring […]
Specific genetic variant may help prevent obesity
A preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators shows that a specific human genetic variant of a receptor that stimulates insulin release may help individuals be more resistant to obesity. The researchers discovered that this variant behaves differently in the cell which may contribute to more efficient metabolism. The study, posted online in Molecular Metabolism […]