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 […]
Pregnant women are missing vital nutrients needed for them and their babies
Pregnant women are not getting the essential nutrients they and their babies need from modern diets say scientists, who have warned that the situation will likely worsen as more people turn to plant-based foods. A study looking at the health of expecting mothers from high-income countries, including the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, found that […]
How pre- and postnatal B-12 vitamins improve breast milk vitamin B-12 levels, which supports infant brain development
Babies and children need vitamins, including vitamin B-12, to help their brains and bodies develop and grow. Babies get B-12 from their mothers and can have low levels of B-12 if their mothers had low vitamin levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The vitamin B-12 levels of infants strongly depend on maternal levels. Adequacy of vitamin […]
Twin research indicates that that a vegan diet improves cardiovascular health
In a study with 22 pairs of identical twins, Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues have found that a vegan diet improves cardiovascular health in as little as eight weeks. Although it’s well-known that eating less meat improves cardiovascular health, diet studies are often hampered by factors such as genetic differences, upbringing and lifestyle choices. […]
Feeding dogs raw meat increases the risk of antibiotic-resistant E. coli
Feeding dogs raw (uncooked) meat increases their risk of excreting E. coli that cannot be killed by a widely used antibiotic — ciprofloxacin — researchers at the University of Bristol have found from a study of 600 healthy pet dogs. E. coli, which can cause food poisoning, is also the UK’s most common cause of […]
Opinion | Wondering Which Specialty to Choose? Consider This
Smith is a pediatric neurosurgeon. When young medical students consider their career trajectories, there are an incredible number of variables to consider: What are my passions? What kind of hours do I want to work? What specialties will help me pay down my student debt the fastest? I believe the strongest consideration ought to be […]
Cut salt, cut blood pressure
Nearly everyone can lower their blood pressure, even people currently on blood pressure-reducing drugs, by lowering their sodium intake, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “In the study, middle-aged to elderly participants reduced their salt intake by about 1 teaspoon a day compared […]
DOAC Cuts Stroke Risk From Subclinical Afib
PHILADELPHIA — For patients with subclinical atrial fibrillation (Afib, AF) detected by their pacemaker or defibrillator, direct oral anticoagulation brought their already low stroke risk even lower — but at a cost in bleeding events, the ARTESiA trial showed. Apixaban (Eliquis) treatment cut risk of stroke or systemic embolism 37% compared with low-dose aspirin over […]
Hospitals Have Many Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Experts Say
Hospitals aiming to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions can begin by taking a few simple steps, experts said at an online event sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center. “The U.S. health system accounts for 8.5% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, a larger percentage than any other country in the world,” Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH, […]
Heart Injuries Suggest Reconsideration of Holding BP Meds for Surgery
The practice of taking some patients briefly off their antihypertensive medications before non-cardiac surgery did not work as intended, and in fact led to excess acute hypertension in the SPACE trial. Myocardial injury rates were no worse, even numerically better, for people randomized to stay on their renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors (41.3%) compared with peers […]