Is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Contagious?
Is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) contagious? Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is contagious. In the United States, it’s the most common cause of inflammation of the small airways in the lungs (bronchiolitis) and of pneumonia in children under 1 year of age. It also is significant cause of respiratory illnesses in older adults. Nearly all children […]
Cuba Has Made At Least 3 Major Medical Innovations That We Need
Comstock Images via Getty Images By most measures, the United States’ business-friendly environment has proven to be fertile for medical innovation. Compared to other countries, America has filed the most patents in the life sciences, is conducting most of the world’s clinical trials and has published the most biomedical research. That’s what makes the medical […]
7 Early Signs Of Arthritis You Should Never Ignore
SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images Experts share the hallmark signs of arthritis. In the United States, arthritis is a leading cause of work disability, affecting over 53.2 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can happen for a number of reasons to adults at any age ― and the […]
Poor diet quality during adolescence is linked to serious health risks
Diet quality among adolescents in the United States is among the worst across all age groups, putting young people at risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, among other cardiometabolic diseases later in life. The research brief shared in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, used the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and […]
Obesity linked to neurodegeneration through insulin resistance
Researchers led by Mroj Alassaf at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States have discovered a link between obesity and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Using the common fruit fly, the research shows that a high-sugar diet — a hallmark of obesity — causes insulin resistance in the brain, which in turn […]
Scientists says identifying some foods as addictive could shift attitudes, stimulate research
Researchers from the United States, Brazil, and Spain, including scientists with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, published an analysis in a special edition of the British Medical Journal with a timely and controversial recommendation: It’s time for an international shift in the way we think about ultra-processed food. “There is converging and consistent […]
Should You Still Get The Flu Shot Even If You’ve Already Had The Flu?
In the United States, an estimated 9 to 41 million people are infected each year with influenza, commonly known as the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, flu cases were low. Precautions like masking and social distancing were likely responsible for the decline in […]
Microprotein increases appetite in mice: Scientists discovered more than 3,800 small proteins involved in metabolism and found that one microprotein, Gm8773, increases feeding activity in mice–providing a potential new approach to encourage weight gain in people with cancer and other diseases
Obesity and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, are extremely common in the United States. Tiny proteins called microproteins have long been overlooked in research, but new evidence demonstrates that they have an important role in metabolism. Salk scientists have discovered that both brown and white fat is filled with thousands of previously unknown microproteins, and […]
Women Describe The ‘Extreme’ Physical Pain Of Endometriosis
An estimated 6.5 million people in the United States have endometriosis, a painful condition in which the uterine lining spreads and grows outside of the uterus. But that statistic likely vastly underestimates the prevalence of endometriosis because it’s notoriously difficult to diagnose. Many of the symptoms ― which range from painful, heavy periods and painful […]
Mom’s dietary fat rewires male and female brains differently: Excess fat triggers immune cells to overeat serotonin in the brain of developing male mice, leading to depression-like behavior
More than half of all women in the United States are overweight or obese when they become pregnant. While being or becoming overweight during pregnancy can have potential health risks for moms, there are also hints that it may tip the scales for their kids to develop psychiatric disorders like autism or depression, which often […]