New study adds more evidence for omicron immune evasion
A new study from Columbia researchers, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Hong Kong, adds more evidence that the omicron variant can evade the immune protection conferred by vaccines and natural infection and suggests the need for new vaccines and treatments that anticipate how the virus may soon evolve. The study was led […]
Obesity and hypertension: Researchers discover novel mechanisms
Hypertension is a widespread comorbidity of patients with obesity that greatly increases the risk of mortality and disability. In recent years, researchers have found that a high-calorie diet increases the density of blood vessels (hypervascularization) in the hypothalamus — an important “eating control” area in our brain. Researchers hypothesized that elevated hormone levels of leptin […]
11 Things We Actually Want To Keep From 2021
If you had told us on New Year’s Eve 2019 that two years from now we’d still be dealing with a devastating and ongoing pandemic, we probably wouldn’t have taken too kindly to the news. Alas, as we close out year two of the global coronavirus crisis, the reality is now painfully clear. The “new […]
Significant energy savings when electric distribution vehicles take their best route
Range anxiety with electric commercial vehicles is real, since running out of battery can have serious consequences. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed tools to help electric delivery-vehicles navigate strategically to use as little energy as possible. The secret lies in looking beyond just the distance travelled, and instead focusing on overall […]
Breathlessness With ‘Long COVID’ May Point to Heart Damage
Latest Coronavirus News FRIDAY, Dec. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) Shortness of breath in people with “long COVID” might not just be about the lungs — it may indicate heart damage from the disease, new research suggests. “The findings could help to explain why some patients with long COVID still experience breathlessness one year […]
International study supports dupilumab for treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in children
A new medication has been added to the treatment options for children with moderate-to-severe asthma. In a late-stage clinical trial, the biologic agent dupilumab reduced the rate of severe asthma attacks and improved lung function and asthma control for children ages 6 to 11. The findings of the international multicenter Liberty Asthma VOYAGE trial, reported […]
CDC Chief Dr. Rochelle Walensky Says Omicron Mostly Mild So Far
NEW YORK (AP) — More than 40 people in the U.S. have been found to be infected with the omicron variant so far, and more than three-quarters of them had been vaccinated, the chief of the CDC said Wednesday. But she said nearly all of them were only mildly ill. In an interview with the […]
The Best Gifts For A Loved One With Depression, According To Therapists
As someone with clinical depression, the holiday season is particularly burdening. I feel the overwhelming sense that everyone around me is having “the most wonderful time of the year,” while to me, yuletide feels like a monsoon of pressure, isolation and lying in bed thinking about the chores I’m not doing and the parties I’m […]
Cannabis Use Climbing in Pregnancy Among People With HIV
Among pregnant people living with HIV, marijuana use climbed over the last decade both in pregnancy and during the postpartum period, according to results from a cohort study. Prevalence of marijuana use during pregnancy among people living with HIV increased from 7.1% in 2007 to 11.7% in 2019, reported Lynn Yee, MD, MPH, of Northwestern […]
Immune system-stimulating nanoparticle could lead to more powerful vaccines
A common strategy to make vaccines more powerful is to deliver them along with an adjuvant — a compound that stimulates the immune system to produce a stronger response. Researchers from MIT, the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and other institutions have now designed a new nanoparticle adjuvant that may be more potent than others […]