Medications like dextromethorphan, used to treat coughs caused by cold and flu, could potentially be repurposed to help people quit smoking cigarettes, according to a study by Penn State College of Medicine and University of Minnesota researchers. They developed a novel machine learning method, where computer programs analyze data sets for patterns and trends, to […]
In a recent study posted to the Research Square* preprint server, researchers explored the destruction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) due to cognitive impairment associated with long coronavirus disease (COVID). Study: Blood-brain barrier disruption in Long COVID-associated cognitive impairment. Image Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Background Studies have demonstrated microvascular injuries observed in the brains of deceased severe acute […]
California’s decision last month to cancel the results of a long-planned bidding competition among commercial health plans in its Medicaid program has some industry insiders and consumer advocates wondering whether the state can stand up to insurers and force improvements in care for millions of low-income beneficiaries. In a backroom agreement announced in the final […]
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has established a blood-based test that could be used to predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease up to 3.5 years before clinical diagnosis. The study, published in the journal Brain, supports the idea that components in the human blood can […]
An academic medical center in Charleston, South Carolina, has been able to significantly improve access to kidney transplants for African Americans by streamlining and standardizing the evaluation process, improving patient and staff education, and expanding the use of virtual visits and organs from high-risk donors, according to research published as an “article in press” in […]
A new clinical and preclinical study from UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center identifies the DNA roots of resistance to targeted cancer therapy, providing a possible strategy to address a vexing issue in cancer therapeutics. Results are published online ahead of print in Cancer Discovery. “We are taking a fresh approach to combat ‘acquired therapy resistance’—the […]
In a new paper published by the journal Gastroenterology, researchers from University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, review studies about the microbiome’s role in disease and health, and discuss tactics for developing probiotics to modulate the microbiome through leveraging microbiome data. They illustrate these tactics by using […]
Loyalty card data on over-the-counter medicine purchases could help spot ovarian cancer cases earlier according to a pioneering study funded by Cancer Research UK. The first-of-its-kind Cancer Loyalty Card Study (CLOCS) study looked at whether there is a link between a diagnosis of ovarian cancer and a history of buying over-the-counter pain and indigestion medications, […]
The introduction of the soft drinks industry levy—the ‘sugary drinks tax’—in England was followed by a drop in the number of cases of obesity among older primary school children, according to Cambridge researchers. Taking into account current trends in obesity, their estimates suggest that around 5,000 cases of obesity per year may have been prevented […]
Researchers investigated the effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram (Lexapro) on the mental processes of healthy volunteers taking the drug over several weeks. They found that escitalopram negatively impacted reinforcement learning, but did not influence other measures of cognition, including attention, memory, and emotional processing. The researchers believe that the reduced reinforcement sensitivity […]
