Patients should be assessed for frailty before having many types of surgery, even if the surgery is considered low risk, a review of two national patient databases shows. Frailty is a clinical syndrome marked by slow walking speed, weak grip, poor balance, exhaustion and low physical activity. It is an important risk factor for death […]
Accumulation of fatty tissue in the neck predicts adiposity, heart problems
Researchers from the University of Granada warn that an accumulation of fatty tissue in the neck (both the double chin and the deeper deposits, located between muscles and around the cervical vertebrae) is a predictor of central and overall adiposity, cardiometabolic risk, and a pro-inflammatory profile in sedentary young adults. A study conducted by researchers […]
Rural hospital remains entrenched in Covid ‘war’ even amid vaccine rollout
Editor's note: KHN wrote about St. James Parish Hospital in April, when it was experiencing its first surge of Covid-19 patients. Ten months later, we checked in to see how the hospital and its staff were faring. The "heroes work here" sign in front of St. James Parish Hospital has been long gone, along with […]
Study explores the effects of alcohol and cannabis on aggression-linked brain circuitry in teens
Alcohol and cannabis use during adolescence is a well-known risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) during adulthood. Whether early drug use plays a causative role in predisposing teens to AUD and CUD is unknown, but researchers are investigating the possibility that it may have an impact on neural development. […]
Multi-resistant bacteria continue to grow in hospital wastewater
Scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden presents evidence that hospital wastewater, containing elevated levels of antibiotics, rapidly kills antibiotic-sensitive bacteria, while multi-resistant bacteria continue to grow. Hospital sewers may therefore provide conditions that promote the evolution of new forms of antibiotic resistance. It is hardly news that hospital wastewater contains antibiotics from patients. It […]
Research shows rapid global spread of Southern California COVID-19 strain
A new strain of the coronavirus in Southern California, first reported last month by Cedars-Sinai, is rapidly spreading across the country and around the world as travelers apparently carry the virus with them to a growing list of global destinations, according to new research published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association […]
Researchers map the mechanism behind cellular communication
Knowledge on how cells communicate is an important key to understanding many biological systems and diseases. A research team led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg has now used a unique combination of methods to map the mechanism behind cellular communication. Their findings can potentially improve understanding of the underlying mechanism behind type 2 […]
Echocardiographic screening for early detection of rheumatic heart disease in schools
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) develops as a long term complication of childhood streptococcal angina. Latent RHD can be detected with echocardiography years before it becomes symptomatic. RHD is curable when treated early with medication. RHD is responsible for over 300 000 deaths worldwide each year, accounting for just over two-thirds of all deaths from valvular […]
Genomic test may help guide treatment decisions for patients with recurrent prostate cancer
A commercially available genomic test may help oncologists better determine which patients with recurrent prostate cancer may benefit from hormone therapy, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and 15 other medical centers. Researchers studied prostate cancer samples from 352 participants in the NRG/RTOG 9601 clinical trial, which compared radiation therapy […]
Lung ultrasound helps predict clinical progression of severe COVID-19 patients
Lung ultrasound, considered a simple method for diagnosing lung disease, can also help predict the clinical progression of severe COVID-19 patients, according to a study conducted at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) in São Paulo City, Brazil. The principal investigator for the study was Heraldo Possolo de Souza, a professor at FM-USP […]