Month August 2015

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’s chronically sleep deprived, a new study may give you a little more motivation to get your zzzzz’s. Researchers found that people who slept less than six hours a night were over…

While studying for a certification exam, I came across a question that stayed with me well after taking the practice test. The case discussed a patient who was prescribed antibiotics by his physician for a presumed bacterial illness and then…

Imagine a universe where you were free to be you with all of your good, bad and ugly qualities. You are loved in this place exactly as you are. Do you see it? Guess what? You just fantasized. “Fantasy” is…

Labor Day this year has taken on a new meaning to me. While I certainly appreciate every single person who we honor today for their contribution to the workforce, I am very troubled about a growing concern among many who…

My son has always been a prosperous thinker, from when he precipitated his first game console at age five, till when he left me an anonymous note that said: “God called you and said he would call you back later.…

After struggling with fertility issues and losing a baby at 24 weeks, Mandy Stephens became a parent this summer with the help of a very special surrogate — her own mother.  Fifty-one-year-old Sherri Dickson volunteered to be her 32-year-old daughter’s…

This article was written by Jenny Sugar and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness. If you want to save money and calories every week, brown-bagging it is the way to go. But are your lunches from home as healthy as…

If you skip breakfast, don’t worry about overeating at lunch or the rest of the day, report Cornell nutritional scientists July 2 in the journal Physiology and Behavior. In fact, nixing breakfast a few times a week may be …

Lead researcher Greg Kawchuk is a professor at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. Credit: University of Alberta (Edmonton) Depending on whom you ask or what scientific paper you read last, spinal manipulation is either a…

A 19-year-old woman forced into prostitution and rescued by the Spanish National Police in Madrid has a bar code on her wrist. The tattoo also displays the amount of money she owed her traffickers: 2,000 euros. The woman had multiple…

Aging is a unique experience. For some, the effects will present themselves sooner rather than later, and for some who are luckier, the “aches and pains” and won’t present themselves as prominently. Click Here to see the Complete List of…

Talk about making a statement. After being diagnosed with depression last year, 20-year-old student Bekah Miles decided to get a tattoo that accurately captured her battle with the disorder. She posted a picture of the tattoo on Facebook along with a…

Fitness tips you won’t hear anywhere else (because they are so outstanding, not because they are delusional): When you are working out, always take off your wedding ring or any rings. No, I’m serious. Don’t be a hero. You are…

Schematic drawing of how a monobody (yellow) prevents the enzyme beta-galactosidase from producing long sugar chains. Credit: Shohei Koide Scientists from the University of Chicago have developed a novel approach to control the activity of enzymes through the use of…

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In patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) despite standard treatment, additional electrical isolation of an area called the left atrial appendage (LAA) can improve freedom from AF without increasing complications, results of the BELIEF study show. The findings were…

A major multi-national study of suicides has identified the behaviour patterns which precede many suicide attempts. This may lead to changes in clinical practice in the care of patients affected with depression, as it shows the clinical factors which confer…

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(HealthDay)—For patients with atrial fibrillation receiving anticoagulant treatment, the presence of anemia is associated with increased risk of thromboembolic events, bleeding complications, and mortality, according to …

HIV-1 Virus. Credit: J Roberto Trujillo/Wikipedia HIV-1 infection with multiple founder variants points to poorer clinical outcomes than infection with a single variant, according to a paper published today in the journal Nature Medicine. In the study researchers analyzed large…

Results of a clinical trial seem to show the first effective treatment for the negative symptoms – withdrawal, lack of emotion, and apathy – associated with schizophrenia. This work is presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference in Amsterdam.…

Teens are often warned to beware the undue influence of peer pressure, but new research suggests that following the pack in adolescence may have some unexpected benefits for physical health in early adulthood. The study was published in Psychological Science,…

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been linked to a 30% lower risk of nursing home admission and brain damage in survivors of cardiac arrest outside hospital in research presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Kristian Kragholm, a PhD student…

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Scientists of the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment and the University of Tübingen have discovered what may well be the oldest known case of Leukemia. By means of high-resolution computer tomography they were able to detect indications of…

Credit: Rachel Knickmeyer, Flickr An anti-scarring drug invented by UBC researchers will soon complete testing to determine its safety in humans as a topically administered drug. This marks the first time UBC researchers have conducted clinical testing of a drug…

The obesity epidemic is growing and becoming ever more costly in the U.S. and other industrialized countries. Generally, that is where agreement ends on the subject. How to best combat obesity—and the proper role of the markets and government in…

Vasospasm, or severe narrowing of blood vessels, is a dangerous complication observed in children with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. In a paper recently published in Critical Care Medicine, investigators at Nationwide …

A type of chemotherapy drug appears to work by tricking cells into thinking they’re infected with viruses, according to Canadian researchers studying bowel cancer cells. The new research, published in the journal Cell, overturns the previous view that these drugs switch off some of…

Study will examine if exercise has neurological effect on the brain of mildly depressed people Scientists hope to use brain imaging to determine for the first time whether the effects of exercise on mildly depressed people can be observed on…

By Ludwig Burger and Ben Hirschler (Reuters) – Bayer will move a new heart failure drug into final-stage testing this year, boosting its ambitions in cardiovascular medicine, after the experimental medicine proved better than an older rival in a mid-stage…

My apologies for the slightly sectarian title of this piece. I remain an enculturated Catholic despite being a long time lapsed. I think the metaphor is pretty appropriate, as Medibank Private is truly using its market power to crucify private…

A single dose of cocaine can interfere with the ability to recognise negative emotions, according to new research presented at the ECNP conference in Amsterdam. In a placebo-controlled within subject study, researchers from the Netherlands and Germany took 24 students…

Late recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is not reduced in patients whose pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) treatment incorporates the addition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), according to results of the UNDER-ATP trial. Results of the trial, presented at ESC Congress 2015…

Particulate matter and NO2 air pollution are associated with increased risk of severe heart attacks despite being within European recommended levels, according to research presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Jean-Francois Argacha, a cardiologist at University Hospital Brussels (UZ…

The immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine did not improve clinical outcomes compared to placebo in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the more severe form of heart attack known as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Results of the CIRCUS trial, presented…

Heart attack patients without heart failure derive no benefit from the addition of mineralocortoid receptor antagonists (MRA), to standard therapy, results of the ALBATROSS study show. The Hot Line findings, reported at ESC Congress 2015, “do not warrant the extension…

Credit: Peter Häger/Public Domain An international group of researchers have found that food craving activates different brain networks between obese and normal weight patients. This indicates that the tendency to want food may be ‘hard-wired’ into the brain of overweight…

Teens are often warned to beware the undue influence of peer pressure, but new research suggests that following the pack in adolescence may have some unexpected benefits for physical health in early adulthood. The study was published in Psychological Science,…

Many people stretch when they exercise or play sport. Others don’t stretch but feel they should. And some people don’t see any reason to stretch at all. The reasons for stretching are diverse. Most people think stretching makes them more…