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A school-based gardening program may be helpful in improving elementary school kids’ metabolic outcomes, a team of researchers has found. The children’s blood sugar and cholesterol reportedly improved after the months-long program. For their study, published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open, the researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial in Texas elementary schools. The idea, they said, was

Long COVID is typically characterized by anosmia and dysgeusia, cognitive impairment, dyspnea, weakness, and palpitations, with younger patients showing greatest improvements at 1 year, according to a nationwide cohort study conducted in Israel. These findings help define long COVID, guiding providers and patients through the recovery process, Barak Mizrahi, MSc, of KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal,

The Ebola outbreak in Uganda is finally over.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday that the Government of Uganda has officially marked the end of the outbreak in the country.  It has been exactly 42 days or two incubation periods since the country reported the last case of Ebola in its

Emergency department (ED) encounters for sexual assault increased before the COVID-19 pandemic, decreased immediately after lockdowns were implemented, and fluctuated as the pandemic continued, an analysis of more than 10,000 such visits in Canada’s most populous province shows. Dr Katherine Muldoon “In 2020, we hoped that the COVID pandemic would only last a few months.

Blood concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of astrogliosis, were higher about 10 years before symptom onset in an inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease. Three plasma biomarkers — phosphorylated tau (p-tau181), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and GFAP — were higher in mutation carriers than non-carriers in a Swedish cohort of autosomal dominant

A new study has found a connection between a difficult-to-diagnose heart condition and both COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination. The study, published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research, found that COVID-19 vaccination increases the chances of a person getting Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), but not more than the risk of getting the heart ailment after

Children who were exposed in utero to maternal cancer and treatment do not appear to have any long-term health consequences as a result of this exposure, a nationwide Danish study suggests. The study evaluated liveborn children between January 1978 and December 2018 whose mothers were diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy. Compared with unexposed fetuses, children

Being overweight or obese could be a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study.  Canadian researchers from the University of Montreal recently reported the findings of their study on the link between obesity and AMD in the journal Science. They conducted a study involving mice and found that a history

With all of the ups and downs of being a physician, would you be pleased if your children followed in your professional footsteps? Or would you prefer they steer clear of the white coat? Credits:Lead Image: Stone/Getty Images Medscape Reader Polls © 2023  Cite this: Would You Recommend Your Children Become Doctors? - Medscape - Jan 10, 2023.

We love joggers. If we had to pick a piece of clothing to wear every day for the rest of our lives, it would be joggers. We wear them constantly — outside the hospital, that is. These days, this choice makes us an anomaly. Like the ubiquitous clogs in the OR, jogger-style scrubs have taken

In a win for women afflicted with endometriosis, scientists have successfully mapped the cellular changes associated with the disease. The findings of the study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, will help improve therapeutic strategies for the millions of women affected by the cancer-like disease. “Endometriosis has been an understudied disease in part because of

(Reuters) -Pfizer Inc is not in talks with Chinese authorities to license a generic version of its COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid for use there, but is in discussions about a price for the branded product, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Monday. Reuters reported on Friday that China was in talks with Pfizer to secure a

Three young siblings were taken to a hospital after a “wild animal” attack over the holidays. But only one of them survived.  On Saturday, one of the three siblings, an 8-year-old girl, reportedly died from rabies after being bitten by bats early last month.  The girl passed away a little more than a week after her

Starting colorectal cancer screening earlier than age 50 appears to be cost-effective for both men and women across all body mass index (BMI) measures, according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In particular, colonoscopy is cost-effective at age 45 for all BMI strata and at age 40 in obese men. In addition, fecal immunochemical

Antibiotics were linked with increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially among individuals 40 or older, in a population-based study conducted in Denmark. Of more than 6 million individuals followed for approximately 19 years, antibiotic use was associated with nearly 50% increased incidence of IBD in people ages 40 to 60 (IRR 1.48, 95%

Depression is quite prevalent among younger people. Physical activity programs may help relieve symptoms of depression in them, a new study has found. For a study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers analyzed data from 21 previous studies that involved a total of 2,442 young participants. The idea was to find out whether physical activity interventions can actually

BEIJING (Reuters) – People joined long queues outside immigration offices in Beijing on Monday, eager to renew their passports after China dropped COVID border controls that had largely prevented its 1.4 billion residents from travelling for three years. Sunday’s reopening is one of the last steps in China’s dismantling of its “zero-COVID” regime, which began

Who would have thought that the simple act of gardening could help cut down the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases?  A new study published early this month in The Lancet Planetary Health reported the positive effects of community gardening in the adult population.  According to the team behind it, nature-based community interventions such

High-dose vitamin D led to improvement of toxic erythema of chemotherapy (TEC) within 1 to 4 days in a retrospective case series of six patients seen on an inpatient dermatology consultative service. Currently, chemotherapy cessation, delay, or dose modification are the “only reliable methods of resolving TEC,” and supportive agents such as topical corticosteroids, topical keratolytics,

In contrast to previous recommendations, pediatricians and other pediatric healthcare providers are advised to provide “immediate, intensive obesity treatment to each patient” as soon as they receive a diagnosis, according to new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The guidance, published in Pediatrics, marks the AAP’s first clinical practice guideline outlining evidence-based evaluation

China will officially put an end to its “zero-covid” policy by reopening its border with Hong Kong on Sunday, but the consequences of this move could bring the world back to the early pandemic days.  For 1,016 days, China closed off its country to the world and forced its citizens to adhere to a series

(Reuters) – Gene therapy firm Graphite Bio said on Thursday it was pausing an early-to-mid-stage trial of its blood disease therapy due to a serious adverse event in the first patient dosed, sending its shares down nearly 48% in after hours trading. After being given Graphite’s therapy, nula-cel, the patient showed prolonged low blood cell

Aside from cardiovascular disease, another condition that medical professionals dub the “silent killer” is diabetes. Considering the rise in type 2 diabetes cases in recent years, it is crucial to know the early signs and symptoms of the disease before it gets worse.  Type 2 diabetes is a condition wherein the body’s ability to regulate

(Reuters) – Pfizer Inc is exploring options for some early-stage treatments for rare diseases and cancer in a bid to focus on “high-impact” medicines and vaccines, the company said on Thursday. The U.S. drugmaker said these options included collaborations with other drug developers for these medicines, or establishing a new company. Pfizer now plans to

The 24-hour news cycle is just as important to medicine as it is to politics, finance, or sports. At MedPage Today, new information is posted daily, but keeping up can be a challenge. As an aid for our readers, here is a 10-question quiz based on the news of the week. Topics include screening for

Men who drink at least one soda a day have a higher chance of suffering hair loss early, according to a new study.  Researchers reported in their study published in the journal Nutrients the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and male pattern baldness in young men.  Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) has become a global public

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – More countries around the world are demanding that visitors from China take COVID tests, days before it drops border controls and ushers in an eagerly awaited return to travel for a population that has been largely stuck at home for three years. From Sunday, China will end the requirement for inbound travellers

Men who drink at least one soda a day have a higher chance of suffering hair loss early, according to a new study.  Researchers reported in their study published in the journal Nutrients the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and male pattern baldness in young men.  Male pattern hair loss (MPHL) has become a global public