Health
HIV prevention pill reaching more people who need it
More than one in nine people worldwide who might benefit from a daily pill to minimize their risk of getting HIV are now taking this medicine, a research review suggests. So-called HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly protective against HIV, but many people worldwide don’t get this pill because they… Read
Toxic metals tied to increased heart disease risk
People with heavy exposure to arsenic, lead, cadmium or copper may be more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, a review of existing studies suggests. While these elements occur naturally in the earth’s crust, certain metals can also appear at unsafe levels in drinking water, food, and air as a result… Read
Fake, low quality drugs come at high cost
About one in eight essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries may be fake or contain dangerous mixes of ingredients that put patients' lives at risk, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from more 350 previous studies that tested more 400,000 drug samples in low- and middle-income countries. Overall,… Read
Gene therapy breakthrough wins world's largest vision award
Seven scientists in the United States and Britain who have come up with a revolutionary gene therapy cure for a rare genetic form of childhood blindness won a 1 million euro ($1.15 million) prize this week, Portugal's Champalimaud Foundation said. Established in 2006, the annual award for work related to… Read
Medtech firms gets personal with digital twins
Armed with a mouse and computer screen instead of a scalpel and operating theatre, cardiologist Benjamin Meder carefully places the electrodes of a pacemaker in a beating, digital heart. Using this "digital twin" that mimics the electrical and physical properties of the cells in patient 7497's heart, Meder runs simulations… Read
Dental care before cancer surgery might be good idea
Patients undergoing major cancer surgery might reduce their risk of complications by seeing a dentist beforehand, a study from Japan suggests. Patients who visited a dentist were slightly less likely to have post-surgery pneumonia or die within 30 days of surgery, the study authors found. "Oral care is one option… Read
Scientists unpick how cannabis component may fight psychosis
British scientists have unravelled how a non-intoxicating component of cannabis acts in key brain areas to reduce abnormal activity in patients at risk of psychosis, suggesting the ingredient could become a novel anti-psychotic medicine. While regular use of potent forms of cannabis can increase the chances of developing psychosis, the… Read
Antioxidants don't relieve muscle soreness after exercise
Consuming lots of antioxidants through foods or supplements may not reduce muscle soreness after exercise, a research review suggests. Researchers focused on “delayed onset muscle soreness,” the type of muscle pain or tenderness that typically peaks 24 to 72 hours after a strenuous workout. Some previous research has linked antioxidants… Read
Small effects from millions of genes may add up to new risk-screening tool
Subtle variations in millions of genes contribute to individual risk for common illnesses like heart disease and diabetes - and putting them all together into a “polygenic” risk profile can identify many more people with higher than average odds of getting sick, researchers say. There are millions of small variations… Read
New toilet device measures amount, flow rate of urine
Toto Ltd has developed a toilet device that measures urine flow. With the medical device, the amount and flow rate of urine can be measured just by discharging urine in the toilet. The device measures the water level being changed by urination by using a water level sensor. It converts… Read
