With the threat of the Zika virus passing on life-altering birth defects to children of infected mothers, scientists have taken to studying the human placenta with the National Institutes of Health’s $50 million Human Placenta Project. What is often simply dismissed as “afterbirth” is actually quite helpful in discovering the causes of diseases and other genetic risk factors that can potentially hurt the fetus. [1]
Acupuncture has been recognized by the World Health Organization since 1996 as a safe and effective treatment for a range of complaints, including pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, its use in a hospital setting, where patients usually must take whatever treatment they can get, is still very rare. But an amazing new study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine will hopefully change more attitudes towards the practice.
Kentucky’s attorney general, Andy Beshear, is suing Johnson & Johnson and its Ethicon subsidiary, alleging the Big Pharma giant “concealed and misrepresented” the risk of its transvaginal mesh products to doctors and patients. Johnson & Johnson called the lawsuit “unjustified.” [1]
As part of a new overdose prevention initiative, Kentucky will begin selling the drug Naloxone over the counter without a prescription in 96 Kroger outlets across the state.
Naloxone is a drug that can reverse an overdose of opioid drugs and often is only administered in the emergency room. However, due to the fact that Kentucky is one of five states with the highest rates of opioid overdoses, a decision has been made to make Naloxone available quickly and easily to anyone who needs it.
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that computers trained to detect lung cancer tissue may actually be more accurate than any human doctor. The study’s findings were published in Nature Communications.
Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death, and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Approximately 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke each year, and about 140,000 strokes are fatal. [1]
Source: UF Health Shands Comprehensive Stroke Center
Although there is no accepted treatment for Alzheimer’s yet, a new study shows that we may find a little hope in a common period pain medication drug. In fact, it may completely reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
The research, led by Dr. David Brough at the University of Manchester, found that the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), mefenamic acid, which is often used to treat menstrual pain, was able to completely reverse symptoms of Alzheimer’s in mice. But could the benefits extend to humans?
While it has been confirmed that Zika has been spread in the United States by homegrown mosquitoes, there is now confirmation that a case of the much-discussed virus has spread from Florida to Texas.
An unidentified traveler tested positive for the Zika virus after going on a vacation to Miami. Therefore, it is impossible to tell if this is actually the very first time a Texan traveler who has gone to Florida has contracted the virus and returned home with it. [1]
Many people wrongly believe that once a person has had cancer, their organs will not be able to be used to benefit someone else. However, the National Health Service, or NHS in the United Kingdom, has gone on to debunk that claim in order to raise more awareness of organ donations in hopes that people who may have a history of cancer will still sign up to help others.
The number of Zika cases spread by mosquito bites in Florida has risen to 25, and with the number expected to rise further, airplanes have been flying over Miami spraying naled, a neurotoxic insecticide which kills adult mosquitoes. Some scientists are warning that naled may be more dangerous than the Zika virus itself.
