The debate about the origins of the medieval Black Death pandemic (AD 1346–1353) has focused on evidence from cemeteries in the Chüy Valley near Lake Issyk-Kul in modern-day Kyrgyzstan. These sites are thought to have victims of a 14th-century epidemic because of the tombstone dated 1338–1339 that attributes deaths to ‘pestilence’. In a new study, an international team of researchers reports
A new study finds that weight loss was most associated with an increased intake of legumes, and decreased intake of meat, fish, and poultry. Participants on the vegan diet lost an average of 13 pounds and 9.1 pounds of fat mass. Body weight and fat mass did not decrease in the group that made no diet changes. “Our research shows
Today the FDA approved Priorix for the prevention of measles, mumps and rubella in individuals 12 months of age and older. Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness that is characterized by a prodrome of fever, malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis, and pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed in 1- 2 days by a maculopapular rash. Signs and symptoms usually appear
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects some 1.6 million Americans. Approximately 30% of these patients develop depression. Is there a link between the 2 conditions? A new study from Keck Medicine of USC shows that patients diagnosed with IBD were 9 times as likely to develop depression then the general population. In addition, their siblings who did not suffer from IBD were almost twice as
A study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has identified that progressive liver, kidney, and heart fibrosis may be related to TULP3 mutations in some patients. Professor John Sayer, Deputy Dean of Clinical Medicine at Newcastle University, said: “Our finding has a huge implication for better diagnosis and management of kidney and liver disease in some patients. What
Today the World Health Organization reported 80 confirmed cases of monkeypox with another possible 50 being investigated worldwide. In the US, there is a case in Massachusetts, another possible case in New York, and the CDC advised healthcare professionals in the US to be on the lookout for more cases. Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of
New findings from the National Poll on Healthy Aging show that most people over 50 years of age say their health is as good as it was before the start of the pandemic in March 2020, or even better. While the majority of the results were positive, 20% of those in their 50s and early 60s, and 14% of those over
A new RAND Corporation report finds that during 2020 the prices paid by employers and private insurers for both inpatient and outpatient services averaged 224% of what Medicare would have paid. Unlike many other studies that have examined health care price variation, this study reports prices and identifies hospitals and groups of hospitals under joint ownership (hospital systems) by name. The
Data from the phase 3 Mandala trial shows that a fixed dose of albuterol and budesonide when met its primary endpoint by demonstrating statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in the risk of severe exacerbations compared to albuterol, when used as a rescue medicine. “This represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of asthma. We see this combination treatment, which
With the nationwide shortage of baby formula, some readers have had questions about what formulas are safe for their babies. Here are some answers and resources. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates commercial infant formulas to make sure they meet minimum nutritional and safety requirements. Approximately 80% of the formula sold in the US is based on cow’s