BioMedWire Stocks Archives - Page 20 of 69

WednesdayApr 17, 2024 10:00 am

New Study Shows Social Isolation, Frailty Worsen Health Risks for Aging People

A recently published review has found that social vulnerability and frailty worsen as individuals age. When both are present, these conditions result in a considerably heightened decline in cognitive and physical function as well as mortality risk. So, what is frailty? Theoretically, frailty is defined as a state of heightened vulnerability resulting from declines associated with age that is clinically recognizable. These declines often compromise an individual’s ability to cope with acute stressors, with researchers noting that frailty is common among older people. While advancements in modern medicine have significantly improved life expectancy of humans beyond natural limits, frailty remains…

MondayApr 15, 2024 10:00 am

Study Identifies Three Distinct Subtypes of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic illness that affects an individual’s central nervous system. The disease manifests differently in each individual and has varying trajectories, which makes it difficult to manage. It also has no cure. New research has identified three subtypes of the disease based on immune markers observed in participants’ blood. For the research, a team of investigators led by Professor Heinz Wiendl, a professor at the University of Münster, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the immunological properties of different blood samples collected from more than 300 early multiple sclerosis patients and a validation group made up of…

FridayApr 12, 2024 10:00 am

Study Finds Presurgery Immunotherapy Safe for Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a challenging cancer to treat. Research shows that roughly 12% of individuals diagnosed with this particular cancer live beyond five years. Additionally, treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies are unsuccessful in treating pancreatic cancer. Prior research has determined that combined PD1-inhibitors and chemotherapy hasn’t brought any improvements in pancreatic cancer patients. PD1-inhibitors are an immunotherapy drug that assists the immune system in recognizing and eliminating cancer cells effectively. Now, new research suggests that individuals with pancreatic cancer can undergo immunotherapy prior to surgery, with scientists noting that this may improve long-term outcomes. The research was…

WednesdayApr 10, 2024 10:00 am

Hackers Exploit Bug in Magento to Access Payment Data on eCommerce Sites

A critical flaw in the open-source e-commerce platform Magento has allowed hackers to make backdoors into e-commerce websites and steal payment data. Computer software company Adobe Inc. describes the error, CVE-2024-2072, as the “improper neutralization of special elements” that could allow attackers to make arbitrary code executions without any user interaction. Adobe addressed the vulnerability on Feb. 13, 2024, as part of a batch of security updates while e-commerce security company Sansec announced that it had found a database layout template that was used to “inject malicious code” automatically. Hackers could then use this code to execute commands arbitrarily by…

MondayApr 08, 2024 10:00 am

Researchers Link Hormone Treatments to Heightened Risk of Brain Tumors

Scientists at the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety in France recently linked the use of hormone treatments by women to a heightened risk of women developing benign brain tumors. During their research, they determined that prolonged use of some progestogen drugs was associated with a higher risk of meningioma. This sentiment isn’t shared by all, however, with one leading expert noting that while the risk of meningioma was higher in women who took the drugs for more than one year, the finding need not worry present or past users as heightened risk remained small. Meningiomas are common…

FridayApr 05, 2024 10:00 am

Google Develops AI System to Leverage Sound in Detecting Lung Ailments

Health acoustic sounds contain useful health signals that have the potential to aid in health monitoring as well as disease diagnosis. Recently, scientists at Google Research, in collaboration with researchers at Zambia’s Center of Infectious Disease Research, developed an AI system that can use coughing sounds to diagnose lung disease. The system, called Health Acoustic Representations (HeAR), is available as a preprint on arXiv. The investigators started working on the system after healthcare professionals reported that over time, they had learned to tell which patients had coronavirus by how their coughs sounded. For their study, they used an approach similar…

WednesdayApr 03, 2024 10:00 am

Spotlight on Disparities in Pediatric Healthcare Access

As of 2019, congenital heart defects affected roughly 1.3 million individuals in America. Mild heart defects are shown to present in at least eight of every one thousand babies. Experts believe that about one in four infants born with these defects need intervention in their first 12 months of life to survive. Now, new research has determined that children in heavily polluted areas classified as economically and socially deprived were almost 50% more likely to suffer from congenital heart defects as compared to those from less polluted and less deprived areas. This comes after research by the American Heart Association…

MondayApr 01, 2024 10:00 am

Prenatal Exposure to Caffeine and High-Fat Diets Heighten Autism Risk in Rodent Models

A new study has found that caffeine exposure during pregnancy and a high-fat diet following delivery considerably heightens the risk of autism-like behaviors, as observed in rodent models. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that influences how individuals interact, behave, learn and communicate. Children with this condition may have trouble with social interactions as well as display repetitive behaviors, among other symptoms. Given that caffeine consumption and high-fat diets are widespread, it is important to understand possible risk factors and develop strategies to prevent the disorder’s development. For their study, the researchers divided pregnant rats into two groups, one…

WednesdayMar 27, 2024 10:00 am

Researchers Link Type 2 Diabetes to Heightened Alzheimer’s Risk

Scientists at Texas A&M University have found evidence suggesting that there may be a link between Alzheimer’s disease risk and type 2 diabetes. This is backed by data from a separate study, which found that roughly 81% of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease also have type 2 diabetes. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking and behavior. The disorder is also a common cause of dementia, accounting for at least 60% of dementia cases. The scientists believe it’s possible that a high-fat diet may increase inflammation levels in the body, which could in turn heighten the risk…

MondayMar 25, 2024 10:00 am

New Study Leverages Real-World Data to Assess Differences in Parkinson’s Progression

Recent research assessed the differences in Parkinson’s disease progression between research populations and real-world data. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and body parts controlled by the nerves. Illness-modifying treatments haven’t been successful for Parkinson’s, with some therapies that have shown promise in trials failing at later stages. The primary challenge to developing illness-modifying treatments for this particular condition is the fact that molecular processes that drive pathogenesis haven’t been understood properly. Additionally, diverse ages on the condition’s onset and different progression patterns indicate heterogeneity. For their research, the scientists used Harvard Biomarkers studies and…