BioMedWire Stocks Archives - Page 39 of 64

TuesdayMar 28, 2023 11:18 am

Research Links Smoking to Heightened Psoriasis Risk

A study published in the “Frontiers in Immunology” journal earlier this year has tied smoking to an increased risk of developing psoriasis. Psoriasis affects more than 8 million people in the United States and more than 125 million people globally, and the disease has no cure. It causes dry, itchy, raised, scaly-looking lesions on the skin that are discolored and can be quite sore. Triggers for the chronic condition include heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, skin injuries, infections, insect bites, cold temperatures and stress. Psoriasis is also associated with an increased risk of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia and…

MondayMar 27, 2023 11:56 am

Debate Rages Regarding Patients Listing on Multiple Organ Transplant Wait Lists

Although thousands of people require organ transplants every year to address various conditions that cause organ failure, the supply of organs is not nearly enough to meet demand. As a result, people often spend years on waitlists, biding their time until they are lucky enough to receive a compatible organ before their health deteriorates to fatal levels. Thanks to a policy instituted in the late 1980s, patients can join wait lists for organ transplants in different treatment centers to increase their odds of finding a compatible organ faster. While this policy certainly gives patients a chance to increase their odds…

FridayMar 24, 2023 12:46 pm

Lighting Up Malignant Tissues Could Boost Precision of Surgical Removal

In most cases, the early discovery of cancer is directly tied to a patient’s chances of surviving the condition. Completely curing cancer may not be an option, but clinicians have several tools that allow them to kill off the majority of cancer cells and prevent them from spreading to healthy tissue. Surgery is usually considered when a tumor is present in only one part of the body and can be surgically removed in all its entirety. This approach to cancer treatment tends to be seen as “curative” because it seeks to completely remove cancer cells from the body. In many…

ThursdayMar 23, 2023 12:41 pm

New Approach Could Boost Current Asthma Medication Efficacy

Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects 26.5 million Americans and around 300 million people worldwide. It is characterized by chronic inflammation in the lung airways that results in chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath or coughing. This tightening usually occurs when the involuntary muscles in the lung airways contract due to exposure to allergens, fumes, second-hand smoke or toxins. Treatment typically involves avoiding allergens and using remedies such as bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents. More specifically, drugs that can stimulate the β2-adrenergic receptors (β2AR) are instrumental in relaxing the lung airway muscles and promoting normal lung function. However, as with…

WednesdayMar 22, 2023 1:55 pm

Hair Loss in Women May Indicate Other Conditions

Pattern hair loss is a common condition that affects men as well as millions of women. Losing hair can be caused by many things, ranging from stressful events to changes in an individual’s hormones. The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that causes the hair to thin at the top of an individual’s scalp. The condition may also indicate the presence of health issues, said Dr. Valerie Callender. Callender is a dermatology professor at the College of Medicine, Howard University and an expert at the American Academy of Dermatology. In a recent academy news release, Callender…

TuesdayMar 21, 2023 1:43 pm

Researchers ID Substance That Could Make Autoimmune Disease Treatment Possible

Japanese researchers have discovered a chemical compound that could finally make the treatment of autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis possible. Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system cannot differentiate between the body’s own cells and foreign invading cells, resulting in more than 80 diseases that damage various parts of the body. Common symptoms of autoimmune conditions include joint pain and swelling, swollen glands, skin problems, fatigue and recurring fever. There is currently no cure for autoimmune diseases, but physicians can deploy a variety of treatments to reduce symptoms and mitigate damage to organs. However, the recent…

MondayMar 20, 2023 1:20 pm

Normalizing Blood Vessels in Tumors Could Improve Brain Cancer Immunotherapy

Around 700,000 Americans are estimated to be living with a primary brain tumor. The deadly condition has an incredibly high fatality rate, and it significantly disrupts the quality of life of brain cancer patients and their families. Although tumors can’t be completely cured, early detection can allow doctors to deploy treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy to kill off cancer cells and reduce the size of the tumor. Even so, researchers are constantly searching for novel treatment options that are capable of treating tumors more effectively and with fewer side effects on the patient. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital recently…

FridayMar 17, 2023 11:02 am

Japan to Categorize COVID-19 as Common Infectious Illness

The Japanese government recently announced that the coronavirus will be categorized as a common infectious disease on May 8, 2023. As a result, patients diagnosed with the communicable disease will have to cover medical expenses on their own. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Japan’s government instituted a special response that limited the number of medical institutions that could handle COVID-19 patients. The upcoming reclassification will classify the coronavirus as a class 5 disease similar to conditions such as seasonal influenza. At the moment, Japan currently classifies COVID-19 as part of a special category that is equal…

ThursdayMar 16, 2023 11:17 am

Research Finds Link Between Chicken Pox, Cold Sores, Alzheimer’s

Recent research from Tufts University and Oxford University suggests that there may be a link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and certain viral infections. The joint research team found that viral infections, such as the common cold sore virus, chicken pox, and shingles, may have some association with the deadly neurological disease. The study sought to understand the link between Alzheimer’s disease and common viruses. The debilitating neural condition is characterized by the damage and death of neurons in the brain that eventually results in brain atrophy and the loss of significant brain volume. More than 6 million Americans live with…

WednesdayMar 15, 2023 10:58 am

How Research on Blood Cancer Could Benefit the Organ Transplant Field

There is a critical shortage of organs within the organ transplant field. Even though there are more than 100,000 people awaiting organ transplants in the United States, there were only 14,903 deceased organ donors last year. The organ shortage crisis in the U.S. and across the globe is taking thousands of lives each year. In the U.S. alone, 13 patients lose their lives to severe kidney disease every day while awaiting a compatible kidney. With around 92,000 people waiting for an organ transplant this year, 1 in 10 of them will have quite a hard time securing a compatible kidney.…