News

The FDA has approved an experimental therapeutic to treat deadly inhalation anthrax. The drug is stockpiled in guarded facilities in preparation for a possible anthrax attack, but the approval means it can be used without an FDA emergency use declaration.

Critically ill patients with acute gouty arthritis who cannot be treated with standard therapy responded well to treatment with anakinra in a recent study.

The FDA approved a second drug to treat diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetic macular edema.

Researchers report that gout may actually have a neuroprotective effect and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 24 percent.

Women who have 4 or more children have a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis, a Texas study found. Researchers who analyzed data on coronary artery calcium and aortic wall thickness found these 2 cardiac risk factors were most pronounced in that high-birth group and far lower in women who had 2 or 3 children. Curiously, women who had 1 or no children also showed they had the risk factors similar to the high-birth group.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers have developed a new vaccine type that shows promise to possibly become the first ever for preventing genital herpes.

Approximately 14% of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) also have type 2 diabetes mellitus. That number is expected to rise as the population of HIV-infected patients ages and develop associated chronic comorbidities.

Controversy is no rarity in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Since its discovery and early clinical applications, everyone seemed to have (and still has) an opinion about in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.

Superficial fat necrosis is a rare complication of insulin injections that can manifest with severe, persistent, and well-localized pain.

A drug targeting a bioactive lipid linked to neuropathic pain is pending FDA approval to begin a phase 1 clinical trial.

Secretin stimulated ultrasonography can assess pancreatic fluid flow and can combine with endoscopic short tests to evaluate exocrine pancreatic function, according to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology.

The relationship between a blood thinner and the body's natural defense against HIV was discussed in new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

E-cigarettes -- thought by many to be a "healthier" alternative to tobacco cigarettes -- were found by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health investigators to not only compromise the lung's immune system, but to also include some of the same chemicals present in traditional cigarettes.

"Beer pong," a game which involves throwing ping pong balls across a table in an attempt to land one in a cup half filled with beer, is associated with high risk and incidence of bacterial exposure and transmissions.

Current osteoporosis guidelines don't recommend screening for men. However, researchers from National Jewish Health have identified men's smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures of the vertebrae.

Study results show that providing pedometers to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and encouraging them to use them is associated with an increase in how much those patients exercised.

In patients with cystic fibrosis, the mucus molecular bonds become more complex due to inflammation, creating an "elastic sludge" effect, according to a team of researchers from University of California San Francisco who claimed their findings could also be beneficial for other respiratory conditions such as COPD and asthma.

Pressure on US hospitals to cut costs is fueling a new trend, sending patients home as little as 2 days after primary percutaneous coronary intervention after a serious heart attack. Most US patients go home in 4 to 5 days. A new study finds the short stay is usually safe and the research will likely add momentum to the trend.

Despite a lack of new antibiotics on the market, a study that will be presented at the European Association of Urology conference shows that a change in the way the drugs are used can reduce bacterial resistance.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in United Kingdom has recommended Janssen's Stelara for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, adding to its recommendation of the drug already to treat plaque psoriasis.

Study shows that the majority of people who report "hearing voices" actually hear multiple distinct voices, and that many patients also report physical effects from their condition.

Analysis indicates that updates to atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment guidelines will encourage American doctors to prescribe oral anticoagulants to almost 1 million more patients.

Falls are a constant health threat for older people. A study in Finland looked at whether vitamin D supplements, exercise, or both could lessen the risk of falling for women ages 70 to 80. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that those at risk of falling should take vitamin D. A new study finds that does not help.

Although there is not an existing blood test that can identify early-stage osteoarthritis (eOA), a new biomarker finding documented in Nature Scientific Reports could be the first step in developing one.

Researchers who analyzed the cost of new high-price hepatitis C drugs found them to be cost effective for most patients yet likely to weigh down budgets of US government and insurance providers for years to come like no drug ever before.

Study results show that patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis experienced significant symptom improvement after a single treatment with an experimental human antibody.

As the lifespan of adults living with cystic fibrosis (CF) has increased, a new study in the European Respiratory Journal predicts the number of cases will dramatically rise by 2025.

Could avoiding Alzheimer's disease be as simple as changing your diet? A Rush University team thinks prevention is tied to an eating plan they call the MIND diet.

Two zoologists claimed that the emergence of infectious diseases, such as the West Nile Virus and Ebola, in unconventional locations is sparked by climate change.

Blood tests to determine severity and existence of brain injury may not be possible due to proteins in the brain, according to a study in the Journal of Neuroscience.