New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies

A major new study has uncovered how everyday financial behaviors—captured in routine banking data—can signal early signs of cognitive decline and financial vulnerability in older adults, up to a decade before formal intervention.

Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are increasingly present in the population. Brown adipose tissue has a protective function against these prevalent diseases, as it burns calories and can produce body heat from fat. But as the body ages, the activity of brown adipose tissue decreases. This inactivation of brown adipose tissue—also typical of obese people—remains poorly studied in the scientific literature.

Older couples may want to take a closer look at their drinking habits together.

Mass General Brigham researchers have developed a new AI tool in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to probe through previously collected CT scans and identify individuals with high coronary artery calcium (CAC) levels that place them at a greater risk for cardiovascular events. Their research, published in NEJM AI, showed the tool called AI-CAC had high accuracy and predictive value for future heart attacks and 10-year mortality. Their findings suggest that implementing such a tool widely may help clinicians assess their patients' cardiovascular risk.

Dr. Allison Rosenthal's experience facing a leukemia diagnosis while in medical school inspired her to pursue a career fighting cancer. It also gave her insight into aspects of life with cancer for people under 40. Now, Dr. Rosenthal is among the leaders of an effort at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center to help younger adults and older teens receive age-appropriate care and support. In this expert alert, Dr. Rosenthal shares three topics that younger people with cancer often want to discuss with their healthcare teams.

Cornell researchers have identified an antibiotic, rifampin, that is 99.9% effective against Salmonella Typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. Researchers also predict that rifampin will work on other life-threatening diseases like bacterial pneumonia and meningitis.

Babies born with low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg) are 20 times more likely to die. They are also more likely to develop neurological and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and growth problems later in life. A study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) shows that machine learning models can predict these cases, enabling early and more effective interventions and preventing complications.

Removing information from memories may help people retain what they want to remember. Studies focus on how the brain removes information by subconsciously not paying attention to these details, but sometimes there is a need to consciously remove unneeded details from memories.

A Swedish multi-center study led by researchers at Lund University shows a link between low fiber consumption and the presence of unstable or high-risk plaque in coronary arteries—the type of plaque that can trigger blood clots and cause heart attacks. The study also links dietary patterns to the composition of the plaques, i.e., how potentially dangerous they are.

Today, we know that individual climate action can yield great benefits for human health, and in discussions about lifestyle, health care professionals have the opportunity to highlight the benefits of a plant-forward diet and physical activity for both individual patient outcomes as well as planetary health. But how are such messages received by patients?

A research team from the School of Clinical Medicine of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has pioneered the use of a 'dual immunotherapy' combination—nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI)—in the treatment of liver cancer patients since 2016.

Alcohol advertising is everywhere—on TV, bus shelters, and social media. As a parent, keeping track of what your child sees can seem impossible. So, should we be concerned about children being exposed to alcohol ads?

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas. Yet, not all patients lose insulin function at the same pace. Understanding this variation is especially important in Japanese populations, who tend to experience faster and more complete loss of insulin secretion than their Western counterparts.

A video consultation between patient and surgeon is just as good as a physical visit to the outpatient clinic to discuss a major operation. This is evident from research by Amsterdam UMC, which demonstrated that a video consultation is just as good as a physical consultation in terms of information uptake.

Nearly one in four U.S. adults over the age of 65 have diabetes. Older veterans are highly impacted by this disease, due in part to risk factors incurred during their military service, such as exposure to Agent Orange and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diabetes requires active and ongoing daily self-management and increases the risk of developing other chronic health conditions, which negatively impact functioning and disability.

First described 60 years ago, chronic myoclonus following cerebral anoxia is now known as Lance-Adams syndrome. This is a severe disorder whose mechanisms were, until now, poorly understood. Geoffroy Vellieux, Vincent Navarro, and their colleagues at the Paris Brain Institute now show that this condition originates in the motor cortex. Their findings are published in the journal Neurology.

A recent study led by the University of Turku, Finland, analyzed the DNA map of more than 14,000 gut metagenomes in a global dataset and found that there are differences in antibiotic resistance between genders. In high-income countries, women had more antibiotic resistance genes than men.

The brain is constantly mapping the external world like a GPS, even when we don't know about it. This activity comes in the form of tiny electrical signals sent between neurons—specialized cells that communicate with one another to help us think, move, remember and feel. These signals often follow rhythmic patterns known as brain waves, such as slower theta waves and faster gamma waves, which help organize how the brain processes information.