After months of anticipation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally granted traditional approval to lecemab, a drug that’s been shown to significantly slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. Sold under the the brand name Leqembi, the medicine received an accelerated approval in January but the designation was made official on Thursday, per an … Read more
What’s worse than a frog in your throat? How about a whole octopus? Doctors were flabbergasted after discovering that a Singapore man’s throat discomfort was caused by an eight-legged mollusk that had become stuck in his gullet. The unnamed patient had reportedly first realized something was awry after he started vomiting following a meal that … Read more
More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease — and one in three seniors dies with the disease, according to statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association. With so many different factors — genetics, lifestyle and environment — influencing a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s, many doctors are moving away from one-size-fits-all approaches and calling … Read more
Artificial intelligence might be better at humanity than humans themselves. AI assistants could express more sympathy toward patients, a new study suggests. The study, published Friday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that OpenAI’s ChatGPT answers patient questions with more compassion than human physicians can. “The opportunities for improving health care with AI are … Read more
European health officials issued a warning this week after more than 60 people came down with botulism following a risky weight loss procedure in Turkey. Sixty-seven individuals across Turkey, Germany, Austria and Switzerland contracted botulism between late February and March 10, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Monday. Sixty of … Read more
Talk about throwing salt in the wound. People suffering from heart failure — a condition that affects 6 million American adults — who restrict their sodium intake may be increasing their risk of death, according to a new study presented Thursday. Consuming too much salt has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and … Read more
It’s safe to say this doctor has severed his political ties. Brazilian surgeons redefined “obstruction of justice” after accidentally leaving surgical scissors inside a local politician’s body during a procedure. The fiasco occurred on Jan. 20 after Cleyton Jose Zanatta, a councilor for Nova Santa Helena municipality in the central-western state of Mato Grosso, reported … Read more
The first drug proven to slow Alzheimer’s is on sale, but most U.S. patients will not be able to receive the treatment for several months. Experts say some reasons behind the slow debut for Leqembi, from Japanese drugmaker Eisai, are minimal insurance coverage and many health systems requiring a setup that takes a long time. The drug, … Read more
Botoxed beauty queens, beware. A recent study has found that neuromodulator injections like Botox may be less effective in people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine — striking panic in the hearts, and foreheads, of some users. “Either higher doses or more frequent treatment intervals will be needed, costing more money or requiring more doctor visits … Read more
The surgery known as LASIK — Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis — is under the lens of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is causing controversy among eye experts. The FDA released a 25-page draft guidance after receiving input from patients who felt they were not fully informed of the risks associated with the surgery, the … Read more
Death doesn’t have to be so scary, according to Hospice Nurse Julie — a TikTok star with more than 1.1 million loyal followers. Yes, “HospiceTok” videos have racked up more than 600 million views on the platform —and many of them belong to real-life nurse Julie McFadden. The 39-year-old healthcare worker has witnessed many patients … Read more
This music’s unforgettable. A list of hits going back to the 1930s has been chosen as the top songs to play for people with dementia to keep them calm — and even get them dancing, a new report claims. The playlist includes artists as diverse as the electronic band New Order and the late pop … Read more
For months, scientists have been expressing concern about the increase in cardiovascular diseases among COVID-19 patients, even after the SARS-CoV-2 virus has long since cleared their bodies. These heart issues have long been part of the larger conversation about the long-term aftermath of COVID-19, with a June study by the Department of Veterans Affairs even finding that those reinfected … Read more
Cancers and viruses: why not pit two of our biggest biological foes against each other? Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust used a drug made from a genetically modified form of herpes simplex — the cold sore virus — to attack tumors in cancer patients’ bodies, developing … Read more
A genetically-engineered herpes virus is the new hope to beat cancer after scientists found tumours in terminally ill patients were eradicated or shrunk using the groundbreaking new therapy. An early trial at the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) in London revealed that a modified version of the herpes simplex virus showed signs of effectiveness in a quarter … Read more
Five seriously ill lupus patients have seen their disease driven into remission after a single infusion of modified immune cells, in a small trial that borrows from cancer therapy to harness patients’ own cells to treat the autoimmune condition. Scientists are calling the results “spectacular” and “incredibly exciting”, saying the findings may herald a new … Read more
Botox isn’t without its risks — on mental health, too. People who wish to undergo cosmetic treatments such as Botox should have their mental health assessed beforehand, an expert has advised. The accessibility and low cost of cosmetic injections is feeding into body-image issues — and is part of the reasoning behind the call for … Read more
A half dozen patients in Germany have been functionally cured of lupus — for now, at least. Their doctors used a blood-engineering technique that’s usually reserved for fighting aggressive cancers (CAR-T). It’s unlikely that such a technique could become widespread for lupus-sufferers, because of the cost and lab work required for each patient. Loading Something … Read more
28 “Tis But A Scratch” Stories From Patients Who Should, Without A Doubt, Be Dead Right Now BuzzFeed Source link
A medical worker (R) holds a pulse oximeter on a woman’s finger to check her oxygen level during a door-to-door survey for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread in Ahmedabad, India, June 26, 2020. puts. REUTERS/ Amit Dave/File photo Register now for unlimited access to Reuters.com register July 11 (Reuters) – A flaw in a widely … Read more