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Build back better: US pharma and the future of healthcare

Jul 30, 2021

America’s biopharmaceutical industry says it is “ready to do its part” in building a stronger, more resilient, affordable, and equitable health care system for all. COVID-19 highlighted both the challenges of the US healthcare system and the huge change potential of the country’s pharmaceutical industry. Now, as vaccination continues at pace, the sector has pledged to help “build back better”, by...

Treatments targeting the liver could treat type 2 diabetes

Jul 08, 2021

Researchers have investigated the link between fatty liver disease and key markers of type 2 diabetes in mice. The results suggest that reducing production of the neurotransmitter GABA in the liver could normalize blood glucose levels, decrease appetite, and lead to weight loss. The researchers say that the treatment pathway may exclusively work among people with obesity. Type 2 diabetes is...

Can airborne pollen help spread SARS-CoV-2?

Jul 01, 2021

There appears to be a correlation between high concentrations of airborne pollen and high rates of infection with SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. A new computer model suggests that tree pollen could facilitate the transmission of the virus in a crowd of people gathered outdoors. The model assumes that the virus can hitch a ride on pollen grains, though there is currently no direct evidence that this can...

We cannot cheat aging and death, study indicates

Jun 29, 2021

A study led by Fernando Colchero, University of Southern Denmark and Susan Alberts, Duke University, North Carolina, that included researchers from 42 institutions across 14 countries, provides new insights into the aging theory "the invariant rate of ageing hypothesis," which states that every species has a relatively fixed rate of aging. "Human death is inevitable. No matter how many vitamins we take, how healthy our environment is or...

6 ways design can supercharge innovation in health sciences and medical education

Jun 24, 2021

It might sound radical, but the best way to achieve better collaboration is by eliminating traditional operational silos and the resulting departments. We’re heading straight for a significant healthcare worker shortage—and fast. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges , by 2033, the U.S. could experience a shortage of anywhere from 54,000 to 140,000 physicians. By just 2025, the consulting firm ...

Many U.S. Mass Shooters Had Untreated Mental Illness: Study

Jun 18, 2021

"Without losing sight of the larger perspective that most who are violent are not mentally ill, and most of the mentally ill are not violent, our message is that mental health providers, lawyers and the public should be made aware that some unmedicated patients do pose an increased risk of violence," wrote researchers led by Dr. Ira Glick, from Stanford University's School of Medicine. Glick's team studied 35 mass shooting cases...

The Recovery Room: News beyond the pandemic

Jun 10, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has dominated the headlines and our daily lives for more than a year. Medical News Today has covered this fast-moving, complex story with live updates on the latest news, interviews with experts, and an ongoing investigation into the deep racial disparities that COVID-19 has helped unmask. However, this has not stopped us from publishing hundreds of fascinating stories on a myriad of other topic. The...

U.S. reverses stance, backs giving poorer countries access to COVID vaccine patents

May 27, 2021

President Joe Biden on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries, but angering pharmaceutical companies. Biden voiced his support for a waiver - a sharp reversal of the previous U.S. position - in remarks to reporters, followed swiftly by a statement from his top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai,...

COVID-19: More evidence that monoclonal antibodies reduce risk of death

May 25, 2021

Antibodies fight infection, and the body produces them naturally, but it is possible to introduce antibodies into the body artificially . A new study suggests that the monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab may effectively reduce the chance of hospitalization and death in people with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Use of bamlanivimab treatment was associated with a decrease in hospitalization and mortality, especially among adults over...

How to choose a down comforter and alternatives

May 20, 2021

Down comforters provide insulation, as they trap heat without adding extra weight. Choosing the best down comforter will depend on a person’s needs. For example, some models may not suit individuals with allergies or asthma. Benefits and disadvantages According to one 2017 study , the body is sensitive to changes in air temperature during sleep. If an individual’s room is moderately hot or cold, it can reduce...

Distressed Hospitals Can Succeed: Initiating Financial Stability

May 13, 2021

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that for some hospitals and health systems, the effects have been both material and negative. While it was often an accelerator—not the cause—of declining metrics, the economic blow from the pandemic will prove tough to overcome. For many leaders, the question that keeps them up at night is: “How can our organization continue to care for our communities?”...

How COVID-19 has changed the face of the natural world

Apr 29, 2021

How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the natural environment? Have the numerous national lockdowns had a positive or negative effect on wildlife? In this Special Feature, we answer these and other related questions. Share on Pinterest Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images On the human front, most pandemic-related news has been negative. So far, COVID-19 has caused the deaths of more than 3 million...

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