Early in 2021, vaccines were rolled out against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), decreasing the number of infections, hospitalizations, and mortality rate. However, the emergence of new variants of concern (VOCs) in quick succession raised questions about the ability of the vaccines then available to counteract or protect against these variants, underscored by the rising number of […]

Cognitive scientists have long sought to understand what makes some sentences more difficult to comprehend than others. Any account of language comprehension, researchers believe, would benefit from understanding difficulties in comprehension. In recent years researchers successfully developed two models explaining two significant types of difficulty in understanding and producing sentences. While these models successfully predict specific patterns of comprehension difficulties, […]

In a new study evaluating the Mediterranean diet and adverse pregnancy outcomes, investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai found that women who conceived while adhering to the anti-inflammatory diet had a significantly lower risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy. The study, published today in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Network Open, also evaluated the association between the Mediterranean diet […]

There was a surge in pediatric firearm injuries presenting to U.S. children’s hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Dec. 19 in JAMA Pediatrics. Stephanie E. Iantorno, M.D., from University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, and colleagues examined contemporary trends in pediatric firearm injuries before (April 2018 to December 2019) and during […]

In a recent study, researchers investigated the effects of a commonly used food dye, “Allura Red,” on intestinal inflammation and whether it could cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis. Using an animal model, they found that chronic but not intermittent consumption of Allura Red induced mild intestinal inflammation in mice. The researchers hope their findings will alert consumers to […]

Further evidence that the gut microbiome affects the development of cardiovascular disease, heart failure in particular, has emerged in a new report. The study directly linked elevated levels of phenylacetylglutamine (PAG), a byproduct created when microbes in the gut break down dietary protein, to increased heart failure risk and severity. It follows previous studies that have also linked increased PAG […]

Sedentary behavior, a large waist circumference, and advanced age: These factors are clearly associated with inferior physical fitness among people aged 50 to 64. In a study with over 5,000 participants, investigating the correlations in detail, major fitness disparities are shown. Fitness is a vital factor for performance in sports, but also for the stamina required for exercising and leading […]

A weekly dose of dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody, led to a reduction of symptoms and tissue improvement in young adults and adolescents with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study analyzed data from two phase 3 clinical trials and involved an international group of researchers, including those from Children’s […]

Many patients suffer with vulvar contact dermatitis, and patch testing can help them identify and avoid the specific allergens that cause their discomfort, a recent systematic review suggests. “Vulvar allergic contact dermatitis (vACD) and irritative contact dermatitis (vICD) are common and accompanied by a great burden on the patient’s life,” lead author Sander Vandeweege, a medical student in the Faculty […]

People suffering from blood cancer often have a weak immune system, putting them at higher risk of falling seriously ill with COVID-19. Some cancer therapies, moreover, result in these patients forming few or no antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after COVID-19 vaccination. However, vaccination can also activate so-called T cells, which are responsible particularly for the long-term immune response. A team led […]