Drug-resistant malaria parasites, which have so far emerged only in Southeast Asia, can infect species of mosquitoes found in Africa, according to a new study. If the drug-resistant parasites spread to the African mosquito species it could potentially damage global efforts to eradicate malaria, according to the authors. However further research is required to determine […]
Tag: health
Mobile testing for Sickle Cell Anemia
Testing for sickle cell anaemia may one-day be done in the field thanks to a new smartphone attachment and app. Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary blood disorder commonly found in individuals of African descent, and can cause organ damage, and increase the risk of stroke and death. Researchers created an attachment for their smartphones […]
Rethinking Canadian TB screening
Canada’s current practice of screening all newly arriving immigrants for tuberculosis (TB) is inefficient according to new research. The authors believe screening should focus only on immigrants arriving from countries with high TB rates. Researchers found that immigrants arriving in Ontario between 2002 and 2011 came from 214 countries, however all cases of active TB […]
The Angelina Jolie effect
Media coverage of Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy lead to an increased awareness of options for reconstructive breast surgery. Researchers compared responses to two surveys asking women questions on breast cancer and surgery, one conducted pre-Jolie’s announcement in March 2013, the other post-announcement in June 2013. Original research paper published in CANCER on September 28, 2015. Names and affiliations […]
Teaching a paraplegic to walk
For the first time a person with complete paralysis in both legs (paraplegia), arising from a spinal cord injury, was able to walk without relying on manually controlled robotic limbs. The results show that brain-controlled walking can be restored after a complete spinal cord injury. After undergoing mental training, and physical rehabilitation to restore the […]
9,000 year-old ritual decapitation found
A 9,000 year-old ritualized decapitation may be the oldest case found in the New World, according to researchers, leading to a re-evaluation of the origins and geographic dispersion of the practice. The remains, a skull, two amputated hands, and several vertebrae, were found laid out in a way suggesting that they were likely part of […]
Assessing head trauma in young children
New guidelines may help emergency department physicians reduce unnecessary scans in young children with minor head injuries, according to a new study. Researchers believe they have found two factors that would identify approximately 90 per cent of skull fractures in children under two months of age. This could reduce the number of radiographs by 60 […]
Canadians receiving false positives for Lyme disease from U.S. labs
Canadians may receive false-positives for Lyme disease, from some commercial labs in the United States over half the time, according to an editorial in the CMAJ. Lyme disease, which is becoming more common in Canada, is spread by ticks and causes fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and if not treated, the infection can spread to joints, […]
Low vitamin D levels associated with an increased risk of MS
Low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in European populations, however whether vitamin D can delay or prevent the onset of MS requires further investigation, according to researchers. The authors used data from the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium study, which involves 14,498 people with multiple sclerosis and […]
New guidelines to reduce pain during vaccinations
New Canadian guidelines aim to reduce pain during vaccinations in both children and adults. Pain during the vaccination process can make children and adults hesitant to receive future immunizations. The guidelines update previous guidelines, published in 2010, and have been expanded to cover adults as well as children. The recommendations are designed to be used […]
Obstetricians and family doctors have equal outcomes for low-risk births
During low risk births, the risk of newborn death and maternal complications is similar for deliveries performed by family physicians and those performed by obstetricians, according to a new study. The authors note that these findings should only be applied to low-risk deliveries that could be safely performed by either a generalist or a specialist, […]
Tracing the family history of HIV
Lentiviruses, a group of retroviruses including HIV and SIV, the simian version of HIV, have been infecting primates as far back as 16 million years ago according to DNA sequencing. Researchers studied an antiviral gene called TRIM5 in 22 species of African primates. They found that a cluster of changes unique to the TRIM5 proteins […]
Trans fats, not saturated fats, are the real danger
Saturated fats are not associated with cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes, while trans fats are, according to a meta-analysis of studies. Researchers reviewed 39 studies from around the world, where nutrients, typically refined carbohydrates, were replaced with saturated fat. The researchers found no association between saturated fats and health outcomes, […]
Omega-3 may help to prevent psychotic disorders
Omega-3 may help reduce the risk of developing psychosis and psychiatric disorders, a study of 81 young people at high risk of developing schizophrenia shows. The participants were randomly split into two groups, one group received omega-3 daily for 12 weeks, while the other received a placebo. Seven years after the experiment, the researchers found […]
Listening to music could help post-operative care
A meta-analysis has found that listening to music reduces postoperative pain, anxiety and reduces the use of painkillers, however the researchers found no effect upon the length of a patient’s stay. Researchers reviewed 73 randomized controlled trials of adult patients undergoing surgical procedures where music was initiated before, during or after surgery and was compared […]
An antibody against MERS
Researchers have found, for the first time, an antibody against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), which has been responsible for over 1,300 human infections and over 450 deaths since it was first identified in 2012. The research team believes the antibody, known as LCA60, can be used to develop a monoclonal antibody against MERS-CoV that […]
