In a recent study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the United States of America investigated the association between platelet hyperreactivity and the risk of cardiovascular events. They developed the platelet reactivity expression score (PRESS) to identify individuals with hyperreactive platelets. They found that patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and hyperreactive platelets had a…

In a recent study published in the JAMA Network Open, a group of researchers examined the prospective associations between perceived technoference (parental digital interruptions) and mental health symptoms in emerging adolescents. Study: Perceived Parental Distraction by Technology and Mental Health Among Emerging Adolescents. Image Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com Background  Digital technology is integral to…

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers investigated the relationship between state coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination mandates for healthcare workers (HCWs) and vaccination rates among them. Study: State COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Uptake Among Health Care Workers in the US. Image Credit: BaLL LunLa/Shutterstock.com Background Vaccines are critical for…

A recent Device study used a swine model to demonstrate the potential of an implantable system for opioid safety (iSOS). Study:  An implantable system for opioid safety . Image Credit: Microgen/Shutterstock.com Strategies to tackle the opioid epidemic Opioid overdose continues to escalate morbidity and mortality rates throughout the world, particularly in the US.…

A team led by Jose Onuchic at Rice University and Paul Whitford at Northeastern University, both researchers at the National Science Foundation Physics Frontiers Center at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP) at Rice, has made a discovery in the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19. The…

Study: Proteomics identifies potential immunological drivers of postinfection brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers investigated how past infections relate to brain volume changes and dementia risk. Prior diagnoses of severe infections are associated with a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases…

In a recent study published in Technologies, researchers devised a novel system that uses machine learning to predict tongue disease. ​​​​​​​Study:  Tongue Disease Prediction Based on Machine Learning Algorithms . Image Credit: fizkes/Shutterstock.com Background Traditional tongue illness diagnosis relies on monitoring tongue features such as color, shape, texture, and wetness, which reveal the…

In a recent study published in the journal Eurosurveillance, researchers investigated the unusual rise in emergency department (ED) visits for pneumonia among children aged 5–14 years in England since November 2023. Their findings indicate that this increase, which persisted into early summer 2024, was primarily driven by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), even as other…

The millions of people impacted by the chronic aftereffects of COVID-19 following infection with SARS-CoV-2 present a significant public health challenge. A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine examined whether current tests were adequate to identify post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). PASC, or long COVID, encompasses a broad range of symptoms that can…

In a recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, researchers evaluated whether the various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine rollout phases impacted the prevalence of depression and anxiety at the population level among adults in the country. ​​​​​​​Study:  Impact of phased COVID-19 vaccine rollout on anxiety and depression among US…