The thymus gland—which produces immune T cells before birth and during childhood— is often regarded as nonfunctional in adults, and it’s sometimes removed during cardiac surgery for easier access to the heart and major blood vessels. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in the New England Journal of Medicine has uncovered evidence that the […]

In a recent study published in the Scientific Reports Journal, researchers used next-generation exome-wide sequencing to identify any association between treatment-resistant depression and uncommon functional genetic alleles. The results elucidated five genes that depicted excess variant copies at the exome-wide level. These genes are responsible for a broad spectrum of functions, including transcriptional regulation and immune response. These findings support […]

Reviewers’ Notes Patients who live in less affluent neighborhoods and those from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups are less likely than others to receive specialized care for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates. Further, the research shows that Black people are more likely than white people to be diagnosed […]

A new study looked at the effects of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) on cancer risk. Researchers tracked the daily vigorous activity of 22,398 non-exercisers using data from wrist-worn accelerometers and monitored their health records for cancer for almost 7 years. Compared with no VIPLA, 4.5 minutes of VILPA a day accrued through 1-minute bursts of activity was associated […]

Lola, an eight-year-old Boxer-mix at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake (HSCCL) in Tool, Texas, had waited 55 days for a new home and found the shelter environment increasingly stressful. “She came to us on December 6, 2022, from a local animal control facility,” says Monika Allen, HSCCL’s Interim Director, who also serves on the non-profit’s Board of Directors. […]

Road safety is a critical issue in an era of increasing cannabis legalization. Cannabis is known to impair reaction time, decision-making, coordination and perception—skills necessary for safe driving. In the last three years, California has seen a 62% increase in the number of fatal crashes involving drug-related impairment. Unlike the association of blood alcohol concentrations with impairment, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) blood […]

Two scores, one simple and one comprehensive, may predict inflammatory arthritis (IA) in people who are already at elevated risk for these immune-related conditions, according to new research from England. If validated in further studies, a new simple score using common biomarkers may help identify individuals who can be managed in primary care as well as higher-risk patients who should […]

Artificial intelligence (AI)-supported breast cancer screening appears safe and at least as accurate as standard double reading of mammograms by two breast radiologists, according to early results from a large, randomized, population-based cohort study. The AI-supported screening also reduced radiologist workload by nearly 44%, researchers estimated. The trial also found a 20% increase in cancer detection using AI support compared […]

Migraine is a common chronic health condition and a leading cause of disability globally. However, even in Canada, with a universal health-care system, migraine is underdiagnosed and undertreated. This is an important public health issue since migraine is associated with reduced quality of life, affecting social life and relationships, productivity and overall health. Increasing awareness of migraine symptoms is critical […]

Legitimate prescriptions of opioids as painkillers are a contributing factor in long-term addiction to these substances. This is what Sarah Eichmeyer of Bocconi’s Department of Economics and Jonathan Zhang of McMaster University in Canada found and described in two recent papers, “Pathways into Opioid Dependence: Evidence from Practice Variation in Emergency Departments,” published on the American Economic Journal, and “Primary […]