Out for blood? For routine lab work, the hospital billed her $2,400

Out for blood? For routine lab work, the hospital billed her $2,400

Reesha Ahmed was on cloud nine. It was January and Ahmed was at an OB-GYN’s office near her home in Venus, Texas, for her first prenatal checkup. After an ultrasound, getting anti-nausea medication, and discussing her pregnancy care plan, she said, a nurse made a convenient suggestion: Head to the lab just down the hall … Read more

Study highlights need for early intervention for behavioral problems

Study highlights need for early intervention for behavioral problems

A six-year study that analyzed data from a 25-question screening tool found alarming evidence of unhealthy behavioral trajectories starting as early as age 2 among families affected by low income and other social stressors. Findings from the study led by Robert Ammerman, PhD, and colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s were published Oct. 16, 2023, in JAMA … Read more

Medicare enrollees can switch coverage now. Here’s what’s new and what to consider.

Medicare enrollees can switch coverage now. Here’s what’s new and what to consider.

Consumers know it’s fall when stores start offering Halloween candy and flu shots — and airwaves and mailboxes are filled with advertisements for Medicare options. It’s annual open enrollment time again for the 65 million Americans covered by Medicare, the federal health program for older people and some people with disabilities. From Oct. 15 to … Read more

Cancer patients and oncologists support complementary therapies, but communication gap exists

Cancer patients and oncologists support complementary therapies, but communication gap exists

Patients and oncologists are supportive of complementary therapies, such as nutrition counseling, exercise, massage, and mediation, for cancer treatment, according to a new survey conducted on behalf of the Healing Works Foundation. However, a disconnect exists between this growing interest and oncologists’ perceptions of patient support. One-third of oncologists said their patients lack interest in … Read more

New magnetoelectric material bridges gap in severed nerve, restores function

New magnetoelectric material bridges gap in severed nerve, restores function

Researchers have long recognized the therapeutic potential of using magnetoelectrics ⎯ materials that can turn magnetic fields into electric fields ⎯ to stimulate neural tissue in a minimally invasive way and help treat neurological disorders or nerve damage. The problem, however, is that neurons have a hard time responding to the shape and frequency of … Read more

The adipose tissue dysfunction behind metabolically healthy obesity

The adipose tissue dysfunction behind metabolically healthy obesity

A session at this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes will explore the latest data on the concept of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) – more commonly known by the public as ‘fat but fit’. Professor Matthias Blüher, University of Leipzig, Leipzig and Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany will explain how … Read more

A game-changer in early detection and management of type 1 diabetes

A game-changer in early detection and management of type 1 diabetes

The latest data on universal screening for type 1 diabetes (T1D) is reviewed in a session at this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg, Germany (2-6 October). The talk will be given by Dr. Emily K. Sims, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Center for Diabetes and Metabolic … Read more

AI model for detecting ocular disease using retinal images

AI model for detecting ocular disease using retinal images

Artificial intelligence (AI) models have been validated for recognizing signs of eye diseases in retinal images, enhancing diagnosis, and risk stratification. Combining natural images and medical data, these models provide reliable disease prediction, thereby enabling efficient risk stratification in fields like chest X-rays and dermatology imaging. In a recent study published in Nature, researchers present … Read more

AI-powered eye scans could revolutionize early detection of Parkinson’s

AI-powered eye scans could revolutionize early detection of Parkinson’s

Markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson’s disease in patients on average seven years before clinical presentation have been identified by a UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital research team. This is the first time anyone has shown these findings several years before diagnosis, and these results were made possible by the largest study to date … Read more