Stem cell therapy shows promise for treating multiple sclerosis – new study: teerayuth oanwong/Shutterstock Over 2 million people globally have multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that affects the nervous system and can lead to problems moving, seeing and thinking. While there are treatments that can help reduce the number and severity of MS attacks, many …
Chronic pelvic pain affects up to 26% of women – our latest research brings us closer to better treating it: A lack of understanding about chronic pelvic pain has left women with limited treatment options. Studio Romantic/ Shutterstock Chronic pelvic pain affects between 5% and 26% of women worldwide. It can be associated with conditions …
Why understanding how spiders spin silk may hold clues for treating Alzheimer’s disease: novama/Shutterstock Really, we should envy spiders. Imagine being able to make silk like they do, flinging it around to get from place to place, always having a strong-as-steel safety line or spinning a comfy hammock whenever they need a rest. The fascinating …
Cannabis is no better than a placebo for treating pain – new research: Many people use cannabis to manage pain. photolona/ Shutterstock Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. While there are only a few countries where cannabis is legal for recreational use, many more countries have legalised the use …
Epilepsy: gene therapy technique targeting overactive brain cells shows promise in treating drug-resistant form of the condition: Epileptic seizures are caused by brain cells becoming overactive. MattLphotography/ Shutterstock Something like 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. While the majority of these people are able to use medications to manage and prevent their seizures, around one-third …
Coronary artery stents show no benefit in treating heart failure – landmark trial: Photo Oz/Shutterstock Every year, 60,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with heart failure, and many are treated with stents. In a large new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, my colleagues and I discovered that these procedures are …
The key to treating TB may be in a common carbohydrate. What we know so far: New remedies are needed as rates of multi-drug resistant TB rise. Jarun Ontakrai/Shutterstock Curdlan is a popular carbohydrate in the food industry. Its name is derived from the word “curdle”, and as it suggests, it’s widely used as a …
Living with COVID: how treating masks like umbrellas could help us weather future pandemic threats: When cases rise, we can make small changes to our behaviour. Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock Thankfully, the UK now looks to be past the peak of both the recent heatwave and the latest COVID wave. But there will be more of both …
ADHD drug shows promise in treating some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – new research: Noradrenergic drugs were shown to improve some brain function and feelings of apathy. Africa Studio/ Shutterstock The search for a way to treat Alzheimer’s disease has puzzled scientists for decades. This may be why some researchers are shifting their focus slightly, …
Chimpanzees rub insects on open wounds – new research suggests treating others may not be uniquely human: The chimpanzees of the Rekambo community in Gabon, West Africa never fail to surprise. For a start, they are known to kill and eat tortoises, which set them apart from any other community of chimpanzees. Now they have been …
Tackling ageing could be a better way of treating and preventing multimorbidity: Targeting the biological causes of ageing could be one method for better treating multimorbidity. oneinchpunch/ Shutterstock Over half of UK adults over the age of 65 live with two or more long-term health conditions – commonly known as multimorbidity. People living with multimorbidity …
COVID is caused by a virus – so why are researchers treating it with antibiotics?: i viewfinder/Shutterstock If you have a cold, don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics – that’s the golden rule. They’re for bacterial infections, not viral ones. We’re told not only that they won’t work, but that by using antibiotics when they …
Climate change: convincing people to pay to tackle it is hard – treating it like a pension could help: Shutterstock/24Novembers Energy prices across the world have soared in recent weeks, hitting households and businesses hard. Combined with the costs of dealing with the pandemic, this may make political leaders think twice about making the case …
The Klarna conundrum: why treating buy-now-pay-later apps like banks will not protect consumers: Buy or bye? Sulastri Sulastri Whether you use Klarna all the time or have barely heard of it, it’s time to start paying attention: the buy-now-pay-later app has just become the biggest private fintech company in Europe. Klarna has completed a new …
Appetite drug shows promise in treating obesity: Participants lost around 15% of their body weight on average. Rostislav_Sedlacek/ Shutterstock A recently published clinical trial of the anti-obesity drug, semaglutide, has produced a degree of weight loss which has led some to dub the medication a “game changer” in the treatment of obesity. The trial looked …
South Africa in the news: At risk and unpaid: The foreign doctors treating Covid-19 in South Africa: While doctors flown in from Cuba have earned handsome salaries for their work on the Covid-19 frontlines, there is a small group of doctors from the African continent who are battling Covid-19 daily …: “South Africa” – BingNews …
This brain protein may be key to treating Parkinson’s – study in rats shows: The protein, called GDF5, plays an important role in the development and function of certain brain neurons. pikselstock/ Shutterstock Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that affects over 10 million people worldwide, is caused by the gradual loss of dopamine neurons. The …
Why it’s important to keep diagnosing and treating HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic: People relying on HIV prevention, care and treatment services have become even more vulnerable because of COVID-19. Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images Since 2013, global efforts have been made to gain control over the AIDS epidemic by 2020 through UNAIDS’ 90-90-90 targets. The focus …