A study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found a “positive association” between vaccine-related aluminum exposure and persistent asthma. The study (pdf), published on Sept. 28 in the medical journal Academic Pediatrics, sought to “assess the association between cumulative aluminum exposure from vaccines before age 24 months [2 years of age]” and…

Patients may no longer need to endure invasive procedures to investigate mild heart attacks, according to a new study from Flinders University in South Australia. If a randomised control trial (RCT) is successful, the CT scan could become a preferred tool for doctors which could also reduce the risk of complications. The current preferred procedure…

The Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) announced on Sept. 28 a study of clinical data of Chinese medicine in the treatment of recovered COVID-19 patients, indicating that Chinese medicine treatment in the recovery period can promote the resolution of residual symptoms, and improve lung functions and body constitutions. The study was conducted between September 2020…

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan (FDA) released a report about a new class of hypoglycemic drugs, Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, suspected of causing acute pancreatitis. Wang Chih-yuan, researcher and chairman of the Taiwanese Association of Diabetes Educators, said that patients who use GLP-1 receptor…

Sprinkled like confetti throughout this image are dozens of green, yellow, and red-ringed axons—nerve cell fibers that transmit electrical signals throughout the nervous system. The axons are bundled in a human cranial nerve, shown here in a cross-section view (see illustration below for context). Nerves like this exit the brainstem and project to areas of…

For people with a type of chronic pain called trigeminal neuralgia, touch from everyday activities like face-washing, eating, or tooth-brushing can cause agonizing pain that can be hard to treat. Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of neuropathic pain, which is caused by damaged or irritated nerves. In this case, pain arises from insults to the…

When you have your meals can change your mood, according to a new Harvard study. Researchers placed participants in a simulation that mimicked night shifts, and participants either had meals during the day only, or had meals during both daytime and nighttime. There were two meal timing groups: the daytime and nighttime meal control group,…

A multidisciplinary study at the HKU School of Chinese Medicine found that the extract (SSP) of Spatholobus Suberectus Dunn (SSD), an herb commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, can inhibit and kill a broad range of viruses, including coronavirus, SAR-CoV-2, and its variants. Researchers expect that sprays will be developed from the extract, that can be…

While exercising, getting enough sleep, and limiting alcohol intake are good ways to increase longevity, experts have discovered you can also drink yourself to longevity with the help of coffee. Research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, on Sep. 27, observed that amongst 450,000 adults with an average age of 58 over a…

Pharmaceutical giant Biogen has agreed to pay $900 million to settle claims that it paid kickbacks to physicians to encourage them to prescribe its multiple sclerosis drugs, the Department of Justice announced on Monday. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company’s settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in 2012 by former Biogen employee turned whistleblower, Michael Bawduniak. Bawduniak sued Biogen under the False…