inflammation

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Scientists May Have Solved a Big COVID Mystery
Scientists May Have
Solved a Big COVID Mystery
in case you missed it

Scientists May Have Solved a Big COVID Mystery

They say loss of smell might be from inflammation-driving T-cells helping to nix critical neurons in nose

(Newser) - Loss of taste and smell are among the symptoms of COVID that stick around after the infection itself has subsided, and now scientists think they may be on to why the latter happens. It may all come down to an unusual immune response in which T-cells that cause inflammation invade...

Think You Know What Will Help Your Achy Knees? Think Again

NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen may actually exacerbate osteoarthritis inflammation: scientists

(Newser) - When those achy joints start acting up, it seems to be popular wisdom to pop an Advil, Motrin, or Aleve. Now, however, scientists say ibuprofen and naproxen, sold under these brand names and others, may actually exacerbate things for patients suffering from osteoarthritis, worsening their inflammation instead of tamping it...

Fat Acts as a 'Reservoir' for COVID
Fat Acts as a
'Reservoir' for COVID
in case you missed it

Fat Acts as a 'Reservoir' for COVID

Research may show why obese, overweight people are at greater risk

(Newser) - A recent study found obese people with COVID-19 were 113% more likely to end up in a hospital, 74% more likely to be admitted to an ICU, and 48% more likely to die than people of a healthy weight, per Science . New research might explain why. The study, posted online...

Mystery Ailment Strips Bears of Their Fear of Humans

It's also causing fatal brain inflammation in bears out West

(Newser) - Wildlife officials in California are worried about a strange ailment that appears to strip young bears of their fear of humans—and also is causing fatal brain inflammation. Cases have been turning up in the state since at least 2014, including four in the last year, reports CBS Sacramento . As...

An Aspirin a Day Could Help Some Pregnant Women
An Aspirin a Day Could Help
Some Pregnant Women
new study

An Aspirin a Day Could Help Some Pregnant Women

Low dose appears to increase chance of live birth in certain women

(Newser) - Inflammation wreaks all sorts of havoc on the human body. One example involves reproduction, because inflammation is behind multiple issues—such as pelvic inflammatory disease and polycystic ovary syndrome—that increase a woman's risk of infertility. So can managing inflammation improve those women's chances of getting pregnant? Researchers...

FDA Bans Its Second Medical Device Ever

Powdered medical gloves have long been associated with allergies, inflammation

(Newser) - The Food and Drug Administration has banned only the second medical device ever, and it's sort of an unlikely one: powdered medical gloves. Powder has for decades been added to (now a small minority) of latex medical gloves to help healthcare workers put them on and remove them more...

Your Ice Cream May Contain Seaweed—Contentiously

There's a battle going on over the use of the additive carrageenan

(Newser) - Centuries ago, coastal Irish communities discovered that they could harvest carraigín moss, a type of seaweed, from the rocky waters at Carrigan Head and cook it with milk to produce a thickener. Named after the area, carrageenan—the soluble fiber derived from seaweed—has since gained global popularity as...

Mom's Insight May Lead to Heart Disease Treatment

Compound used to treat kids' rare disorder unclogs arteries, too

(Newser) - The unlikely use of a compound in powdered booze could ultimately help save millions of people from heart disease—and it was the mother of twin girls with a rare genetic disorder who first pitched the idea to scientists. The compound is called beta-cyclodextrin, which is already approved by the...

Scientists Claim Link Between Herpes Virus and Alzheimer's

Renowned researchers pen an editorial calling for more research into virus and bacteria

(Newser) - Roughly two-thirds of American adults have been exposed to the herpes type 1 virus (oral; type 2 is the genital one), and they could be predisposed to developing Alzheimer's disease later in life. So writes a group of 31 international scientists and clinicians in an editorial in the Journal ...

Women's Depression Linked to ... Pasta

Harvard study finds those with carb-rich diets at 29% to 41% greater risk

(Newser) - A Harvard study that followed 43,000 women over 12 years has found that some of your favorite foods may not just be hurting your physical health, but your mental health, too. The research team looked at the women's diets and discovered those who consumed more red meat, soda,...

Rosacea Caused by Mite Poop in Your Face
Rosacea Caused by Mite Poop in Your Face
study says

Rosacea Caused by Mite Poop in Your Face

Researchers say skin condition just reaction to dead Demodex mites

(Newser) - Rosacea is a common skin condition, afflicting 16 million Americans with red, inflamed skin, usually in the middle of the face. At last, scientists think they know the cause, but it isn't pretty—the feces of tiny, spider-like mites that live in your pores, reports New Scientist . The mites...

The Root of What Ails Us: Inflammation?
 The Root of 
 What Ails Us: 
 Inflammation? 
in case you missed it

The Root of What Ails Us: Inflammation?

Scientists studying link between diet, chronic inflammation, and disease

(Newser) - Diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer. They may seem like wildly different diseases, but they share a common thread, reports the Wall Street Journal : Each has been tied to chronic inflammation. And that has scientists now studying whether inflammation can be battled with certain foods, rather than drugs. The Journal gives a...

Scientists Try to Solve the Mystery of Acupuncture

Researchers use modern medicine to test ancient therapy

(Newser) - Western researchers are using high-tech tools to unlock the secrets of an ancient therapy: acupuncture. Neuroimaging studies show the practice can calm parts of the brain linked to pain and activate those linked to recuperation. Doppler ultrasounds, meanwhile, show that acupuncture increases blood flow. Carefully placed needles can even make...

Heart Risk Linked to Obesity—in Preschoolers

Definitive connection can't be made due to lack of relevant study

(Newser) - Levels of a marker tied to adult heart disease were twice as high in the blood of obese children as in the blood of average-weight kids in a recent study. The twist is that the research subjects were 3 to 5 years old, sparking concerns about the cumulative health effects...

Ibuprofen Cuts Alzheimer's Risk: Study

Anti-inflammatory drugs reduced risk 40%, but experts sound note of caution

(Newser) - Long-term use of ibuprofen and some similar drugs cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study found the drugs cut the risk of dementia by more than 40%, WebMD reports. Doctors warn, however, that such medications can have serious side effects and that it 's...

Don't Cry: Onions Reduce Heart Risk

Red wine, tea, and apples also thwart artery inflammation

(Newser) - Onions and red wine can help reduce the risk of heart disease, researchers say. Both, along with tea and apples, contain a type of flavonoid compound called quercetin, which stalls chronic inflammation of the arteries. In one case, a lower dosage of the compound actually had a larger effect, the...

16 Stories