Did you know my blog has lasted longer than my nursing career did?? A failed career in Sports Science- well it was a career that never started thanks to my lungs resulted in me falling into nursing. I never thought I would be a nurse. If you were to ask people what I would end
Month: March 2020
A study of the benefits of intermittent fasting comparing male and female mice suggests intermittent fasting for women may have different results. With the global obesity epidemic, a search for a simple but effective solution continues. Diets can be hard to follow, trying to figure portion size, macros, and calories. While exercise is great for
Researchers in Australia recently examined whether the current popularity and perceived benefits of nature play are justified by any scientific evidence. Nature play is an increasingly popular design theme for children’s playgrounds. Whereas traditional playgrounds consist of equipment such as slides and swings, nature play playgrounds are full of natural components such as rocks, ponds,
Clinical trials are currently underway to investigate the effectiveness of bevacizumab for the treatment of COVID-19, with results expected as early as May 2020. The outbreak and rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in the worldwide search for a viable treatment option. There are several drug candidates currently being investigated to treat
A recent study compared the risk of cancer between non-hormonal-copper and hormone‑releasing intrauterine device users. An intrauterine device is a small device placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. There are two types of intrauterine devices: the non-hormonal-copper and the hormone-releasing intrauterine devices. As with any birth control, these devices also offer benefits and risks.
A new study suggests undiagnosed cases of COVID-19 may be responsible for the rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019. As of March 19, 2020, this novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to 177 countries. Researchers from around the world are working to
A randomized phase 3 clinical trial has shown that pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy improves the pathological complete response (defined as no evidence of cancer) of patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a high-risk cancer type comprising approximately 15% of all breast cancers. However, TNBC is more aggressive and has higher
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since that time, the World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a public health emergency due to its rapid spread. A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine assessed SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in patients to
A recent study identified a biomarker in saliva to identify childhood obesity risk. Globally, the prevalence of childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, obesity in children has risen from 13.9 percent in 2000 to 18.5 percent in 2016. Childhood
Eating a moderate amount of fish per week, while pregnant, may improve child’s metabolic health, according to a new study. Fish is a significant dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids that may have cardiometabolic benefits. Several studies support that fish consumption can help reduce the risks of heart and metabolic diseases, such as high blood
A recent review highlighted the psychological impact of quarantine and the ways to alleviate its effects. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has impacted the world drastically. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Several people who had potential exposure to the virus are being asked to isolate themselves or
Researchers investigated what factors play a role in cognitive decline in retirement, emphasizing the importance of staying mentally active. Previous research has shown that as people age and retire there is a decline in cognition due to less or no involvement in mental activities. The rate of cognitive decline varies individually and may be caused
An epidemiological study in England shows an increase in cases of colorectal cancer in young adults as early as their 20s. Although colorectal cancer is typically associated with older age-groups, a recent study has found that there is an increase in cases of colorectal cancer in young people between the ages of 20 to 49.
In the first step toward developing effective COVID-19 treatments, scientists successfully identify receptors that allow the virus to enter cells. Every new confirmed case of COVID-19 adds to the mounting pressure to develop a treatment or vaccine. But how are treatments or vaccines created, and why does it take so long? What do we know
In laboratory studies in mice, researchers investigated the link between success of an experimental cancer immunotherapy drug and gut bacteria. Different treatment approaches are used to treat different types of cancer. Cancer immunotherapy drugs help the body’s own immune system to attack abnormal tumor cells. Some tumor cells express proteins on their cell surfaces to
“the uniform I love is the uniform that saves me and is killing me” has been a statement I have written many times over the years. I posted on social media a few weeks ago now to say that I would not be coming back to my job as a community dialysis nurse. I would
If you’re into wellness (and since you’re reading this, I’m guessing you are!), you’ve probably heard the term Ayurveda thrown around. You may have even heard of it used when talking about diets and healthy eating. The Ayurvedic diet has been practiced in India for centuries but it’s only recently caught on in the U.S. While
Testing capacity for the coronavirus in the U.S. will dramatically increase in the coming days, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday. “By probably next week, we’ll be at capacity of tens of thousands of tests a day,” Gottlieb said on “Squawk Box.” “Certainly by the end of next week, I think
Corona virus, COVID-19 or as I like to refer to it as “the virus” is the hot topic just now and rightly so especially as the World Health Organisation has just declared it to be a pandemic. I have not posted anything on facebook, instagram, twitter or my blog about the virus because everywhere is
A recent study has investigated the features of COVID-19 infection in infants hospitalized in China over a two-month period. During the spread of COVID-19 in recent months, there has been a relatively smaller number of cases of severe disease in infants reported. A recent study examined the demographic, epidemiologic, and clinical features of COVID-19 infection
Researchers describe the progress of a simple and non-invasive new urine test for prostate cancer that’s currently in development. Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among men. Although there are effective treatments, such as radiotherapy and surgery for localized prostate cancer, men diagnosed with more progressive prostate cancer have a poorer
A small study discusses the risk of COVID-19 transmission from asymptomatic carriers. As scientists continue to work on slowing the spread of COVID-19, examining patterns of person to person disease transmission is crucial. However, the transmission of COVID-19 from asymptomatic carriers, with a normal chest computed tomography (CT), has not been investigated. Published in the Journal
A recent study investigated whether anastrozole treatment could reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Estrogen hormone promotes the growth and survival of normal and cancerous breast epithelial cells. Some breast cancers are more sensitive to the hormone estrogen, and they are known as estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers. Anastrozole is in a class of
Researchers studied the brains of monolingual and bilingual elders with cognitive decline and found evidence to suggest that bilingualism protects against dementia over time. Is learning a second language worth the time and energy it takes to do so? More and more studies seem to indicate that actively speaking a second language can protect us
Population obesity in mice allows more virulent strains of influenza to develop and spread. The countless negative health impacts of obesity have mostly been well documented. However, one of the less well known harmful effects of obesity is the impact it can have on viral pathogenesis. Population-based studies of the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic suggest
In a study published by the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northern California studied how effective following heart attack prevention guidelines is in decreasing the chances of mortality in years to come. Patients were 18 years or older and had experienced a heart attack between 2008 and 2014. Thirty-to-ninety days
A new drug compound, known as NLX-112, has been discovered as a potential treatment for levodopa-induced dyskinesia in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder caused by the loss of nerve cells in the substantia nigra region of the brain, for which there is currently no cure. Loss of these
Researchers used a promising new therapy called antisense oligonucleotide therapy to control the expression of a mutant SCN8A gene, resulting in delayed seizure onset and survival in mouse models of SCN8A encephalopathy and Dravet syndrome. What is SCN8A encephalopathy? Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies are a group of rare epilepsy syndromes that are characterized by early-onset