Medicine misuse is a public health issue, but the term has different meanings to people in different settings. A recent analysis of published studies provides a comprehensive overview of the terms and definitions used to characterize medicine misuse. The findings are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Among 51 relevant studies, there were…
Although weight loss surgery is a highly effective treatment for obesity, it can be detrimental to bone health. A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests that exercise may help address this shortcoming. The study randomized 84 patients undergoing weight loss surgery to an exercise group or a control group…
A new national study of public water systems found that arsenic levels were not uniform across the U.S., even after implementation of the latest national regulatory standard. In the first study to assess differences in public drinking water arsenic exposures by geographic subgroups, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health confirmed there are…
Compared to chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, humans are particularly prone to developing advanced carcinomas — the type of tumors that include prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers — even in the absence of known risk factors, such as genetic predisposition or tobacco use. A recent study led by researchers at University of California San…
The first human challenge trial to test COVID-19 treatments and vaccines is set to begin in January in the United Kingdom. These trials, in which healthy volunteers are infected with the virus after being given different vaccines under development, have sparked ethical debates around the benefits of developing a vaccine quickly and the risks of…
Blood tests for ‘biomarkers’ such as cholesterol and inflammation could predict whether you will be disabled in five years – according to research from the University of East Anglia. A new study shows how people’s biological health can predict disability and healthcare demand in five years’ time. But the researchers also found that people on…
Facing mounting pressure about its role in the opioid crisis, McKinsey has taken the unusual step of acknowledging that its work with Purdue Pharma fell short of its standards and vowed a full internal review of its actions, including the possible destruction of documents. Criticism of the world’s most prestigious consulting firm has intensified since…
In March of 2019, 50 people were charged for their role in a coordinated effort to buy admission to elite American universities. They included an heiress to the Hot Pockets fortune, Michelle Janavs; the Oscar-nominated actress Felicity Huffman; and the television star Lori Loughlin and her husband, the designer Mossimo Giannulli. Perhaps the most famous…
As pop culture puts it, shopping in thrift stores can trigger painful memories (see: Marge Simpson reworking a Chanel-esque suit, Pen15‘s tween leads pawing over a secondhand Tommy Hilfiger shirt, or Jenny Humphrey’s entire character arc). But thanks to a growing resale market—with an expected value of $64 billion in the next five years—the firsthand…
Erika Becerra was eight months pregnant when she learned she had tested positive for the coronavirus. Almost immediately after she got the result, her body began aching, she developed a fever and she felt tightness in her chest. When she began having trouble breathing, her husband called for an ambulance. Three days later, on Nov.…