Three compounds found in cocoa beans, particularly in the product's shells, show promise for reducing the inflammation and insulin resistance that may result from obesity, according to a new study. The research comes from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where researchers investigated three specific phenolic compounds on mice. The compounds' effects were described as 'powerful.'
Going on vacation is good for your heart, a new study reveals, highlighting another reason to treasure time away from the office. According to the researchers, going on vacation offers benefits related to metabolic health, particularly in individuals who go on vacation multiple times per year. Lowered metabolic risks are associated with improvements to overall heart health risks over one's lifetime.
The FDA is moving forward on plans to lower drug costs by streamlining the development and approval of generic medications, the agency said on Tuesday. A push for the faster development of generic alternatives to name-brand medication came from former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, an effort that remains under acting commissioner Ned Sharpless.
When it comes to cardiac arrest, an emergency situation in which a person's heart suddenly stops beating, the majority of cases happen outside of a hospital. This is unfortunate given the immediate response necessary from others in order to save the patient's life. Here to potentially cut the number cardiac arrest deaths that happen during sleep is a new smart speaker skill that transforms Alexa into a vigilant guardian.
Another high blood pressure drug is facing a recall over the discovery of unacceptably high levels of an impurity that may cause cancer in some patients, according to a new report. The warning about the impurity comes from the pharmacy Valisure, which informed the FDA last week about high levels of a substance called dimethylformamide, which is a common solvent used for chemical reactions.
Researchers have found that a compound created in the stomach after eating certain types of fruit and nuts has an anti-aging effect on humans. Called urolithin A, this compound is produced in the human gut from biomolecules called ellagitannins, which are found in pomegranates and other fruits and some nuts. There's a catch, however: not everyone naturally produces the compound during digestion.
Many activity trackers and smartwatches now offer sleep-tracking features designed to monitor one's overall sleep quality, among other things. These devices are arguably useful for getting an overall picture of one's sleep habits, but researchers warn that sleep trackers may make things worse for some users prone to unhealthy obsessions and anxiety.
The FDA has issued a new advisory that reveals one patient has died as a consequence of an investigational fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Though the agency doesn't oppose these investigational studies into the potential benefits of FMTs, it warns that there are serious risks associated with undergoing the treatment, namely the transmission of bacteria that is resistant to a variety of drugs.
Following its emergency committee meeting today, WHO reports that while the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda is deeply concerning, it doesn't meet the criteria for an international emergency declaration. The meeting over whether the declaration should be made included 'differing views' from experts, according to WHO, which acknowledges the spread into Uganda represents an international spread of the virus.
Researchers have announced that for the first time, evidence of salmonella resistant to 'last resort' antibiotics has been discovered in the United States. The evidence comes in the form of a gene called mcr-3.1 that causes the antibiotic resistance. Though the gene has already been identified in Asia, researchers say this is the first time it has been identified in a sample taken from a patient in the US.
On June 11, the World Health Organization announced that officials have confirmed the presence of Ebola virus disease in Uganda, marking the first known instance of the virus spreading from the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Friday, officials will gather in a meeting to decide whether the Ebola epidemic should be declared an emergency situation that may potentially impact international populations.
Researchers have announced the development of a vaccine that may prevent the formation of tau accumulation in the brain, in particular the tau tangles implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The news comes amid ongoing efforts to develop an effective Alzheimer's treatment, something officials have called critical as the number of cases are projected to skyrocket over coming years.