5 May 2020
TUESDAY, May 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- If you've ever wondered what your brain is doing while you sleep, a new study gives the first direct evidence that it's busy "replaying" our waking experiences.
The finding comes from a research project called BrainGate, which is testing new technology for people who are paralyzed or have lost a limb. Participants have "micro-electrodes" implanted in their brains, to allow them to exert mind control over assistive devices or prosthetic limbs.
The work also let researchers catch a glimpse of what happens in the brain during rest -- specifically after participants had played a new game. It turned out that the same brain cells that were firing during the game kept firing as people drifted into light sleep.
In a nutshell, the brain seemed to be...
4 May 2020
MONDAY, May 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The medication Synthroid (levothyroxine) is often used to treat a condition called subclinical hypothyroidism, but a new study suggests the treatment might be a waste of time.
For the study, researchers followed 638 people aged 65 and older with subclinical hypothyroidism, also known as mild thyroid failure. About half of the patients were given the medication, and half were given an inactive placebo.
After one year, there was no difference in symptoms between the participants who received levothyroxine and those who received the placebo, the investigators found.
"Levothyroxine is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S.," said lead study author Dr. Maria de Montmollin, from the University of Bern in Switzerland. But she...
1 May 2020
FRIDAY, May 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- An Australian study has good news for people with type 2 diabetes -- fewer people with diabetes are having heart attacks and strokes compared to 20 years ago.
Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular complications have declined in the general population, too. But the decreases among people with diabetes have outpaced those for the general population, the researchers said.
Senior author Dr. Timothy Davis, from the University of Western Australia, called the findings reassuring. They show that modern management of blood sugar and other risk factors "is having the desired effect on chronic vascular complications," he said.
But not all of his findings were positive.
"Although life expectancy is increasing in both groups, the difference...
30 April 2020
THURSDAY, April 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on the sacrifices of America's health care workers, yet many of them live in poverty and can't afford health insurance.
A new study finds that more than 600,000 health care workers are poor and potentially without insurance or paid sick leave, and up to 4 million have health problems that put them at risk of dying from COVID-19.
"It's nice that politicians want to label health care workers heroes and that people are going out and banging pots for them. That's clearly raising people's morale. But it also is important to make sure they -- and everyone else in the country -- has health insurance and decent wages and sick leave when they need it," said lead researcher Dr. David Himmelstein. He's a...