Texas must tackle stem cell misinformation, say experts

Medical treatments that use stem cells have the potential to benefit patients facing serious diseases and injuries, but patients are not always aware that most treatments they are offered are experimental and can carry high risks, according to a report from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Risk of suicide rising among Black and Hispanic Americans

Suicides and suicide attempts by Black and Hispanic Americans are on the rise. Changing the way doctors, clergy, and school personnel think about risk may be essential to prevention, reports a UConn Health researcher.

The use of nitrous oxide 'cracking ' technology in the labor ward

In a case report published in Anaesthesia Reports, a 35-year-old woman who is herself an anesthetist describes her own use of special equipment to recover and break down nitrous oxide used for pain relief during her labor, saying it is mostly easy to use. She also discusses the positive feeling of reducing harm to the environment.

Why are young people so miserable?

Twenty years ago, life satisfaction surveys of those 18 and older showed the highest readings among America's younger and older adults, with those in between struggling with jobs, families, and other cares of middle life. Now, a Harvard-led study examining a dozen measures of well-being show younger adults tallying the lowest scores of any age group.

Is it really healthy to restrict protein intake for kidney transplant recipients?

Conventional wisdom holds that low protein intake is essential for kidney disease patients. However, scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University demonstrated that it might not always be the case with their recent study on the relationship between protein intake and skeletal muscle mass in kidney transplant recipients. Their findings were published in Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers identify a gene therapy target for polycystic kidney disease

Blocking the inhibition of PKD1 and PKD2 gene expression by deleting a binding site for microRNAs hindered the formation and growth of kidney cysts in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) models, UT Southwestern researchers reported. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest a strategy for gene therapy with the potential to arrest or cure ADPKD.

Concerning high rates of metabolic syndrome found in older Irish adults

New research from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin shows a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome among adults aged ≥50 years in Ireland. The study is published in the journal PLOS One.

Could a pill help prevent a leading cause of childhood mortality?

Across much of the world, childhood diarrhea is a major killer. Could a probiotic pill somehow be engineered to help stop the scourge in its tracks?